I think Chef Richard Chamberlain is really a good ambassador for the beef industry. Thanks to Diane Henderson at the Cattlemen’s Beef Board for this picture.

Several checkoff-funded programs and products earned national attention at the recent Safeway 14th Annual National Capital Barbecue Battle, a charity event that draws some 120,000 protein lovers to Washington, D.C. each year. While traditional proteins were entered in the competition, 28 of 39 teams from across the country came with a beef recipe, resulting in a special beef category, said Allison Wenther, director of retail marketing and public relations for the beef checkoff’s Northeast Beef Promotion Initiative (NEBPI).

In cooperation with retail partners, the Virginia Beef Council and the Meat Importers Council of America, the beef booth featured live cooking demonstrations by Chef Richard Chamberlain, author of the checkoff-funded Healthy Beef Cookbook. Safeway’s mobile grill team and volunteers distributed more than 10,000 sample strip steak dishes. Members of the checkoff-funded Beef Ambassador Program also circulated through the crowd and talked with visitors about beef’s flavor, nutrition and versatility.