News Release

Cedar Creek and Belle Grove NHP Honors Soul Food's Shenandoah Valley History & Chefs

Date: October 28, 2019

On Saturday, August 3, 2019 an event celebrating soul food and honoring African American chefs of the Shenandoah Valley was held at Belle Grove Plantation in Middletown, Virginia. Belle Grove Plantation is a key legislated partner of Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park. The event was free and open to the public with tours of the Manor House and talks throughout the day.

The idea for this special event came from the Shenandoah Valley Black Heritage Project based in Harrisonburg, Virginia. The non-profit group’s mission is to learn, share, and illuminate African American history of the Shenandoah Valley. They partnered with Belle Grove, Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park, the Josephine School Community Museum, and the Winchester NAACP, and other local groups to plan the day and identify chefs to honor.

“We have had tremendous response to this idea,” said Robin Lyttle President of the Shenandoah Valley Black Heritage Project. “There were so many amazing chefs recommended to us who are so worthy of recognition. We look forward to honoring these individuals and will invoke the name of many others who shared their talents and passion for cooking with our community.”

The honored chefs include:

• Mr. Ira Iverson Becks Sr., Mr. Ira Iverson Becks Jr., and Mrs. Viola E. Becks, Chefs at Ingleside Hotel, Staunton, VA
• Mr. Jesse Curry, Chef and Owner of Rustic Tavern, Winchester, VA
• Mrs. Catherine W. Dunn, Chef at Belle Meade Hotel and Lloyd’s Steak House, Harrisonburg, VA
• Mr. Jerome Grant, Executive Chef, Sweet Home Café, National Museum of African American History and Culture, Washington, DC
• Mrs. Ellen Williams Gant and Mrs. Lucille Kent Williams, Chefs at the Wayside Inn, Middletown, VA
• Mr. Edwin Green, Chef and Owner, Po' Green's Southern Food & BBQ, Front Royal. VA
• Mrs. Geneva Jackson, Caterer, Berryville, VA
• Mrs. Vivienne Jackson, Chef and Owner, Ruth's Tea Room, Winchester, VA
• The Newman Family, Chefs at Wayside Inn, Middletown, VA
• Mr. Henry Stewart, Chef Kavanaugh Hotel, Harrisonburg, VA
• Mrs. Sue Tokes, Chef and Owner, Tokes Inn, Opequon, VA
• Mr. William Tutt, Mrs. Edith Tutt, Mrs. Ella Twyman Tutt, Chefs, Luray, VA and Managers of Lewis Mountain Lodge in the Shenandoah National Park
• Mrs. Savilla Toliver Vickers and Mrs. Edna Toliver Rhodes, Chefs and Caterers in Harrisonburg and Rockingham County, VA
• Mr. Kenneth Williams, Caterer, Winchester, VA

These chefs were honored after a 1:00 pm lunch with dishes provided by Chef Green, Chef Williams, Chef Geneva Jackson, and Zaxby’s in Winchester. Due to tremendous interest in this event, tickets for the meal were sold out. However, guests were welcomed to purchase lunch from the Roaming Bistro Food Truck and to enjoy on the grounds that day or to visit restaurants in nearby Middletown and Strasburg.

One highlight of the day was the public release of Send Judah First: The Erased Life of an Enslaved Soul by Dr. Brian C. Johnson and published by Hidden Shelf Publishing House. This historical novel was inspired by and honors Judah, an enslaved cook at Belle Grove from 1817 until her death in April 1836. History has all but erased her existence as only a few records tell about her life. Dr. Johnson learned about Judah through National Park Service Ranger Shannon Moeck’s program held at Belle Grove in 2016 and his novel goes beyond what is recorded to portray the depth, humanity, and vulnerability of an innocent girl trapped in a world she did not choose. Judah “did the ultimate—she survived. Not as a weakling, but resilient and determined,” said Dr. Johnson. The author shared a reading from Send Judah First at the conclusion of the 10 am program.