The Bean Soup Scramble is well known at The Woodford Club! The sweet smell of fall coming from the kitchen, and the warmth from inside the restaurant brings members together for an unforgettable day. While the tournament itself is filled with fun, there’s a lot of work that goes into the day behind the scenes.
Our very own Executive Chef, Tommy Jewell works hard to make the day perfect!
“I do my best to make sure it is as best as I can make it, no matter what it may be. I try to do my best because I want it to be the best that someone has had.” Jewell said when talking about cooking for our guests.
Tommy takes a lot of pride in what he cooks, and always puts a lot of passion into the food he produces. Just knowing someone is enjoying their meal goes a long way.
“I love to hear that people love the food and enjoy it so much, or when they say ‘ah man this is better than such and such’ or ‘man I wish you could teach whoever they name to cook like this,’ he said. “It’s a warm feeling to know that they enjoy the food that I make.”
So when it comes to the popular bean soup event here at The Woodford Club, Tommy is ready to get cooking! But some people may be wondering, what is “bean soup”?
According to the chef, bean soup can be many things!
“It’s a cheap Southern soup that is traditionally made with pinto beans, or as some call them brown beans, along with onion, usually pork trimmings, bacon, and ham bones. It kind of just depends on what you have around the kitchen or in the refrigerator,” Tommy explained. “I start by caramelizing some onions, then add the ham scraps and ham hocks, and then I add my seasonings, the pinto beans and water. Then I let them simmer for at least three to five hours or until the beans are tender. I personally like to cook them and let them chill overnight and heat them up the next day. I do chili the same way. The time allows everything to come together and personally I feel it always tastes better the next day.”
Homemade meals and traditions have always been a staple here at The Woodford Club. These values are what help make our restaurant so unique.
“As far as tradition goes, I have always had soup beans growing up. When it was cold we would sometimes have them a few times a month, and we always had cornbread with ours and would top them off with fresh yellow onion and a dash of hot sauce.” Jewell described his own mouthwatering traditions.
“Tradition is always good. It can remind you where you came from and also let you see how far you have come along in life,” Jewell said. “You see how big something can get when it was just a small get together, but also to bring in new people and friends to keep the tradition going.”
While he doesn’t usually get to see the action of the fun events and activities at The Woodford Club because he’s busy creating those delicious meals, he appreciates the kind guests and members that come in.
“I don’t really get to see much of what’s going on because I am usually busy doing things, but I do like to see people talk about the food and enjoy it. The smiles, the nods and the silence because they are enjoying the food,” he said.
As we all gear up for the chilly weather that’s headed our way in the next few months, we’re so excited everyone had a blast at our Bean Soup Scramble. Everyone played great and ate like a champion! Be sure to say hi to Tommy and all of our other staff when you see them at The Woodford Club!
Plus, check out some of our pictures from last year’s event below!
