Old Arthur's finishes first in national competition

LIBERTYVILLE - Old Arthur's, an Evanston and Libertyville-based business known for its award-winning barbecue sauces and rubs, is once again a winner in the National Barbecue & Grilling Association Competition, held in February in Orlando, Florida.

The judges selected Old Arthur's Spicy Barbecue Sauce as the top entry in the "tomato spicy sauce" competition for 2023. It comes on the heels of Old Arthur's first-place win in 2022 for its mild sauce.

"We're humbled to be recognized by the largest governing body in barbecue," said Eudell Watts IV, who established Old Arthur's along with his father, Eudell III, about 12 years ago.

The company said its recipes were passed down in the family over generations, going back to "Old" Arthur Watts, a former slave in Kansas who moved to central Illinois after being freed at the end of the Civil War.

Old Arthur's barbecue sauces and rubs are sold in stores as well as on the company's website, oldarthurs.com.