Gary’s BBQ Supplies supports American-made products

By Elisa Claassen For the Tribune

LYNDEN — Gary Vander Giessen’s mother became ill when he was five, so he said he had to learn to cook for himself.

“As a small child I was always fascinated with food, from tortillas to prime rib I was always cooking something,” he wrote. “TV was my babysitter and I learned a lot from (wellknown chefs) Graham Kerr and Julia Child. My father was a very industrious man but he also had a passion for food and with one arm could cook up a full meal in half an hour. I guess he was the original Rachel Ray. My father also loved to fish and once a year we made our trip to Camano Island to get our fish fixed for the year. When he was a small boy he wandered down to the Fishtrap Creek where the local Indian tribe the Nooksacks were gathering, smoking and drying their fish for the year. This is where I was first introduced to smoking foods. There are lots of recipes for smoking salmon but my favorite is still plain salt, smoke and salmon.”

Starting with a family background, Vander Giessen grew from there. About 15 years ago the Lynden resident discovered the Pacific Northwest BBQ Association (PNWBA). He found a group of people passionate for good food.

“I have always had a passion for BBQ and this looked like fun,” Vander Giessen wrote. “Taking a judging class was my first step and soon we were traveling weekends to judge BBQ.”

When his wife Linda suggested that he find a way to pay for his hobby, it became a business: Gary’s BBQ Supplies was born.

“I knew I couldn’t compete with large box stores and I really wanted to support Americanmade products and companies with an emphasis on quality,” he said. “A few years later, I was introduced to the legendary Yoder brand.”

Until recently, Yoder was a little known company. The Yoder YS640 was named Smoker/Grill of the year for 2023 by People magazine.

“I am very excited to carry these lines of products. It’s not a problem to sell items that you believe in and have faith in,” he said. “If you’re looking for an offset smoker, loaded smoker, or covered grill, we have tons of incredible options for you to choose from.”

Vander Giessen plans to bring his personal Yoder YS640 to work with at the show as well as several other small smokers for show goers to have options. He also offers a bit of a caveat: “I am cooking while we are at the show, and if anyone wants me to cook something for them, they should stop by with some meat.”

Evan Wiederspohn, a 16-yearold pitmaster, and his father Brandon Wiederspohn will demonstrate on Yoder Grills both Friday, April 28 and Saturday, April 29 in the booth at this year’s Home and Garden Show at the

Northwest Washington Fairgrounds, 1775 Front St., Lynden.

Evan, at age 15 won many grand championships in the PNWBA, has a recipe on the menu at Famous Dave’s BBQ Restaurant nationwide.

On Sunday, April 30 at the Home and Garden Show, Celebrity Chef Tim West will demonstrate Yoder Grills. West is a proponent of the slow food movement and has been a speaker on Ted Talks.

The Gary’s BBQ Supplies website has a variety of recipes, including homemade Alabama white sauce, cheese stuffed bacon wrapped meatballs, Asian beef fridge jerky, turmeric grilled pears with a link to a YouTube video showing how to grill.

Gary’s BBQ Supplies is at 1511 Front St., Lynden. Available by appointment Sunday through Friday.

For more information, call 360-223-1009 or visit garysbbqsupplies.com.

Also visit Gary’s BBQ Supplies at this year’s Whatcom County Home and Garden Show®, April 28-30.