What-To-Do Issue 1 2024-2025 - Magazine - Page 79
What’s as American as apple pie? Bush’s® Baked Beans!
Whether you’re having an outdoor picnic or dinner at
home, chances are good that Bush’s® Baked Beans are
on the menu. But do you know how they are made? Or
even where they are made? They’re made right here in
the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains.
In 1908 a schoolteacher and his wife, A.J. and Sallie
Bush, wanted to provide jobs for their family and their
neighbors. There weren’t many jobs to be had in rural
Appalachia. So they started a factory canning tomatoes in Chestnut Hill, Tennessee, a small community
15 miles east of Sevierville on Rt 411.
Now, 115 years and four generations later, the Bush
family is still supporting their community with their
canning factory; only now they are canning beans
baked with Bush’s Secret Family Recipe. And their factory has grown. Using state-of-the-art technology, they
process 1,000 cans/minute!
Stop at the Bush’s® Visitors Center across the street
from the actual factory, and learn first-hand the history
of an inspiring family, an amazing business, and a nourishing bean. Newly renovated in 2022, the Bush’s®
Visitors Center includes a museum, a cafe, and a general store. Admission to the museum is free and well
worth making the 30-minute drive out of Sevierville
on Rt 411. It just might be the highlight of your trip to
the Smokies!
The Bush’s® Museum has three parts. First is a
movie theater with a video tour of the plant. You’ll see
that the beans are pressure-cooked just like how your
grandmother used to can vegetables. You’ll learn that
only high quality natural ingredients are used, so your
family can enjoy a tasty, healthy food.
Second, the museum’s historical section showcases
how the Bush Brothers & Company business was born
and the challenges it faced as the company grew. The
third section is dedicated to the bean itself. What types
of beans? Where are they grown? It includes interactive displays that are fun for adults and children alike.
Wouldn’t you like to know your weight in beans?
That’s not all you’ll experience at Bush’s® Visitors
Center. Plan to stay for lunch and enjoy some good ol’
home cookin’ and Southern comfort food at Bush’s®
Family Cafe. Order a side of - you guessed it - your
favorite beans. For a delicious dessert, try a slice of
their famous Pinto Bean Pecan Pie.
Before you leave, stop in at Bush’s® General Store.
Take home a Bush’s® souvenir like a stuffed toy of
Duke, the Golden Retriever made famous by the
Bush’s® commercials. You can also purchase any of the
120 Bush’s® Beans products, including Bush’s® new
Zero Sugar Added Baked Beans.
For more information about Bush’s® Visitor’s
Center, visit their website at www.bushbeans.com.
You’ll even find a host of great bean recipes there! To
schedule groups of 30 or more, call 865-509-3077.
WHAT-TO-DO.com 79
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