If you have had a turkey leg at the N.C. State Fair over the last 30-plus years, there’s a chance you have purchased it from long time fair vendor McBride Concessions. Bess McBride Brinkley was the first to bring smoked turkey legs to the N.C. State Far – after a chance discovery at Disney World that involved Frontier Land, her husband Bobby and a secret dumpster hidden by a grove of fake trees.
But the McBride story doesn’t begin with Bess, it begins in 1932 with her grandfather, Woody McBride, who was the first in the family to have a booth at the N.C. State Fair.
“Papa sold hotdogs, hamburgers, little coca-colas and homemade lemonade,” said Bess. “After World War II and a trip up to New York to attend a fair he tried Italian and Polish sausage. Papa brought five cases of the sausage to the N.C. State Fair and after a few years off letting fairgoers try the new sausage it became a hit with fairgoers.” Over the years Woody McBride began operating more booths at the fair, with the help of his daughter Bettie and nephew, Jimmy.
Woody McBride established a presence and a name for himself amongst fairgoers. “Papa would always tell us to be proud of what we are selling to our customers,” said Bess. “He would say that if you will not eat what you are putting on a plate for a customer then for God’s sake throw it out.”
Woody’s only child was Bettie McBride, who took over her dad’s business. Bettie’s only daughter was Bess. “It was only child to only child,” said Bess. “Papa was stuck with women to pass along the business. He would tell us that we need to act like a lady and work like a man – to prove ourselves.”
Bess married Bobby Brinkley in 1983 and together they worked in the family business, doing 40 to 45 events each year. Their workers became their family and most returned to work each year. Bess notes that there are a lot of similarities between carnival families and agriculture families. “Both have all the same in common – running a family business,” she said. “We raise our own help because no one else would do this for a living. We deal with the weather, and we teach the young people the business.”
McBrides Concessions currently has several booths at the fair including two cafeterias serving ribs, barbecue, grilled half chickens and vegetables. Grills that serve Polish and Italian sausage and steak and cheese. A blooming onion, hand-cut onion ring booth that serves Bettie’s dipping sauce, a secret family recipe. And a cotton candy, candy apple booth that makes both the old-fashioned way.
A trip to a fair conference in the late 1980s is what led to one of McBride Concession’s most popular and enduring items, the smoked turkey leg.
“Those of us attending the International Convention in Orlando were given a special, after-hours trip to Disney World to learn about some of their operations,” said Bess. “Bobby was fascinated at how Disney World handled trash, so we went on a tour to see how they hide dumpsters with groves of trees that have a door that hide dumpsters. It was fascinating to see how they managed trash and keeping things clean all the time.”
“A little later we were in Frontier Land and there was a worker with what looked like a popcorn machine but inside he had stacked turkey legs. I went over to try one and liked it. I asked the worker where they came from and how they were cooked. He wasn’t able to answer the questions. A few minutes later another worker came out with a box and more turkey legs in a food grade bag to fill up the warmer. Afterwards he walked over to a little clump of trees, opened a secret door and threw the box away. I told Bobby that he didn’t lock that door and I was going to get that box. Bobby told me I was crazy. He was worried I wanted to tote a 3×4 empty turkey leg box around the rest of Disney World. It took me 15 minutes to convince him I just wanted the label. He told me he was going to pretend he didn’t even know me.”
Bess did manage to get the label off the box with the company name and cooking instructions. Bobby did think she was crazy and over the years the story of Bess, the dumpster and Disney World took on a life of his own – growing a little bigger each time it was told. But, that next N.C. State Fair, Bess had turkey legs for sale.
“That first year we could not give them away,” said Bess. We had our pit near the old Red Cross Lounge but by the second year I was selling out as fast as I could make them.”
On the Monday of that Fair, Bobby went to a vendor that was selling closed hooded smokers and bought the biggest one the vendor had for Bess. “He told me “Merry Christmas – maybe this will help you keep up,” she said.
It took about three years to get the right footage and cooking schedule down and five years before turkey legs become the hit they are today and for McBride Concessions to be effective at meeting demand. Now, they are one of their best sellers and for thousands of fairgoers, a trip to the fair isn’t complete without a giant smoked turkey leg.
Over the years, Bess has lost her mother, Bettie, husband, Bobby, and Uncle Jimmy. She continues to run McBride’s with the same traditions, loyalty and commitment to serving a great product that was taught to her by her grandfather and mother. She also continues to be a legacy to a fair family that has served the N.C. State Fair for almost a century.