The Right Stuffed: Smitty’s honored by Everyone Eats

Photos and Text by Cynthia Prairie
©2022 Telegraph Publishing LLC

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Chris Meyer of Chester Helping Hands and Trish Paradis of the Springfield Family Center last week presented Garrison Smith, owner of Smitty’s Chester Market, and in-house chef Bonny Hudson with plaques honoring their work on behalf of the Everyone Eats Program. The Vermont Everyone Eats program provides restaurants with a $10 stipend for every meal prepared and distributed free through such organizations as Chester Helping Hands. The program has helped people stay fed, kept restaurants workers in jobs and sustained restaurants during Covid-19 lockdowns and their aftermath.

Smitty’s prepared more than 13,000 meals. And while that is a lot, says Meyer, two other businesses surpassed Smitty’s numbers. What made Smitty’s meals so special, he said, is that they were “always stuffed containers meaning that most people would get two or more servings for plate – extremely generous servings.

“Additionally, Smitty’s always tried to elevate the program meals so that people really got something special every week. They rarely played it safe but pushed the envelope for what can be served at $10 a plate.”