Determined not to see his new business venture go up in smoke amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, a barbecue connoisseur is planning a Victoria Day long weekend opening for his food shack in a Black Diamond parking lot.
In conjunction with Hard Knox Brewery reopening to sit-down customers this weekend, Vince Gosling will serve his mouth-watering smoked meats from the shack he purchased last winter.
The business, Smokey Goose BBQ, opens officially on May 16 at 2 p.m. It's located in the Hard Knox Brewery parking lot in Black Diamond’s northeast side.
“We’re planning on being open every day the brewery is open," said Gosling. "We have a symbiotic relationship. They’re going to be a big part of our clientele.”
Smokey Goose BBQ is family owmed and operated by Gosling and his daughters Shelby and Molly. Gosling had previously operated a furniture business in Calgary and a home inspection business.
“The girls were having trouble as high school and college students landing work at this time so we thought they could benefit from helping there as well,” he said. “They’re eager to learn all aspects of it and enjoy cooking as well.”
With 20 years of experience smoking and barbecuing various types of meats, Gosling said it’s the perfect on-the-side job. He works full time at the Foothills Regional Landfill & Resource Recovery Centre and lives in Okotoks.
Some items on the menu include pulled pork and pulled chicken sandwiches, smoked hamburgers, stuffed hamburgers, smoked pork belly, wings and brisket with side dishes of homemade coleslaw and smoked mac and cheese. Gosling also has plans to create a calzone with leftover brisket and pulled pork.
“It’s not your typical barbecue” he said. “We venture off the beaten path.”
Gosling said smoked meats are beginning to gain popularity in Alberta, and that this method of cooking meat is still in its infancy.
“Smoked meats have got a whole different flavour than just regular barbecue off the grill,” he said. “The recipes are my own experimentation. I watch a lot of food videos and I take those ideas and make them my own. I put my own spin on that.”
Gosling aims to locally source as much of his dishes as possible with the buns being purchased from Kaiser’s Cakery down the street and the meat supplied by area grocery stores and butchers.
Selecting Black Diamond as the ideal location for his shack was an easy decision for Gosling due to the abundance of tourism traffic along Highway 7.
“I’ve been to Black Diamond several times and, especially in the summer, there’s so many bikes and tourists,” he said. “It’s so busy out there. It seemed like a really good fit, especially right beside the brewery.”
Smokey Goose BBQ’s hours of operation will coincide with that of Hard Knox Brewery - open Saturday from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday and Monday from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. during the long weekend.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Gosling said customers will be served as required by Alberta Health Services regulations.
“The food will all be bagged rather than set on trays and it will be placed in disposable containers,” he said. “Everything is going to have its own container and lid. We will have people wait in their vehicles and send them a text when it’s ready.”
To learn more about Smokey Goose Barbecue visit https://www.facebook.com/Smokey-Goose-BBQ-101159991523434
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