It’s biscuits, biscuits, and more biscuits as the International Biscuit Festival returns to Knoxville, Tennessee this week. This relatively new festival, first held in 2009, has rapidly grown into one of the country’s major food shindigs. There are really two parts to this event. Beginning Thursday, May 14th, and continuing through the day Friday, is the Southern Food Writing Conference, featuring seminars, speakers, and professional food writers. The $450 registration fee will keep those with a more casual interest in the subject away. Of more relevance to the general public will be the events from Friday evening on.
A previous year’s Biscuit Boulevard offering: the Country Fried Dream, a buttermilk biscuit with country fried steak, black pepper gravy, heirloom tomato, and arugula.
From 6 p.m. until 11 p.m. at The Standard, you can attend the Biscuit Bash for $75, which includes food, moonshine cocktails, live musical entertainment, and the chance to mingle with the authors from the writing conference. Check out the Biscuit Bash menu!
Sequatchie Cove Cumberland Cheese and Shelton Farm Asparagus on Tiny Homemade English Muffins
Spring Peas, Smoked Noble Springs Goat Cheese and Shaved Radishes on Knox Mason ‘Saltine’ Crackers
Mississippi Catfish ‘Boudin Blanc’ with Carolina Gold Rice, Tabasco Mayo and Horseradish Pickles
Benton’s Bacon Fat Brioche Rolls with Sweetwater Valley Pimento Cheese and Pickled Local Ramps
Ashley Farms Chicken Liver ‘Rumaki’ with Benton’s Bacon, Kentucky Soy Sauce and Knox Co. Maple Syrup on Peasant Bread
Slow Roasted Heritage Farm Pork Slider with Muddy Pond Sorghum BBQ Sauce
Cruze Farm Shortcake Biscuit, Olive and Sinclair Chocolate Chips, Local Strawberry Conserves, Whipped Cream
A winner from last year’s Biscuit Art competition
Saturday at 9 a.m., Biscuit Boulevard opens, where over 20 of the region’s finest restaurants and bakers bring their Signature Biscuits for you to sample. For a $10 ticket you get to sample five Signature Biscuits (each of which are much more than simple biscuits). You’ll also get to vote for your favorites. There will also be a bazaar featuring vendors with “biscuit compatible” products.
Last year’s People’s Choice winner on Biscuit Boulevard: the Pearl Biscuit, a buttermilk biscuit with corn, tomato, and Benton’s bacon
The Blackberry Farm Biscuit Brunch will be held Saturday at 11 a.m. Tickets are $85. The Biscuit Baking Contest starts at noon. Contestants will compete in the categories of Sweet Biscuits, Savory Biscuits, Special Biscuits, and Student Biscuits. Finally, the Miss or Mr. Biscuit Pageant, where “the most poised, most talented, the most Biscuity” will be crowned, takes place at 3 p.m. There’ll also be biscuit art and a biscuit songwriting competition – many of the songs will be performed live at the festival. For more information, see the festival website.
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