BENNETT — A rainy March day brought sub-40-degree temperatures.
Not ideal, Timmy Britt thought, for standing outdoors and eating barbecue.
But the co-owner of the new “Handcrafted” food truck was sorely mistaken. Even on a day with crummy weather, and no covered seating, the smoked brisket sandwiches and pulled pork platters Britt was serving lured in customers from Bennett and beyond.
Handcrafted sold out that day — just like they have nearly every day since opening on March 10.
“We pretty much serve more orders than the population of this town,” Britt said.
The most recent U.S. Census puts the population of Bennett at just 355 people. Britt says Handcrafted averages about 400 customers each day they’re open.
The new company’s Facebook page proclaims the truck serves barbecue from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. each Thursday through Saturday, but that’s often not the case. The food truck, which parks adjacent to The Grainery & Co. in downtown Bennett, often closes early — shutting down when the food’s all gone.
Just because the truck operates regularly only three days per week, make no mistake: it’s a full-time operation. Between prepping food, cleaning the truck and hauling the 42-foot trailer to events across the county, Handcrafted has taken over the lives of the Britt family.
The idea for the food truck first began with a big, red offering. Timmy’s uncle Mac was looking to get rid of the trailer, and the Britts had been considering venturing into the food industry. It seemed like the perfect fit.
Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Britts had been looking to open a restaurant in Bennett. They had put those dreams on hold, but when Mac — who also had years of experience in the competitive barbecue scene — offered to sell the food truck, they knew there was an opportunity.
When the Britts brought the trailer down to Bennett it was already an operational food truck equipped with a kitchen and food storage areas. After throwing around name ideas, they landed on “Handcrafted” because they wanted each food item to be made by hand, and crafted with love.
Shortly after the truck opened, Timmy realized he needed more than just his wife, Melanie Britt, to keep the operation going. So, he enlisted a veteran of the food industry — his mom, Gail Britt.
The matriarch serves as the kitchen manager of Handcrafted. She previously worked as a school cafeteria manager and nursing home kitchen manager so her qualifications, and family ties, made her perfect for the job.
“She really keeps us going,” Melanie said.
It was working with Timmy’s mother at the nursing home that first inspired the couple to look into entering the food industry.
The other big inspiration for the barbecue food truck was Timmy’s love of cooking. His wife said he’s always experimented with different ideas and recipes, trying to perfect the flavor combination.
“I made her try a lot of bad barbecue before we opened this,” Timmy said. “But now, people seem to be going crazy for the stuff.”
The most popular item on the menu is a brisket sandwich, smoked for 12 hours before being served on a brioche bun, topped with pickled onions and slathered in the secret Britt BBQ sauce. The menu also features pulled pork, fried tots, mac and cheese, baked beans and other sides.
Gail has also recently added salads to the menu, which have been a big hit. And because of the space limitations inside the truck, all the food is made fresh daily.
Britt also likes to mix things up. For example, in the coming weeks, they’ll be experimenting with brisket nachos at select events. They’ve also brought the truck to several local farm tour events where local farmers provide the ingredients for Handcrafted to cook with.
“Every time we would visit my uncle, it was always a BBQ competition,” Timmy said.
It was in those friendly competitions where Britt tinkered with the meat smokers and the perfect mix between vinegar and sweet barbecue to hone his craft. Now, he’s reaping the rewards of all those experiments.
“We have people who have been here every day since we opened,” Timmy said. “It’s really been unreal to me.”
On average, the team smokes five briskets and four pork butts each day they’re open. Along with their other menu offerings, the team says that typically serves their 400-plus daily customers. Those regulars also come more than just the days the truck is in Bennett. Britt said they’ve traveled to Siler City, Pittsboro and elsewhere just to savor a brisket sandwich.
When the Britts aren’t running the barbecue truck in Bennett, Timmy is a firefighter with the North Chatham Fire Department and Melanie works at the loan office in Bennett. The couple has lived in Chatham for seven years, and said they’ve never felt more connected to their community than when they opened this truck.
Melanie said Handcrafted hopes to offer something different than the traditional grill, and so far it’s been a hit.
“I keep thinking they’re going to get tired of us in this small town,” Melanie said.
She said the mission of Handcrafted is simply to give good food to the people they love, in the place they love.
“We’re not trying to get rich off this,” Melanie said.
Sandwiches sell between $10 and $13 depending on the event, and most sides are $3. For a full menu visit handcrafted919.com.
“It’s pretty simple,” Timmy said. “We just like brisket.”
And it is with that love of meat, and the community, that the Britts have turned the big red truck into a successful restaurant for the people of Bennett and Chatham County.
To find upcoming events and locations for Handcrafted, follow them on Facebook at handcrafted919.
Reporter Ben Rappaport can be reached at brappaport@chathamnr.com or on Twitter @b_rappaport