Broadbent B & B Foods once again took top honors in the Kentucky Country Ham Show, winning their 4th grand championship in the past five years and the 16th in company history. But this time, it happened under new ownership.
Josh Polling purchased Broadbent B & B Foods from Ronnie and Beth Drennan, who retired in July.
The Drennans owned B & B Foods for 26 years after they purchased the business from Smith Broadbent III in 1998, and moved the ham curing operation from Cadiz to Kuttawa.
As is tradition, the champion ham will be auctioned off Thursday morning at the fair's 60th annual Kentucky Country Ham Breakfast, with proceeds going to charity.
Over the years, the event has become the place to be for politicians and business leaders who go to bid on the ham.
Last year's ham commanded $10 million. Kelly Craft, along with her husband Joe Craft and Central Bank president Luther Deaton made joint bids of $5 million.
That doubled the previous year's winning bid, which has escalated rapidly since the first million-dollar bid won in 2010.
The ham at the first breakfast in 1964 sold for $124.
This year's winning non-commercial country ham also came from western Kentucky, courtesy of Brian Frogue of Todd County.
PICTURED: A previous grand champion country ham from Broadbent. (Photo: Broadbent Hams.com)
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More details, audio from WKDZ
