Stuffed dates, pulled pork sandwiches, tortellini salad and more were on the menu for Batesburg-Leesville’s annual Taste of the Town. 

This year’s cookoff offered home chefs the chance to craft their best dish for about 100 guests. 

The twist? Every competing food had to be stuffed. 

And the 13 competing chefs didn’t disappoint. 

“This year was very successful,” Chamber of Commerce chair and event host Mike Taylor said.

“We had better marketing which led to a great turnout, and of course, the food was delicious.”

The trophy was taken home by Troy Teague, a resident and owner of a home remodeling business in Leesville. Teague has competed in the event once before but this is the first time he has won. 

“It feels awesome to win,” he said. “I got super excited about the dish I was making and apparently everyone else loved it, too.” 

Teague served stuffed egg rolls, which is a dish stuffed with the ingredients typically found in a reuben sandwich, including corned beef, swiss cheese and sauerkraut.

He fried his dish fresh on-site unlike several of the contestants.

“I wanted them to still be crispy and not get soggy, and I figured I could fry them in about two minutes per batch which worked out perfectly and everyone got freshly made food,” Teague said.

The event's proximity to St. Patrick's Day and Teague's love for reubens inspired the winning dish.

“Just random thoughts,” Teague told the Chronicle.  “I cooked in restaurants for a long time and I love reubens and I love egg rolls. I figured since the theme was ‘Get Stuffed,’ you could stuff an egg roll with just about anything.”

Teague competed with his wife, Libby, who helped him prepare and decorate his table. 

Similar to them, several of the competitors were accompanied by friends and family and some even competed against family.

“We’ve done this for years,” Meghan Smith said. “My momma and I bounce ideas off each other and she of course helped me decorate. We're competing in food against each other, but we're also always together.”

Smith has competed in Taste of the Town for several years. Last year, she won the People Choice Award. 

Her mom is always at the table beside her to compete against and support her.

“I learned how to cook from my family. My mom taught me and now I’ve taught my daughters,” Barbara Brown said.

This year’s competition meant a little more to the duo in light of a recent family tragedy. 

Brown’s grandson and Smith’s nephew died in February 2023 after a fentanyl overdose, a moment that brought Brown to tears.

“We needed to be a family and do these types of things after a tragedy like that.” 

Despite the emotions, the women choose to cook and indulge in their passions while also bickering about who is the better chef.

“She's her mama too and we carry on back and forth,” Brown said. “I love the joy. My daughter, she’s my heart. It makes me feel good that cooking and traditions will be handed down to the next generation.”

Mayor Lancer Shull competed again this year, serving crème brulee strawberries with his wife, Laura Grace. 

“I love it. This is small town America at its best. It's wonderful and it's very heartwarming to see faces I haven’t seen in a while and new faces I’ve never seen before.”

Shull was the winner of 2023’s Taste of the Town when he made an Irish potato stew with vegetables grown from his very own garden. 

“We brought the trophy back and I’m glad it can be passed onto somebody else,” Shull told the Chronicle.

The People’s Choice Award for Taste of the Town was given to Delynn and Adam Barnes who served stuffed mushrooms and spicy margaritas. 

“That’s the best part of these events. It's just local people,” Taylor said. “They are giving their time and talents to create delicious food for our community to enjoy.”