Beer Benefit aims to help local farmers affected by restaurant fire

KINSTON, N.C. (WNCT) -- Local farmers in the east will get some help after an award winning restaurant was damaged by a fire.

Severs filled glasses with special, homemade brews while members of the community filled other glasses, with raffle tickets.

It was all to support their local farmers.

As crews work to repair the Chef and the Farmer, local farmers like Steve Putnam who sold their goods to the restaurant are missing out on a major buyer.

"I was devastated, it was awful,” said Steven Putnam, Owner of Putnam Family Farms. "There are a lot of farmers that a lot of their income is from selling to the chef and the farmer. We’re lucky in the fact that we also sell to others but the chef and the farmer was probably our biggest customer.”

"We average around 2000 dollars a week spent with local farmers and that's not being spent right now,” said Benjamin Knight, General Manager of the Chef and the Farmer.

The restaurant was scheduled to host a special beer dinner with the Mother Earth Brewery and Terrapin Beer Company, but when those plans got cancelled, they came up with a better one.

"We talked to Ben and Vivian at the Chef and the Farmer and decided to terrapin still wanted to come so we said lets just have a party, and do a raffle and raise some money and let all proceeds go to local farmers,” said Trent Mooring, President of the Mother Earth Brewery.

Beer fans got to try a variety of drinks and come together in honor of the restaurant that has been a big part of the community.

Good brew, for a good cause.

"This is something we thought would be a great way to honor what they do which is how we are able to do what we do. if they didn't produce such a great product here in this county, green county, craven county, we wouldn't be able to produce the food we do,” said Knight.

"We’re always trying to stay optimistic and as long as everybody pulls together we'll get through this,” said Putnam.

"I think this is really demonstrates the brotherhood that exist in Kinston between the community and businesses and what we're trying to accomplish here in Kinston,” said Knight.

Out of the ashes - the Chef and the Farmer, and the rest of the community aren't let a fire stop them from continuing to support their local growers.

The Chef and the Farmer does not have a set date of when they will re-open.