Brunswick Stew Festival draws good crowd

As fast as cooks stirred up cauldrons of Brunswick stew at the 17th Street Farmers' Market yesterday, Lenny and Jeri Sturm bought it.

Walking through the crowded market, the Sturms each carried bags with containers of stew purchased from vendors competing for Best in Show.

Their two favorites had more of a tomatoey flavor, said Lenny Sturm of Chesterfield County, noting that some of the stews were too sweet for their tastes.

Overall, 19 stewmasters sold 2,300 gallons of stew, said George Bolos, manager of the Farmers' Market.

"The cauldrons they had were anywhere from 85 to 145 gallons," Bolos said. "They had a lot of stew, and fortunately or unfortunately we sold out in less than two hours."

Bolos estimated that the festival drew about 8,000 people throughout the afternoon. Along with stew, vendors sold other foods. There also was live music and children's activities.

Brunswick stew supposedly has its origins in Brunswick County and usually features a mix of meats, beans and vegetables in a thick base.

People yesterday were able to buy half-cup samples before deciding to buy larger quantities.

"I open a can," said Maya Spiegel, describing where she usually gets her Brunswick stew. Speigel and her sister Tali Spiegel said they had probably tried 10 samples. Their favorites were made by All Stewed Up and Victory Catering, both picked later by a panel of six judges with experience in the culinary arts to be among the best there.

Bolos said the best stews were:

• First place, traditional: Ribs, Rolls & Cheesecake, Richmond. Runner-up: Victory Catering Company, Raleigh, N.C.

• First place, most original: Africanne on Main, Richmond. Runner-up: All Stewed Up, Virginia.

Victory Catering's stew had a smoky flavor that made the 25 gallons dished up by chef Vernon Griffin go fast. By 1:30 p.m., he was putting away his utensils, cleaning up and turning away customers who were a little too late. Griffin said the chicken and pork in the stew are smoked, but the beef isn't.

"I was scraping the pot back there," to get the last little bit out, said Vickie Griffin, who helped her husband serve customers.

Some were stirring for charitable purposes. "Stewmaster" Geoffrey Honan and members of the youth group at Messiah Lutheran Church in Mechanicsville took turns working paddles through a 65-gallon cauldron of stew.

Honan said the youth were raising money to help veterans and their families around the holidays. He said prep work, such as cutting up vegetables, was done earlier in the week, but they started cooking yesterday at 4:30 a.m.

"The recipes are all pretty similar. One may use more chicken and lima beans than the next guy," Honan said. "The secret ingredient is the time that goes into making it."

Contact Tammie Smith at (804) 649-6572 or .