Celebrity chef and restaurateur Melissa Cookston is married to Pete Cookston. Melissa is back for season 2 of BBQ War aired on Netflix on May 26, 2023. She is a legend in the pitmaster business but very little is shared about her personal life although she has discussed a few details on her social media. Who is her husband? How old is he? What does he do?
This Pete Cookston biography provides complete information about Melissa Cookston’s husband.
Meet Pete Cookston, Husband of Melissa Cookston
Chef, cookbook author, and restaurateur Melissa Cookston has been married to her husband, Pete Cookston, for two decades. The couple exchanged vows in September 1997. On their 14th wedding anniversary, Pete posted on his Facebook, “I want to thank my beautiful wife Melissa Nichols Cookston for being there for me for the past 14 years. Your date with Sainthood is any day now.”
On her YouTube channel, Melissa posted a video in 2017. She said in the video that “my husband made the mistake of taking me to a barbecue competition while we were dating and it was so much fun for me… I saw these guys cooking whole pigs and it really appealed to that competitive spirit that I think we all have and who doesn’t love barbecue.”
In 1996, she started processing whole pork, ribs, briskets, chickens and just about anything that could be put in a smoker, and won more awards than the Pabst plant in the process.
In fact, Pete helped Melissa through her first competition. She calls it a “disaster.” Melissa adds, “My brother and my husband loaded my gear down for me and lost all my technique. It was freezing cold and raining. I had to huddle under a heating pad at night just to stay warm, and did I mention I was seven months pregnant?”
Melissa was born in a small town called Ruleville but later moved to Greenville. She was introduced to the restaurant business when she was 13 years old. She now owns three restaurants and is is also the author of two cookbooks: Hot in the South (2016) and Smoking in the boy’s room (2014).
After besting her competition on the barbecue circuit, including two grand championships and five whole pig championships at the Memphis World Championship Barbecue Cooking Competition in May, Melissa made her first foray into the culinary world. Her renowned cooking has also landed her on national television, where she has appeared on shows like “The Chew” and “Chopped” and served as a judge on Season 4 of Destination America’s “BBQ Pitmasters.” She has also traveled the world in search of new cooking techniques to introduce to the Mid-South.
In addition to her restaurant business, Melissa has worked as a paralegal for 12 years.
Melissa and Pete Cookston children
Melissa and Pete Cookston share a daughter named Lauren Cookston from their successful marriage. Born in July 1998, Lauren is 24 years old. She attended Hernando High School and graduated in 2016.
For college, Lauren studied international business at the University of Mississippi – Ole Miss in 2020. She also studied Italian at the Croft Institute of International Studies at the University of Mississippi.
Lauren is also involved in the family business. She sells a variety of canned goods, salts and sauces in their online retail store, which offers a wide variety of products.
Pete Cookston’s age
Born in 1968, Pete Cookston is now 54 years old.
Pete Cookston’s work
Pete Cookston is Melissa’s right-hand man, co-owner of several restaurants with her. He and his wife have been in the restaurant business for 40 years. They have owned and operated their own catering company called Melissa’s STEAK and two Memphis BBQ Company barbecue restaurants, one in Horn Lake and one in Dunwoody, Georgia, over the past 10 years.
In addition to their restaurants, Pete and Melissa run a non-profit called the World Junior BBQ League. The organization’s mission is to encourage young people to build life skills and teamwork while training at boot camps and competing in barbecue competitions with their friends.
“Our kids today need something to do besides their next video game,” says Melissa. Mississippi Dining in 2022. The goal is not about competition but about camaraderie and work ethic. “Helping kids is so rewarding, and I look for diversity. I want to try and give them everything they need to succeed.”
During competitions, the Cookstons called themselves Yazoo’s Delta Q.
Is Pete Cookston on Instagram?
No, Pete Cookston is not on Instagram. But you can find him on Facebook.
Related FAQs
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What is Pete Cookston’s birthday?
Pete Cookston celebrates his birthday on December 4.
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Where is Pete Cookston from?
Pete Cookston was born in Covington, Tennessee. He currently lives in Nesbit, Mississippi with his family.