Benton's Bacon has gone totally viral in the last couple of years.
Benton's Smoky Mountain Country Hams, the Madisonville, Tenn., maker of hams and bacon has become something of a food legend in the Internet age. At a recent checkup, my doctor recommended trying Benton's Bacon (he was not extolling its healthful benefits, but, hey, compared to most cereal ...) and then the bag boy at Butler and Bailey commented on how much he liked as he was bagging it at the checkout counter.
How did the albeit excellent products of the company, started by a dairy farmer in 1947 in rural East Tennessee, because a connoisseur item for serious foodies (and others) in places like New York City? Dunno. Good products and a lot of media sizzle is my best guess.
In the Knoxville News Sentinel's electronic archives (which date back to September 1990), the earliest mention I could find of the company and its now legendary hams and bacon is a 1995 feature by reporter Morgan Simmons.
Today, it's often mentioned when serious foodies turn to talking country hams and bacon.
- Benton's Bacon | Kate Sonders Food Writer:
- benton's bacon...and a water fall : mock technologies:
- Allan Benton Interview - Interview with Owner Benton's Hams - Esquire:
- Benton's Bacon | Atlanta Wine Guy:
- Allan Benton Signs on for Camp Bacon! | Zingerman's Camp Bacon:
- His Ham Stands Alone, Bacon: 2000s Archive : gourmet.com:
- The Church of Allan Benton, Bacon: Chefs + Restaurants : gourmet.com:
- The Curious Cook - American Ham Makers Are Bringing the Flavor Back - NYTimes.com:
- THE GURGLING COD: Benton's Bacon:
- Al Forno: A Visit to Benton's:
- Benton's Smoky Mountain Country Hams:
- DiBruno Bros: The Queso-Files:
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I may be mistaken but I think the key to Benton's fame is Blackberry Farm in Walland. Once they started using Benton's name on their menu, it got a following among foodies. Other five-star restaurants around the country followed Blackberry's lead.
May I humbly submit one of my own blog posts about Benton's?
http://blog.frankmurphy.com/WordPress/2010/03/sir-francis-bacon/
thanks for the bacon shout out, jackL! but the question remains: have you tried the benton's?
Sure have!
Once you go Benton's there's no going back.