Meat+Poultry - October 2018 - 26

COVER STORY

small-batch

SUCCESS
Bill-E Stitt backs up his bacon brand with his
name and tradition-rich techniques
BY J O E L C R E WS | j c r e w s @ s o s l a n d.c o m

A
"I didn't
invent bacon,
but I'm doing
it the way it
was supposed
to be done."
- BILL STITT

MEAT+ POULTRY | 10.18 | www.meatpoultry.com

the world and utilize his degree at a more
commercial level. Soon, he was hired by
Maryville, Tennessee-based Ruby Tuesday Inc.,
at the corporate level and ultimately worked
as a leader in quality assurance. During his
tenure, Stitt heard about the legend that was
Benton's Bacon "because they were right
outside the gates of Blackberry Farms," a
leading bed-and-breakfast operation based
in Walland, Tennessee, which was purchased
by Ruby Tuesday's founder, Sandy Beall.
And, reminiscent of his previous employers'
request, "Ruby's actually asked me to study
pork belly," he says. The company sent him to
Iowa and Illinois to learn about the production
and processing steps of manufacturing bacon.
"It was very educational," he says. And, like
his former employer, Ruby Tuesday officials
concluded that diners were not yet ready to see
pork belly as a menu item.
At that time, he was living in Alabama,
working as the national director of catering
in addition to overseeing the chain's to-go
program. As part of his development and
advancement, the company asked him to move
to Tennessee, which wasn't a change he was
willing to make. In 2010, Stitt made the decision
to retire from Ruby Tuesday at the age of 42. "I
had been with them 20 years," he says, adding
that he relished the time he spent with the
company. But it was time for him to move on.
"So, I opened this little restaurant in
Fairhope, Alabama," he said, a casual dining
spot specializing in burgers where diners could

Bill-E's Small Batch Bacon

26

fter earning the rank of Eagle Scout
in high school and before enrolling in
college, Bill Stitt's father made it clear
that he needed to learn a craft. Looking back,
what he learned during this time influenced his
education and eventually, his career.
"'I want you to work with this man who's
a butcher,'" Stitt recalls his father telling him.
He learned the techniques to breaking down
primals and what he calls "the complete art of
butchering." The experience of working as a
butcher sparked his interest in the hospitality
industry and paved the way when Stitt enrolled
at the Univ. of Mississippi. While studying
restaurant management he also worked at a
restaurant near the campus.
"I worked from dishwasher to chef to
manager," Stitt says. The restaurant also made
its own bacon, a process Stitt was familiar
with from his butchery days and something he
contributed to creating. In what would prove to
be a prophetic project, the bosses at the familyoperated restaurant asked him to research
pork belly to explore the culinary possibilities.
He dutifully did research on the subject and
learned about the opportunities to make
bacon a bigger part of the eatery's business.
Unfortunately, he recalls, the owners told him
"I don't think people are ready to see the words
'pork belly' on the menu," so "project bacon"
was put on hold indefinitely.
After graduating from college, Stitt
continued working for the same restaurant,
however, he was anxious to get out in
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