Today we’d like to introduce you to Lou Hutto.
Lou, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I learned how to cook barbecue from my father, My family held a Christmas party every year as long as I can remember where my Dad and Uncles would stay up all night cooking a whole hog. They did it old school with a block pit and burn barrel that they would burn oak and hickory logs down to produce coals that they would shovel into the outer edges of the pit. They were masters of the art. They never used thermometers and could tell if the temperature of the pit was right by the sound of the fat rendering off of the pig and how fast that was dripping. There are also lots of things you could tell about how the pig was cooking by the smell as well. I remember when I was really young I wanted to hang out with the men by the pit through the night. My dad would always make me go inside to bed but I would watch them stand around the burn barrel until I fell asleep. I had no idea back then that one day I would do it for a living. I think thats one of the biggest reasons I love to do what I do. I feel like it’s a connection to my roots. In those wee hours of the morning sometimes when I am the only one awake I almost feel my Dad and Grandfather’s presence and their words of guidance about cooking barbecue.
I got my real ‘start” around 2006 or so, I did my first barbecue competition and got really good feedback from the crowd and the judges. I was working as a bartender at bar none in Columbia at the time and kinda decided on a whim one night to cook some barbecue and make some sauce and take it in to the bar to make sandwiches to sell. I got a really good response the first night and sold all of it. I continued doing that once a week for about a year and continued selling out. Eventually it became something we had every day but was not on the menu. that progressed to it being on the menu every day now
The next step was getting out of the bar busines and setting out on my own as LowCo Barbecue & Catering
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It’s been about as smooth as a washboard. I think like some new business owners I was not quite aware of all that was actually involved with owning and operating your own business. I definitely threw caution to the wind and just went for it. I think that attitude is vital for any entrepreneur but has to be buttressed by a solid business plan and proper capital. I think now I would have spent much more time planning for success. I’ve had to learn a lot of hard lessons. I think I would advise anyone with an idea or a dream to definitely go for it but plan for success as well and start off properly financed.
Please tell us about LowCo Barbecue.
LowCo Barbecue & Catering is a full service catering operation. We do everything from drop off catering service to full service onsite catering for any function. We specialize in smoked meats from brisket to ribs to whole hog barbecue and sides made from scratch, South Carolina Lowcountry cuisine such as oyster roasts, frogmore stew, fried and grilled seafood and game. Cajun Cuisine such as Gumbo, Etouffe’, crawfish boils and boudin. I would say we are most widely known for our pecan smoked beef brisket and our whole hog barbecue/pulled pork. I think I am most proud of our collaborative work with F2T Productions Management & Catering. we work together throughout the year to put on farm dinners and signature events at an in town farm City Roots also in Columbia. I really enjoy collaborating with other chefs from Columbia and across the state. the coolest food always happens when we get together. I think what sets LowCo Barbecue apart from others is the care we take to prepare our barbecue using knowledge and experience gained from my father and family that you just cant buy or go to a class to learn. Its experience gained from many many hours of cooking. There is no substitute for that and I had a true master as a teacher.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
Im not one to think that way, I think every experience good or bad is part of what got you to where you are. Im happy with my life and career. I love what I do. I work with great people. I think if anything I would reiterate having a proper plan to be sucessful
Pricing:
Contact Info:
- Website: lowcobarbecue.com
- Email: crazygood@lowcobarbecue.com
- Instagram: lowcobbqandcatering
- Facebook: LowCo Barbecue & Catering
