HEAT THE NORTH_ Assignment #4
Heat The North is an annual series of Rib & Beer Festival events scattered across Ontario. This year's series is it's 9th and my first!
I attended the Toronto Beaches event and it was quite fascinating. I was there, not as a patron but as an observer and to get an insight as to, why all the hype!
I kinda always thought that the name of the event describes strictly what is taking place, so when I hear a title like "wine and beer festival," or Rib & Beer, I'm thinking that everybody attending is interested in sampling or consuming as much of the offerings as possible and that image doesn't really appeal to me. It's not like an event for a limited amount of invited guest to sample a product promotion or something like that!
I must add that, I'm less excited about Rib & Beer or Wine and Beer festivals now than I ever was!
It was early, things weren't scheduled to get going for another hour or so, so I took the opportunity to nose around behind the scene and talk to people working setting-up, fine tuning and getting ready for the day's action.
That's when the education began and the mindset started to shift! It was not only educational, but inspiring and entertaining, plus, the people were surprisingly welcoming, willing to share and engaging.
This is the team that makes it "rock"!
I had totally underestimated the scope, organization and magnitude of the businesses set up to do Bar-B-Ques. I was under the impression that these were "Flea market" type operations. The type that one could tow around on the back of a mini van and set-up in fifteen minutes. Boy, was I way off the mark! These are production operations... mass-production operations.
One manager, I spoke with, told me that his brand is a spin-off of a company founded in 1908 and they were doing Bar-B-Quing since the early 1980s.
Not only are these businesses well established, they are major players with multiple outlets, (most of them operate both in the United States, which I found interesting and Canada) and the product line in most cases offer, in addition to Bar-B-Que meats, House Sauces, Condiments and Dips. These guys compete for prizes and bragging rights!
The conversation on the processes from the selection of meats, to storage conditions, Smoke-House protocol, selection of smoke materials, all the way to marinade, cooking temperatures and cooking time, is one that we could have continued for hours.
After that education, I focused my attention on the comings and goings of the patrons, which were growing at a pretty rapid rate.
The first thing that got my attention and really held it throughout, was how family oriented the gathering was. So many babies in strollers and young children, young adults and parents, people with dogs. Lots of dogs!
Not the chow-down-wash-down crowd that I had anticipated. ( And I'm not prejudiced!)
An observation that I made though... A dog is more of a man's accessory (in such settings) than a woman's! A dog gets a dude lots of attention! From everybody! Maybe I'll get me a dog!
I didn't eat a single rib but I enjoyed a tremendous experience!
This image is my defining moment; The interaction between the customer and server
and the pure organic essence of the smoke, the meat being freshly cooked,
the excitement on the lady's face,
the calm of the waiting customer! Priceless!
Mums in the line-up!
Mums in the line-up!
Love your take on this gig. It's a rare inside view of stuff that we take for granted. Now we see this 'gig' in a different way.
ReplyDeleteNice work. Looks like you had fun!!