Six years ago, Doug Pickering left behind the world of Wall Street to pursue his passion for Texas barbecue. Since that time, the BBQ Pitmaster has become a serious player in the Texas BBQ scene racking up honors including Best Chef in Dallas, Best New Restaurant in Dallas and one of the Top 10 New BBQ Restaurants in Texas. 

After an 11-year stint as Head Trader for a Dallas-based Hedge Fund, Pickering left to start D.W.P. BBQ, a catering and BBQ school in Dallas. He became well-known for teaching locals how to sharpen their grill skills with full tutorials on the art of great BBQ. 

He then served as Head Pitmaster for WORK Bar and Grill in Deep Ellum and then Head Pitmaster and Catering Manager for NL Group where he managed large-scale catering programs for Dallas-area hotels. 

Pickering graduated from Southern Methodist University with a Bachelor of Arts in Financial Economics and a Minor in Spanish. 

Pickering is Co-Founder of Ferris Wheelers Backyard & BBQ, the over-the-top Design District hot spot that serves up the best BBQ in town in the shadow of a 50-foot running Ferris wheel. He may appear to be an overnight sensation, but he’s spent years perfecting the craft that keeps Ferris Wheeler’s on every best BBQ list in the state.

Doug left ferris wheelers to spend more time with his family at the end of 2019 and now runs his original business, DWP BBQ that specializes in catering, BBQ School, and restaurant consulting.  

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