Aaron’s interest in barbecue started with the backyard cookouts that he and his wife and partner Stacy Franklin, would throw. They had no idea what they were getting themselves into when they opened up a small barbecue trailer on the side of an Austin, Texas interstate in 2009. Today, crowds stand in line for hours for a taste of Franklin Barbecue’s mouth-watering brisket. Aaron is the recipient of the James Beard Award for Best Chef and has also been inducted into the American Royal Barbecue Hall of Fame for 2020. He is the co-author of New York Times bestselling book, Franklin Barbecue, A Meat-Smoking Manifesto and Franklin Steak. Aaron has been participating in the Southern Smoke fundraiser since 2015, and Southern Smoke is one of his favorite charities to support.