It all started in Abilene, TX with my dad (Joel) and his friend, Jon Riddlehoover. Jon and my dad were both football coaches at Cooper High School, and somewhere between film sessions, football practice, and friday night lights, Jon taught my dad to make ridiculously good bbq. This was well before Traegers, bluetooth, and instagram influencers calling random cuts of beef cubed “burnt ends”. This was good ol’ west Texas mesquite smoked magic.

Shortly after, my dad became the “bbq guy” to all of his friends and family - a gift that he’s passed on to me.

As a wedding gift, my dad bought me my smoker. For a long time, it actually sat at his house instead of mine (it’s hard to fit a smoker on a 3rd floor condo balcony). But in 2024, my wife and I moved into a house with a back yard and that’s where I had the space and ability to learn from the master. I’ve loved learning how to make bbq for super bowl parties we’ve hosted, or for a staff meal at our church, and friends who ask for it.

That’s what brought me here. Making a family tradition passed down to me available to more than just people who directly know me. Living here in Colorado, I’ve learned that good bbq (I mean really good bbq) is hard to come by.

We chose the name “Heavenly Scent” for two reasons; first, there’s nothing like the smell of bbq filling up a house. Walking in and smelling the beautiful mixture of seasoning, smoke, and meat will never get old. And the other reason is that we are unapologetically Christians. We strive to spread the aroma of Christ (see 2 Corinthians 2:15) as we interact with the world around us.

Our hope and prayer is that your gatherings would be marked by the heavenly scent of bbq, the sound of laughter, the sight of family, the taste of home, and the warmth of a hug from those you love most.