汉娜·亨辛格，《桑福德先驱报

SANFORD - What began as a simple way for husband and wife, 布拉德和安妮特·施利茨, to spend more time together has grown into two new businesses -- catering and a barbecue grill shop.

"All of this got started because we love grilling and cooking,安妮特解释道。. "For date night we signed up for the first BBQ Academy they did through [中央卡罗莱纳社区学院] in Dunn. We had always been grilling and doing stuff, it just sounded like a good idea. And it just rekindled our love for (cooking for people) and we just realized how much we enjoy doing this."

The Central Carolina BBQ Academy was an eight-week culinary course held in February and March of this year on the 推荐正规买球平台 campus in Dunn. 这门课程由厨师格雷格·哈姆教授, executive director of the Central Carolina Culinary Institute, and the owner of Cafe 121 on Chatham Street in Sanford. Hamm also owns Venue at 121, an event space at the back of Cafe 121. 哈姆在这里举办自己的活动, but now the Schlitz's will take over it part time to run Cleo Rose Catering out of it.

"Chef Hamm being the instructor and the teacher that he is was really beneficial,”安妮特说。. "Because he wants to help people grow and his philosophy was that there's plenty of diversity in Sanford and you need opportunities for everybody -- that's what keeps everyone in town instead of taking their business outside of town. He saw the opportunity for us to grow and an opportunity for this venue to be utilized and he was like, 过来吧.'... He stills uses the venue, I just help him with booking the venue and then we use it for our catering. 这只是一个共享的机会."

Cleo Rose operates out of the kitchen in Venue at 121, 能容纳80-100人, but is also available for off-site catering. They do serve barbecue, but focus mostly on classic Southern cooking they were taught as kids.

“我们是在古老的南方烹饪中长大的, 这就是为什么是克利奥·罗斯, Cleo was my grandmother and Rose was my husband's grandmother,安妮特解释道。. "They taught us how to cook and we've been doing it ever since. I've been cooking ever since I was old enough to pull up a chair and get to the counter. And he's the same thing, he just loves to grill."

Not only do they love to cook for themselves, but they've always loved cooking for others too.

"I used to be a flight nurse with Life Flight and they had a barbecue cookout and we hired some people to cook a pig, 但是第二年他们做不到,安妮特回忆道. "So they were looking for somebody and we had always tinkered around and cooked for people, 只是出于对烹饪的热爱, 他们说, “好吧, 你们会做吗?’我们说, “确定,' and it just became a traditional thing that we would have get-togethers or people would call and (ask us to bring the grill over and cook). Just over the last 15 years it has grown and grown."

Cleo Rose Catering is the natural extension of that, but the BBQ Academy reignited their love of barbecue and so they are also opening a grilling supplies store called Brannan-Schlitz BBQ.

"Our sauce motto is 'if you don't know how to fix it, just add a little BS,' " Annette joked. "It's more about grilling and competition -- selling grills, wood pellets, charcoal and things. But we're not open yet, we're still ordering supplies and painting and working on the building. I'm hoping for maybe the end of September or beginning of October to be open."

Annette said between Cleo Rose and Brannan-Schlitz BBQ they can handle just about any type of gathering, 从婚礼和彩排晚宴, 参加生日聚会, 后院野炊和圣诞派对.

“我们做手撕猪屁股, 也就是肩膀, 我们用干擦, 我们自己做酱汁，用手拉, 不含脂肪, 没有软骨. 我们做牛腩, 我们也做迷迭香鸡, 我们做鸡肉沙拉, 我们做布丽酥饼, we make a really good spinach and artichoke dip, 烧烤肉丸. I'd say (Cleo Rose) is more classic Southern and Brannan-Schlitz BBQ is more barbecue brisket side of things."

Brad and Annette agreed that going to the BBQ Academy and starting two businesses together has helped them grow closer as a couple.

"The biggest thing I enjoy is working together," said Brad. "Marriage is something you have to work on everyday. (The class) was something that we both enjoyed, and we got to spend time together."

“当我们经常在一起时，我们会做得更好, and it's harder when we're not together as much -- we communicate better because we get in the flow and groove of things,”安妮特说。. "He really likes cooking the meats and I really like doing the sides and baking, so it's a good marriage in the kitchen and out."

Brannan-Schlitz BBQ will be located at 147 Rand St.，而121号场地位于查塔姆街121号. Annette can be reached at 919-721-8414 or email cleorosecatering@gmail.com.