The Egg Has Landed

01/08

If you happen to see smoke rising above the city of Atlanta on a particular autumn weekend, have no fear. The smoke is likely from hundreds of Big Green Egg barbecue grills fired up for the annual Eggtoberfest celebration.

For the past ten years on the third weekend in October, thousands of fans of this unusual cooker have gotten together to throw one killer tailgate. Not your typical backyard grill, the Egg-shaped, ceramic Big Green Egg is modeled after the ancient kamado cookers used in the Orient for more than 3,000 years. It has heavy, thick ceramic walls to retain heat and add moisture to foods, and the all-natural lump charcoal that fuels it allows a full range of cooking possibilities. In addition to high-heat direct grilling, the versatile Egg can barbecue over low and slow heat, as well as bake, convection roast, and smoke.

In a world of high-tech gadgets and electronic bells and whistles, the Egg is a throwback with nary a gizmo, thingamajig or doohickey. It remains purposely low-tech and simple, yet in spite of that (or perhaps because of it), the Egg’s popularity and sales are skyrocketing.

Even so, how could a grill, no matter how lovingly embraced, inspire the ultimate barbecue road trip? It all comes down to Eggheads, the affectionate term for Big Green Egg groupies. The dimply-textured cooker has amassed legions of fans who are known for their unbridled passion for the product and their attempted Egg- evangelization of nearly everyone old enough to strike a match. These Eggheads gather from all over the globe at Eggtoberfest to cook, taste, share recipes and soak up the camaraderie of fellow Egg fanatics.

The idea for the Eggtoberfest was hatched on an online forum run by Eggheads. The band of online friends, who regularly log on to the site to swap tips, techniques and recipes were looking for a way to meet in person and show off their Egg cooking skills and signature dishes.

What originally started as a low-key way for a handful of these loyal fans to swap Egg stories has evolved into a weekend-long “Egg-stravaganza.” The event has grown annually in terms of cooks, attendees, number of states and countries represented, and even the distance people travel to get there.

“The first event we hosted in 1998 was a way for us to say thank you to this group of Eggheads, our most loyal customers,” says Ed Fisher, founder and president of Big Green Egg. “It is awesome seeing what Eggtoberfest has grown into. Our annual ‘family reunion’ has far exceeded anything I could have imagined.” One hundred people attended the first Eggtoberfest and fired up 25 Eggs to cook all kinds of delicacies. The following year, the event doubled and 50 Eggs were used to cook for 200 attendees. By 2005, Eggtoberfest had outgrown its home at the 57th Squadron, a replica of a World War II officers club, and relocated to the grounds of Big Green Egg headquarters in Tucker, Georgia.

For the 10th Anniversary this past October, nearly 1,600 people from more than 30 states and from countries as England, Mexico and Canada came to the event. More than 375 cooks worked on 220 Eggs.

The festivities kicked off on Friday night with a “Meet and Greet” reception. There was no work for the Eggheads that night; they rested up for the big show and enjoyed a buffet complete with a Big Green Egg-replica cake for dessert. It’s a great opportunity to rekindle friendships, discuss the next day’s menu and talk Eggs, Eggs, and more Eggs.

This year a ceremony was held on opening night to recognize the folks who have attended all ten Eggtoberfests. Honorees included Ed Fisher, for sponsoring Eggtoberfest each year and making it possible for Egg enthusiasts to gather together.

Also honored was Brenda Miller, a Big Green Egg employee who was instrumental in getting Eggtoberfest off the ground in the early years and who is the link between the company and the Egghead community. The three other award recipients were Tony Strange, Rodney Deal and David Bartram. On Saturday, the wake-up calls rang before dawn as the cooks started prepping in their hotel rooms and setting up their stations outside in the dark. Some teams used one Egg, while others worked multiple cookers of all sizes.

