Article by Debra Freeman| Photography by Fitz unless otherwise stated
Just after sunrise on a crisp October morning last year, the smoke from whole hogs cooking in the ground for over twenty-four hours mingled with the mist of the Shenandoah Valley. The state flag of Virginia flew atop a flagpole beside a pit of coals in a grassy field in the town of Woodstock, Virginia for the yearly Shenandoah Autumnfest. For a brief moment, if you closed your eyes, you could imagine a time when Virginia barbecue reigned supreme. When the smell of hogs cooking signified a town gathering to celebrate together or a politician hoping to sway voters.
Open your eyes again, and the proof that the traditions of barbecue that started right here in the Old Dominion are in front of you, courtesy of Craig George and Justin Wightman, owners of 1752 Barbecue, who take the legacy of barbecue and community seriously.
Early in the cook by 1752 Barbecue for the Shenandoah Autumnfest in Woodstock, Virginia – photo courtesy of Wightman
Drawing the name of their restaurant from the year that Woodstock was founded, the pair, whose families both come from Bomens Crossing in nearby Edinburg, Virginia, previously participated in competition barbecue in the early 2000s, and in 2015 had an opportunity to sell barbecue at a local brew house, and did so for five years. Wightman attended Johnson & Wales culinary school and has twenty years in the food industry, and George is a landscape architect by trade. They have been doing pop-ups over the past year which typically sell out, and have recently gone through the permitting process for a brick and mortar location that they hope will open in late 2020 or early 2021.
Craig George and Justin Wightman’s grandfathers photographed together in 1946 – photo courtesy of George
But what makes their barbecue special is that tradition plays a role in how they approach barbecue. “Everyone is out there with a smoker-there’s nothing wrong with that. But we wanted to be different,” said George.
Pitmasters Justin Wightman (left) and Craig George (right) tending the pit
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Their involvement in the Shenandoah Autumnfest, for example, is a prime example of how important honoring the tradition of Virginia barbecue is to them. During the event, George and Wightman (along with other volunteers, most notably Andrew Case), decided to prepare barbecue in the traditional Virginia way – by making and shoveling coals, basting meat, and preparing five locally raised hogs in a pit all night long in order to create a taste of history for everyone.
Detail of the wand used to baste the hogs
“Community is central to what we do,” said George. “[Historically], barbecue began with political rallies, church events and so on…what we are doing now is very similar. The local county board of supervisors and a Virginia delegate paid for the hogs, for example…that brings it full circle. Authenticity goes beyond the meat we serve, and to be involved in something like that…was really special,” he finished.
George breaking down the barbecued hogs for serving
With community support growing beyond the borders of central Virginia, combined with the acknowledgment of the Virginian pitmasters who came before them, George and Wightman are bringing original Virginian barbecue traditions to us all.
For more on 1752 Barbecue, visit HERE
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