History was made at the 2023 Lake Bluff annual Ribfest last weekend when a brand new team, the ‘Pink Pig’, consisting of all female alums of LFHS, placed first out of five new teams. 

Being a first-timer cooking in the annual Lake Bluff Ribfest is a challenging task. But with little to no equipment and experience, Erin Wanner and her friends (2017 LFHS graduates) took up the challenge and decided to join the competition. 

Wanner’s high school friend group stayed super close both before and after college. Even though they were all making new friends and memories, they always made sure to stay in touch while away in college. Wanner says it was easy to maintain friendships since most of the group moved back to Chicago post-grad. 

With preserving such strong friendships, some of the most fond memories they share come from the time they spent together at Lake Forest High School. Wanner recalls the times they spent hanging out in the commons between classes, attending football games, and creating strong relationships with faculty and staff. 

Wanner said, “LFHS truly is a special place.” 

The ‘Pink Pigs’ motivation to join the competition is in part thanks to Wanner’s father, who is an avid participator in the annual Rib Fest and was even crowned 2007 champion. What really got the girls invested, however, was when Wanner attended last year’s Rib Fest. She had such a great time and immediately messaged all her friends saying they would be participating the next year.  

Before the event, Wanner and a few friends created a post on Facebook asking for extra help from anyone willing to give them cooking pointers. 

Jeff Silvers, small business owner of local barbeque shop Smokin Deal BBQ, in Mundelein IL, responded to their post offering to help and sponsor their booth at the Ribfest. Silvers was a 2014 Ribfest champion and placed third in 2013. 

Within a few days of communication, Wanner’s friend group made their way over to Smokin Deal BBQ, where they were immediately given a smoker to borrow and all the necessary equipment: rubs, sauces, tools, and advice on how to be a first-time cooker. 

“Jeff gave us a 2-hour crash course on ribs. One team member, Molly O’Donovan, took 4 pages of notes, which we called our ‘rib bible,’ ” Wanner said. 

After getting all their equipment, they were ready to start practicing. They completed one trial run, and even with no experience successfully got the job done and made their first batch of delicious ribs. During this time the team took notes on what to improve on for the upcoming competition. 

Starting to feel overwhelmed, they reminded themselves that with their newfound help, coaching, and sponsorship from Smokin Deal BBQ, they were equipped with everything they needed to compete successfully. 

After a long day of cooking, the Pink Pig had finally completed their very first Lake Bluff Rib Fest. Wanner explains how they were very surprised at how much they had learned in such little time, considering the fact that they had placed very high with such little experience. 

Silvers said, “I am so proud to see how easily they pulled together a team of girls who had never been involved in a barbeque competition before and successfully got the job done.” 

The ‘Pink Pig’ placed first out of five for the new team category, 13th out of 22 overall, and third for the people’s choice award, accomplishing much more than they ever imagined. Wanner and her friends can’t wait to come back and compete again next year, hopefully making this a new tradition.