Hampton House issues fest challenge

Newton - It’s a bold move, but Lisa Beckert of the Hampton House Bar and Grill is so sure of her team’s culinary skill at the grill, she is sending out a challenge to all professional chefs, that her crew can wilt the competition at this year’s Champion of the Grill Community Festival. Caterers, chefs and restaurants who accept the challenge are invited to step up to the plate with their most scrumptious recipe for grilled pork, chicken, beef or wild game at the festival, to be held on Sept. 10 at the Sussex County Fairgrounds in Augusta. Official judges will decide the winner of the cash prizes of up to $750. Beckert acknowledged that last year’s “Grand Champion of the Grill,” the Homestead Restaurant in Sparta, “has done such a great job.” But, she added with a smile, “we will give them a run for their money this year.” The owner and chef at Hampton House, on Route 206 North in Newton, said she hopes more professional chefs will compete with an eye toward beefing up the competition. The Sussex County Chamber of Commerce also encourages amateurs to challenge each other in a similar spirit of community and fun. Grill space is limited. For information, call 973-579-1811 or log on to sussexcountychamber.org.