The Food Network is bringing a baking competition to Rockbridge County and, along with it, a major boost to the local economy.
A “southern-style baking competition” is to set up shop at the New Field Farm at Timber Ridge beginning next Monday, Oct. 26, and will stick around for nearly five weeks, through Nov. 21, Cheryl Wagner, Rockbridge regional tourism executive director, told the Rockbridge County Board of Supervisors last week.
The network has booked 80 rooms at local hotels for the duration of the time the show is being produced here. “That’s a half-million dollars direct impact” spending on lodging, said Wagner. “That’s not including eating and shopping [at local retailers and restaurants].”
The network programming should also provide national exposure for local scenery and tourist attractions, she noted. She has supplied the network with “B-rolls” of video footage showcasing such scenery that she’s hopeful might be used in the broadcasts.
Contestants have already been selected for the baking competition so no local casting calls are planned. “They’ll be bringing in the contestants,” Wagner explained. She said she had a relatively short time to find a venue to host the show.
Virginia’s film office contacted her Sept. 3 about the possibility of hosting the show at a Rockbridge County farm. In being selected for the broadcast, “We beat out everyone else in Virginia and seven other states,” said Wagner.
The southern-style baking competition, a new production of The Food Network, will air between six and 10 episodes sometime next year. Wagner said she didn’t know if any well-known celebrity bakers or TV personalities will be participating in the programming.
Members of the Board of Supervisors were effusive in their praise of the local tourism office snagging this network programming for Rockbridge County. “Awesome,” exclaimed David Mc-Daniel. “Wonderful,” said Leslie Ayers.
This isn’t the first time of late that the Rockbridge area has had a connection to a nationally-broadcast baking show. Just last year, Buena Vista native Susan Gravatt was a contestant who was featured prominently in the Hallmark Channel’s “Baked With Love: Holiday” show.
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