Meet Chef Terrance
The Love of Texas BBQ and Southern Cuisine was a long family journey for me. My Father, James Hill (Who passed away back in July of 2019) and my Uncle Darvin Hill taught me the techniques of doing great Southern-style BBQ back when I was 12 years old. The Art of smoking meats quickly became a passion of mine.
Hidden Gems: Meet Terrance Hill of The Southern Gentleman’s Table
Hidden Gems: Meet Terrance Hill of The Southern Gentleman’s Table
Hi Terrance, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
The Love of Texas BBQ and Southern Cuisine was a long family journey for me. My Father, James Hill (Who passed away back in July of 2019) and my Uncle Darvin Hill taught me the techniques of doing great Southern-style BBQ back when I was 12 years old. The Art of smoking meats quickly became a passion of mine. I wanted to explore this passion further so I decided to become a Certified Judge for the Kansas City BBQ Society, judging BBQ competitions all over the country. This allowed me to learn techniques from guys who were competing for 20 or 30 years.
I started catering for Friends and Family and learning the business. I realized it was time to put my knowledge to the test so I got a job at Lockhart Smokehouse in Plano, TX as a Meat Cutter & Prep Cook, but the management team realized my knowledge of being a great Texas Pitmaster. From there, I made sure the Smoked meats and accompanying sides were done in the spirit of excellence. The Lockhart family taught me how to operate a BBQ restaurant which was the lesson I needed for the next chapter. In 2017 a distant relative who attended Grambling State Univ with me had reminded me of a dream we discussed back in college of opening a Texas BBQ Restaurant. By this time, he had relocated to Toronto, ON, with his wife and four boys. After long consideration and prayer, I left everything (family, friends, and Career) behind in Texas and made my way to Canada to open up the First Authentic Texas BBQ Restaurant(Beach Hill Smokehouse) in the Province. The restaurant instantly became a huge success. During my time in Canada, I became a BBQ Teacher hosting Pitmaster Bootcamp Classes as well as some BBQ Consulting around the Country teaching Canadians the Art of Authentic Texas BBQ. In 2019 I decided to return back to Texas to be with family and continue consulting. At that point, that’s when my own company, The Southern Gentleman’s Table, was birth to create a platform for all of the Products I had created over the years.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The road was definitely not a smooth one. I have learned that the famous quote from Theodore Roosevelt rings true that states, “Nothing in the world is worth having or worth doing unless it means effort, pain, and difficulty.” At the time, I had to leave my children and loved ones back in the USA as I stepped out on faith to move to another country to fuel the passions that God birthed inside of me. It was a learning curve to adapt to living in another country and adjust things I was so used to on a day-to-day basis. I had to give up my Income as a Software Engineer by day and Pitmaster at Lockhart by night to trust the process. The biggest challenge came in July of 2019 when the person who I loved and confided in the most my father, James Hill died suddenly and for almost a full year, I was just going through the motions, not really sure what was my next move should be.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about The Southern Gentleman’s Table?
The Southern Gentleman’s Table is a Catering/eCommerce company that offers Authentic Texas BBQ & Southern Cuisine in an environment with hospitality and Southern Charm. We offer Catering all over the Dallas/Ft Worth Metroplex. As a Certified Chef/Pitmaster I host Pitmaster Bootcamps for groups who want to learn the Art & Craft of American Regional BBQ with a specialized focus on Texas BBQ. What sets us apart from others are the decades of Southern Family Recipes and techniques. We do our very best to stick to supporting Local Farms & locally sourced Dry Woods to create a Fresh Farm to Table Experience as well as using Free Range, Antibiotic-free, and some instance Halal meats.
The Brand The Southern Gentleman’s Table is represented by a figure that is recognized in the community for a person of high character, thoughtfulness, and respect for all life. The reputation of a Southern Gentleman is someone who uplifts the women and loved ones in his life and can be counted on to always strive to do the right thing, the right way. We currently Cater all services, including Pop-Up Events all over the DFW Area. We also sell our Famous Southern Gentleman’s Table Cookies and ship all over the US freshly baked or Frozen. We are offering our signature BBQ Rubs, Sauces, and Marinades online by Q3 of 2021. The next milestone for SGT is to have a signature Foodtruck/trailer serving our delicious products all over the State of Texas and eventually multiple units throughout the 48 US.
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
Some of the best resources that I have come across that has been a major factor in developing my business acumen and life enrichment are as follows: Books: Business Made Simple (Donald Miller) What on Earth Am I Here For (Rick Warren) Soar (T.D. Jakes) The Wealth Choice (Dennis Kimbro) Franklin Barbecue: A Meat Smoking Manifesto (Aaron Franklin) Making the Cut: What Separates the Best From the Rest (Chris Hill) Blogs: Southern Bite Afroculinara Podcast: Modern Manhood BBQ Nation Restaurant Unstoppable.