Meet Virginia Winner S. Wallace Edwards and Sons

Posted on Tuesday, December 20th, 2011 in Blog by goodfoodawards

Beginning in 1926, with one man selling ham sandwiches on the ferry from Surry, VA to Jamestown, VA, S. Wallace Edwards and Sons has evolved into a role model for the meat curing industry, setting high standards for responsible sourcing practices and quality products. Through their approach to meat as art, and their commitment to curing each ham based on its individual needs, they are helping to spread the word on what good food is all about.

When Sam Edwards decided to take over the family company, part of his vision for S. Wallace Edwards and Sons involved rediscovering the company’s roots and returning to traditional curing techniques that can be traced back to those used at the Jamestown settlement. These methods were developed with both European and Native American influences, reflective of the melting pot of ideas that define all truly American products. “This is where it all started as far as curing meats is concerned. We’re one of the few foods that is still being made the same way it was 400 years ago.”

Not only is Sam creating a uniquely American product, he is demonstrating that American-produced goods can be of equal or higher caliber than their European counterparts. Similar to the wine industry, in the world of charcuterie, reputation is king, and American products are consistently viewed as inferior to their Euro-brethren. However, in recent years, American products have begun to distinguish themselves, with S. Wallace Edwards and Sons’ Surryano Ham setting the bar quite high. “It felt great for the Good Food Awards to recognize that we were doing something special. Having Alice Waters and Bruce Aidells, two people that carry a lot of clout in the food industry, stand behind our product gave us a lot of credibility we didn’t have before.

The story of how Surryano Ham got its name causes Sam to chuckle a bit. The ham itself is an American Country Ham, a product that chefs had a hard time seeing as a gourmet product. However, in a conversation with a chef from New York, Sam emphasized that this particular ham was aged for two years and it needed to be served like a Prosciutto or Serrano ham. “I joked that we were going to call is Surryano Ham.” The chef decided to list it on his menu as such, and, almost instantly, he started getting calls from other chefs requesting this new intriguing Surryano Ham. The reaction to the name was so overtly positive that Sam decided to formally change it.

However, even with its gourmet reputation, when it comes to eating his famous Surryano Ham, Sam likes to keep it simple. “I’ve seen chefs pair it with crabcakes, put it in soups, wrap it around chicken cordon bleu. Because of the intensity of the flavor of Virginia Ham, it does well with blander products.” But for Sam, the best way to eat his ham is on a fresh baked piece of bread with a little butter and a crisp piece of lettuce. Just like grandma used to make it.