AROUND THE CORNER: DUSTIN JONES

By Nash Nunnery

Prior to the 2020 pandemic, Dustin Jones could likely be found most weekends on his bass boat competing in fishing competitions.

However, the Clinton resident was bitten hard by the grilling bug five years ago and swapped his rod and reel for a spatula and tongs.

Without hesitation, Jones began competing on the Steak Cookoff Association circuit. He quickly earned an invitation to the SCA’s 2020 World Championship, held at the Fort Worth Stockyards. Competitors bring their own grills, spices and rubs, and the event provides the steaks, so everyone has an equal cut of meat.

Jones, 40, finished in the top fifteen out of over three hundred steak chefs at one of the nation’s largest and most prestigious grilling events.

The Greenwood native went from bass master to grill master in one fell swoop.

“After COVID hit in 2020, I was looking for something different and found out about a state [grilling] competition from a friend,” Jones said. “It was held at the Barnett Reservoir – I probably should have never gone, because, after that, I was hooked.”

Jones, who is employed as a territory sales manager for a heavy equipment company, has competed in the World Championships twice. Since 2020, he’s entered an estimated thirty to thirty-five grilling competitions.

“I’d do more, but my daughters and wife take priority,” he said. “What with soccer and other activities, they have a lot going on.”

One particularly memorable contest took Jones to Las Vegas in 2023. He earned a top ten finish out of over sixty fellow grilling enthusiasts.

“I flew out there without a grill or a tent,” recalled Jones. “Thankfully, there were some locals that allowed me to borrow what I needed.”

These days, Jones, who earned a marketing degree at Delta State University, concentrates more of his efforts on seasonings than he does grilling. Through trial and error, he developed Southern Char Signature Blend, a versatile seasoning that can be used on steak, chicken or vegetables.

According to the product’s website, Southern Char Signature Blend contains “rich and bold ingredients [that] will cook into your foods, leaving the taste buds intrigued and wanting more!”

“While I was active on the grilling circuit, I came to realize that cooking and grilling are all about trends,” he said. “People who grill are always interested in seasonings, and I thought developing my own brand [of] seasoning and marketing it to both professional and weekend grillers would go hand-in-hand.”

Jones worked directly with a Pearl co-packer to come up with the right formula for Southern Char, which happens to be the name of his grilling competition team.

“You actually sit down with a food scientist, tweak it, and then decide if it needs a little more of this or that,” Jones said. “We went through five to six versions of Signature Blend before we decided on the current one. It’s a lot going on in one bottle.”

Ever the savvy marketer, Jones advertises his product on a variety of social media platforms – Facebook, Instagram and Tik-Tok – but he admits there’s one foolproof method.

“Word of mouth is really the most important way to get the product out there,” he admits. “We’re trying to build the brand in any way possible.”

Currently, Southern Char Signature Blend is available in stores across Mississippi, including Boxcar Produce in Clinton, Country Meat Packers and Grills of Mississippi. Discussions with grocery giant Kroger to carry the seasoning are in the works, Jones added.

“Signature Blend has received nice reviews from folks that have tried it,” he said. “I’ve gotten lots of great feedback from around our state, and Texas and Tennessee, as well.”

Jones refuses to rest on his laurels – the bearded entrepreneur is working on a second product – one with a salt/pepper/garlic blend. He’s hoping the new seasoning will only compliment Signature Blend.

Jones’ wife and two children have been the beneficiaries of his growing culinary hobby.

“Both of my daughters love red meat – the oldest enjoys rib-eyes and the youngest filet mignon,” he said. “I’m hoping that Southern Char seasonings will take off, and our girls can carry on the brand when they become adults.”

Though he sold his bass boat and no longer fishes competitively, the enterprising Jones hasn’t completely given up the sport.

“When the urge hits, I confine my fishing to the lake in front of our house,” he said, laughing.