One of the volunteers organizing the Garden and Outdoor Living Expo told me I had to visit Clayton Dixon’s booth as soon as I entered the Expo Center of the Christian County Extension Service early on Saturday afternoon. She pointed to the middle of the enormous building and informed me that he was in the eighth grade.
Clayton was a standout. And not just because he seemed to be the expo’s youngest business owner. It turns out that out of the dozens of vendors selling food, home goods, plants, and gardening supplies, Clayton was arguably the most endearing.
Why was he so charming? Imagine a 14-year-old boy with a Southern drawl, an old soul, and a shy smile who starts each of your numerous questions with a sincere “Yes, ma’am.”
He is the son of Ryan and Jill Dixon and attends Christian County Middle School. He sells meat dry rubs and sauces from All Q’ued Up through his company, All Fired Up with Clayton. In addition, Clayton assists at Triple G Produce and More, a vegetable stand on his family’s farm north of Hopkinsville.
I questioned Clayton about how someone so young enters the meat-cooking and sauce-selling industry.
“Well, I learned how to cook from my uncle [Adam Dixon], who works with him, and the guy I’m partners with, John Lindsey,” he said.
Clayton uses cast iron, griddles, and barbecue pits for cooking. He has a little over a year of experience and is building a social media following. His videos teach everything from how to make bang bang shrimp to smoking cream cheese and cooking an entire pig. He claimed that brisket and ribs are his personal favorites.
Clayton’s first barbecue competition, the BBQ Smokeslam in Memphis, is a high-level event that he will compete in next month. For such a young competitor, it may seem like a big leap, but his father has faith and says, “Go big or go home.”
I didn’t expect to go to the Garden and Outdoor Living Expo and come home with a story about a boy who wants to be a champion barbecue cook. But that’s the thing about stories. Sometimes the best ones show up where we least expect them.
