ONO x Gisu triumphs at the Grillup WBQA European Championships in Plancha Grilling
Great joy for the ONO x Gisu team for the Grillup WBQA Grand European Champion 2026 title.
Wild West BBQ (top) finished second overall, closely followed by BBQ aus Massen, which took third place.
What a BBQ weekend at the FIRE&FOOD BBQ WEEK in Cologne! At the first Grillup WBQA European Plancha Championship 2026, teams competed for points, category and overall victory on the hot plate on September 5th and 6th. A total of seven teams were judged in six categories. In the end, ONO x Gisu was delighted to win the "WBQA Grand European Champion" title with a total score of 294.450 points.
Behind them, Wild West BBQ and BBQ aus Massen fought a tough battle for the remaining places on the podium. With 288.200 points, Wild West BBQ finished second overall, closely followed by BBQ aus Massen, which took third place with 280.300 points. The gaps were also narrow further down the rankings: Black Perl BBQ Crew came in fourth with 279.450 points, and JKrainer Grill & BBQ Team followed in fifth place with 278.400 points. Fireabend Smoke Crew (268.550) and Grizzly Pandas (239.950) completed the field. Wim Vink, CEO of the World Barbecue Association (WBQA), together with Grillup head judge, chef Chris Sandford, Grillup initiator Elmar Fetscher and WBQA Chief Operating Officer Mona Sandford, presented the trophies and certificates to the newly crowned Plancha champions.
ONO x Gisu showed its class in several categories. The team performed particularly strongly in the Fish & Side Dish category, where they took first place with 51.900 points. In the Poultry & Side Dish category, the Black Perl BBQ Crew was on par with an equally strong 49.050 points, but ONO x Gisu also remained in the top group in the other courses. In the Vegetarian Dish (sweet), they achieved third place with 52.100 points, and in the Lamb with Bone & Side Dish, they came in second with 50.050 points.
If any team challenged ONO x Gisu for the overall victory, it was Wild West BBQ. The "WBQA Reserve Grand European Champion" title was underpinned by strong performances in several disciplines. With 53.350 points, Wild West BBQ took first place and thus the highest individual score in the Vegetarian Dish (sweet) category. In the Lamb with Bone & Side Dish, they also achieved a category victory with 50.650 points. In the Beef & Side Dish, the team came in third.
BBQ aus Massen also had reason to celebrate. The team not only secured third place in the overall standings but also won the Beef & Side Dish category with 46.150 points. BBQ aus Massen also showed its class in the Vegetarian Dish (sweet) and came in second with 52.600 points. In the Lamb with Bone & Side Dish, they followed in third place. The team diligently collected points throughout the competition and ultimately rewarded themselves with a well-deserved "WBQA 3rd Place European Champion" on the overall podium.
The JKrainer Grill & BBQ Team also snatched a category victory. In the Pork without Bone & Side Dish, the team left the competition behind, scoring 50.250 points. The Black Perl BBQ Crew, Fireabend Smoke Crew, and Grizzly Pandas also fiercely grilled for every point. Especially given the narrow margins in the midfield, it is clear how competitive the individual courses were. The complete results can be downloaded HERE as a PDF.
Overview of Category Winners:
- Fish & Side Dish: ONO x Grisu – 51.900 points
- Poultry & Side Dish: ONO x Grisu (and Black Perl BBQ Crew) – 49.050 points each
- Vegetarian Dish (sweet): Wild West BBQ – 53.350 points
- Pork without Bone & Side Dish: JKrainer Grill & BBQ Team – 50.250 points
- Lamb with Bone & Side Dish: Wild West BBQ – 50.650 points
- Beef & Side Dish: BBQ aus Massen – 46.150 points
Overview of Category Runners-up:
- Fish & Side Dish: Black Perl BBQ Crew – 47.200 points
- Poultry & Side Dish: Black Perl BBQ Crew – 49.050 points
- Vegetarian Dish (sweet): BBQ aus Massen – 52.600 points
- Pork without Bone & Side Dish: Wild West BBQ – 49.900 points
- Lamb with Bone & Side Dish: ONO x UAlm – 50.050 points
- Beef & Side Dish: Fireabend Smoke Crew – 45.900 points
In the end, overall performance counts – and ONO x Grisu narrowly edged out the competition. With a 6.25 point lead, the team secured overall victory ahead of Wild West BBQ. A weekend that once again showed: On the plancha, it's not just the heat that matters – but above all, who consistently delivers the best grilled food over several courses.