By the time the gates opened at 9:00 AM. the Egg chefs were cooking up a storm and serving up samples to a hungry crowd. The day offered loads of prizes, give-aways, music, games and plenty of fun for the entire family. There was a chance to shop in the Big Green Egg retail store and an opportunity to learn more about the cooker through a series of demonstrations throughout the day. Attendees looking to buy a used Egg went away disappointed; these discounted Eggs were all snatched up by pre-order before the event started.
Of course, food was the highlight of the weekend. The Eggheads took the opportunity to strut their stuff and show off.

The Egg cooks whipped up food ranging from traditional grilled favorites to imaginative offerings you wouldn’t guess could be made on a barbeque. Classic ribs, brisket and pulled pork shared the spotlight with dishes like breakfast pizza, crab-stuffed shrimp, smoked oysters and whole smoked lobster.

Some food represented the geographic region of the chef who cooked it, like fresh-caught Alaskan Salmon or Tex-Mex stuffed jalapeno peppers. Other dishes had a little one-upsmanship in mind. Moose satays, ostrich steaks, barbecued turkey necks and turducken — a chicken stuffed into a duck, which in turn is stuffed into a turkey — were some of the entries from left field.

Sometimes setting a record or raising eyebrows is the goal of Egghead chefs. This past Eggtoberfest featured a four-and-a-half foot long Philly cheesesteak, a favorite of Philadelphia-born Ed Fisher. A few years back it was a ten-pound hamburger that had attendees’ tongues wagging and mouths watering.

Sweets fans are never disappointed at Eggtoberfest. Through the years, attendees have been treated to caramel breakfast rolls, bourbon bread pudding, peach cobbler, apple strudel, pumpkin crisp, and much more — all baked on the Eggs.

After the official Eggtoberfest came to a close, participants found their way to the Eggtoberfest after-party, where one could find more food, friends, and fun.
“Organizing an event like Eggtoberfest is quite challenging, and we couldn’t do it without the enthusiastic participation of our entire staff,” explains Jodi Burson, administrative and marketing resources manager at Big Green Egg and lead coordinator of Eggtoberfest. “We start the planning many months ahead and it is really hectic for the few weeks leading up to the event.

But when it’s over, we sit back and remember how much fun the day is for the guests and our Egghead family, and how appreciative everyone always is.”
The success and popularity of the annual Eggtoberfest also has inspired nearly a dozen local Eggfests across the country. Like the original, these local Eggfests are gatherings of Egg fans doing what they love best – cooking on their Eggs, sharing stories, techniques and food with each other and the hundreds of people who attend.

Some local Eggfests are low-key and laid- back. The Texas Eggfest features about 30 cooks and 100 attendees gathered on the banks of Lake Travis in Austin. Others, like the Eggs by the Bay Eggfest in San Francisco and the Oklahoma Eggfest near Oklahoma City, feature a more structured schedule of activities over the weekend, complete with events like an Iron Chef-type cook-off and games for the kids. Some Eggfests even offer a complete roster of educational seminars with sessions on everything from cooking breakfast items to plank grilling to baking on the Egg.

The Waldorf Eggfest in Maryland, in its ninth year, is the oldest of the local events. It features a Chesapeake Bay twist, with a crab dinner at the Friday night kick-off party. The newest regional Eggfest, the New Egglandfest, will take place in New Hampshire in June 2008.

An Eggfest in the Netherlands in 2007 was the first outside the U.S. The Eggtoberfest and the local Eggfests have become large-scale, highly effective product demonstrations for the Big Green Egg. They are a great way for people to learn about the Egg and taste the delicious results first hand, say organizers. And it works. While sales of other traditional barbecue grills have seen small if any growth in recent years, sales of the Big Green Egg have exploded.

“Egg owners have more credibility than anyone when it comes to talking about the Egg and cooking on it,” says Darry Smith, organizer of the Eggs by the Bay festival in San Francisco.

“The attendees were so convinced about the benefits of the Egg that they purchased every one of the demo Eggs we had available and would have bought more if the supply hadn’t run out.”

Whether you are a dedicated, dyed-in-the-wool Egghead, or just like to eat great food and want to see what the fuss is all about, be sure to catch an Egg event; you won’t go home hungry and you’ll probably have some fun, too!