Entertainment · Celebrity · 2 hrs ago
Johann Lafer qualifies for barbecue world championship in Las Vegas
Chefs Johann Lafer and Steffen Henssler competed at a barbecue festival in Vilnius, Lithuania.
They were trying to qualify for the barbecue world championship in Las Vegas.
The contest included chicken wings, pork, brisket, ribs and ribeye steak, judged under strict rules.
Their team placed fifth for chicken wings, seventh for pork, sixth for brisket and last for ribs.
Henssler placed seventh in the ribeye category, while Lafer unexpectedly came fifth and won the Golden Ticket.
Lafer said he was very happy and asked Henssler to come with him to Las Vegas; Henssler agreed.
Lafer has recently finished chemotherapy for lymph gland cancer and has begun a planned two-year course of immunotherapy.
Johann Lafer qualified for the barbecue world championship in Las Vegas after placing fifth in the ribeye steak category at a festival in Vilnius.
Lafer earned the competition’s “Golden Ticket” for the championship.
His teammate Steffen Henssler also competed and placed seventh in the ribeye category.
The festival’s “Team GGG” placed fifth in chicken wings, seventh in pork, sixth in brisket and last in spareribs.
Lafer said he was “unbelievably happy” about qualifying.
- Who
- Johann Lafer qualified, competing alongside Steffen Henssler.
- What
- Lafer earned a “Golden Ticket” to the barbecue world championship in Las Vegas.
- When
- The source article was published on October 11, 2026; the competition date is not stated.
- Where
- The Twin Smoke barbecue festival in Vilnius, Lithuania.
- Why
- Lafer qualified by placing fifth in the ribeye steak category.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
I am unbelievably happy. This is one of the greatest moments for me. Thank you. I love you.
I wanted to be in the top ten.
It is like a religion. As if we were coming into a church and we were hardcore atheists.
Lafer and Henssler learned about the barbecue contest and prepared their dishes.
The team competed in categories including chicken wings, pork, brisket, spareribs and ribeye steak.
Lafer placed fifth in ribeye steak and received the “Golden Ticket” to the world championship in Las Vegas.
- Competition
- Twin Smoke barbecue festival
- Location
- Vilnius, Lithuania
- Lafer's ribeye result
- Fifth place
- Qualification prize
- Golden Ticket” to the barbecue world championship
- World championship venue
- Las Vegas
- Henssler's ribeye result
- Seventh place









