Here at Piedmont BBQ Co., we get a lot of people searching "Brunswick Stew Near Me" that are delighted we can ship to the BBQ desert they call home.
Why? Probably because it goes great with everything and is an awesome meal all by itself.
That said, we get a lot of questions about it, so we sat down with Chef Brad Coolidge to get your questions answered.
Chef Brad, a lot of people across the nation haven’t tried Brunswick Stew, especially if they’re not from the south. Can you tell us…what is Brunswick Stew?
It’s generally a tomato-based stew that contains beans, vegetables and traditionally some form of game meat like squirrel or rabbit but in modern times it’s usually chicken or pork.
Why is it called “Brunswick” stew?
It’s called Brunswick Stew because of the geographical locations that claim to be the origin of Brunswick Stew, which is a hotly debated topic.
The states of Virginia (Brunswick County), North Carolina and Georgia (City of Brunswick) all claim they are the birthplace of the stew.
We sometimes hear the term “BBQ Stew.” Is that the same thing?
I would say no although it may be very similar. You could compare the Brunswick Stew birthplace argument and ingredients to the Hatfields and McCoys.
People frequently ask, “what’s in it?” and they are usually firmly in one camp or another and scoff at ingredients that don’t align with the nostalgia of their camp.
You’ve spent years developing your Brunswick Stew recipe? How did you come up with it? What’s in it?
I scoured the internet over the years and it was mainly a process of trial and error.
I found a base/bean/veggie mix that I liked, tweaked it a little and then added Piedmont’s trio of proteins (Carolina pulled pork, Beef Barbacoa, Buttermilk-Brined Pulled Chicken) to make it what it is today.
For those wondering, we have butter beans in ours but no Ochra.
We get amazing feedback on it, and it’s one of our most popular items, especially in the colder months, but make no mistake, we sell a ton of it in July, too.
How healthy is Brunswick Stew?
Ours has no preservatives and is stocked full of locally-sourced proteins. There are lots of veggies in it as well. It’s also gluten free for those who have dietary restrictions.
We post all our nutrition facts.
How do you recommend people eat your Brunswick Stew?
Simply boil it in our BPA-free bag and pour it in a bowl. It's one of our Sous Vide-ready products.
It’s really chunky and hearty, so you can make a meal out of it or have it as a side item with a pulled pork sandwich.
Where can people get your Brunswick Stew shipped?
We have free nationwide shipping! Include it in a custom BBQ box or it's part of our Meat Lovers Box and our Meals for Moms Box.
For people that have your Brunswick Stew shipped to their door…what should they expect?
It will arrive frozen on dry ice. In the event that it’s partially thawed upon opening your box, it’s perfectly fine as long as it’s cold to the touch. Just put it in the freezer to have easy meals on hand!
Frozen, our products last for up to a year, so most of our orders are a "grocery run" quantity of our products, which helps us keep the packaging waste down as well.
