LENOIR – Wil Rion, the kitchen manager at Bethel Colony of Mercy in Lenoir, has been invited to be a part of The Country Network’s upcoming new television series ‘Barbecue Country.’
“Barbecue Country,” airing this summer, features the country’s best barbecues. Twelve professional pitmasters and 12 backyard chefs compete in teams of two in competitive and elimination competitions until one of them is crowned the BBQ Backyard Champion.
Rion was first introduced to The Country Network (TCN) while actually cooking for Studio Heads in Fort Worth, Texas last year.
“They contacted me and said they were doing a new TV show,” Rion said. “They asked me to send in a tape, so I sent a video of me cooking with different things, gossip and joking with my staff…they loved it and they asked me to be on the show.
“It’s exciting,” he continued. “I really don’t know what to expect. I’ve never been on TV.”
Rion has served as kitchen manager at Bethel Colony of Mercy (1675 Bethel Colony Road in Lenoir) for three years. Born and raised in Georgetown, South Carolina, he grew up with his family in the backyard cooking shrimp, crab, and seafood. His passion for food continued to grow when he got his first job in the restaurant at the age of 12.
He moved to Asheville and worked as a chef for a number of years before COVID-19 struck and restaurants were forced to close. He said that Bethel Colony approached him to ask him to work in their kitchen. He now feeds about 60 men three meals a day, every day of the week.
“Bethel gave me an opportunity to run a kitchen and do what I want to do,” Rion said. “Food has always been a soul purifier for me, and cooking has been a soul purifier for me. That’s what gets me out of bed.”
Bethel Colony of Mercy is a non-profit, non-denominational Christian ministry for men suffering from alcohol and/or drug addiction.
“The beauty of working at Bethel is that I can share and connect with these people at difficult times in their lives,” Rion said. “The food connects me to them…the cooking makes them trust me. I can reach them, help them work on their problems, help them grow and become better members of society, or bring them back to their families. I attribute it all to the food.
“I thought I would commit suicide at Bethel for work, but it was one of the greatest blessings I’ve ever had,” he added.
“Barbecue Country” will be filming in Nashville, Tennessee through Sunday, March 26th. Rion said he’s looking forward to exploring the city’s many attractions, including the Grand Ole Opry and the high-end cutlery shop Coutelier, which Rion described as “CandyLand for chefs.”
“I’ll have my knives sharpened for the competition and buy sayas, which are sheaths for my blades,” he said.
Be sure to check out “Barbecue Country” on The Country Network and social media this summer.
“The amount of lives we touch each year at Bethel is overwhelming,” said Rion. “We’re not just helping that one student, we’re helping every single family member and loved one they have. We affect more lives than we meet and that is a huge motivation for me.”