Ashland’s Local Steakhouse:
Farm- to-Table Initiative Takes Root in Ashland
Gwen Akers
The Ashland Beacon
Everyone loves a good steakhouse, but what about a steakhouse that serves great and local, food? As of this week, The Winchester is ready to fill those shoes and bring delicious local cuisine to the table.
This past weekend, the Winchester unveiled its farm-to-table campaign which centers upon the community it is rooted in and dishes that have been raised, processed, and now served locally. All of this began with the recent Boyd County 4-H auction that took place just a few weeks prior.
“Honestly, there's a lot of national chains here in Ashland. They’re gonna serve you your frozen steaks that they get from five states away, or you can come to the Winchester and basically support the local community from the ground up,” Camp shared.
After attending the Boyd County 4-H auction at the Boyd County Fair, Jason Camp and his wife were inspired by the excitement, passion, and drive of the youth of our area. They decided that not only did they want to support them, but they wanted to start a new trend in our area–a locally sourced and locally made menu item.
“My wife and I, we purchased the two steers and the swine. Then we just had them processed, all USDA, over at AW Meats with Tyler Wells and his team,” explained Camp. “It's really cool how this is something we're gonna do from now on. We're actually changing our tagline to Ashland’s Local Steakhouse,” explained Camp.
The swine and steers that the Camp’s purchased were the grand champion and reserve grand champions of the competition, and the proceeds were given to the children themselves to help support them in raising their own livestock. These animals were raised by Ella Crum, Ethan Crum, and Nate Frieze. Camp detailed that he hopes that this both inspires them and helps them in their journey to become our future farmers.
“We want to do everything local—literally from our fields to the Winchester table,” expressed Camp.
Processing and USDA certification was also done locally through Tyler Wells and his team at AW Meat House.
Some of the menu items that will be unveiled include tomahawks, porterhouse, New York strip steaks, half pound burgers, pork chops and pepper jack cheese bratwursts. All of which are sure to be a delicious reminder of the homegrown attitude that makes our community so unique.
“We're always looking for a way to support the local community. The fact that it ties in youth, livestock, agriculture–fundraising for what has made Eastern Kentucky, [what] built [it] from the ground up from 100 years ago to today. That way we can support every single step of the process,” noted Camp.
Whether it is through community engagement or the food they serve in their restaurants—the Camps are dedicated to creating a homegrown environment in their restaurants. Those interested in joining the Camps in their farm-to-table initiative should head to the Winchester or Smokin’ Jays and give delicious local dishes a try!