Charlie Wilton

By: Anna Pitts

Charlie Wilton has been catering the Ag Heritage Park tailgate parties for the past three years and is quickly becoming famous for his opponent-themed entrées and the satisfying meals he has provided for many CoAg events.

Wilton has been fortunate enough to make a success for himself by doing the thing he enjoys most—cooking. Growing up in Mobile, Ala., Wilton learned the basics of cooking from his mother. As a teenager he would try recipes, such as shepherd's pie, that he clipped out of magazines and then tested on his parents.

Although he never received professional training in culinary arts, Wilton continued to perfect his hobby while he worked for the U.S. Postal Service and he and his wife Carol raised their four sons, Charlie, Jr., Mark, Chris and Harold.

Wilton began cooking occasionally for different social groups he was involved in when a friend asked him if he would consider catering a wedding. "I didn't even charge him, just to see if I could do it," says mWilton. He did it, and that was the beginning Wilton's catering business.

Wilton first catered out of his home in Mobile, but then worked out a deal with the Knights of Columbus organization. He provided members food on Friday nights, at no charge, in exchange for use of their kitchen for his catering jobs. That opportunity helped Wilton build up his catering clientele.

As Wilton's catering business grew, things often got hectic. There are two weekends the Wiltons will never forget. "We had four weddings in one weekend including one across Mobile Bay, at night with no kitchen facilities," says Wilton. "That morning I went to clean at a quarter till 1:00 and didn't get through until 6:00 a.m. The toughest thing is the cleanup."

Another hectic weekend was when a bride told them to prepare food for 100 guests, but after the wedding more than 200 people showed up. "Wedding receptions last two to three hours and most of the time you have food left over, but that time there was nothing, " says Mrs. Wilton. "We pulled everything out…you can never have too much food but if you don't have enough, you're in trouble."

In 1992 Wilton retired from the Postal Service but continued to cater. After he had a heart attack in 1995, the Wiltons gave the business over to son Charlie Jr.

Mrs. Wilton's employers in Mobile, Hercules, Inc., downsized in 1998 and she was transferred to an office in Madison, Ala. That office soon downsized and she began commuting to Little Rock, Ark. The Wiltons were having a difficult time selling their house in Madison but the day Mrs. Wilton signed her retirement papers their house sold, leaving the Wiltons somewhat homeless.

Their son Mark, a CoAg development officer, suggested they move to Auburn for a year. The Wiltons made their move to Auburn, with good intentions to move back to Mobile, but after a year they bought a townhome and have been living there for over three years. "Auburn grew on me," says Mrs. Wilton. "It's close to big towns but, it's not big—it's perfect." Now settled in Auburn, the Wiltons are enjoying retirement and their 11 grandchildren.

The couple got involved in the tailgating business through their son, Mark, who began having tailgate parties at his house, which was close to campus. Mark would invite his friends over and they would pay $5 each for the food, which the elder Wilton would cook.

When Mark moved into a new home, the tailgate party was relocated to Ag Heritage Park. Just as he did for his son's small tailgating crowd, Wilton now does the same for the growing Ag Heritage Park crowd, charging only for the food and cooking for free.

"Ag Heritage Park was the best thing that ever happened to me," says Wilton. What began as a small party of 25 people has grown to an average of 350 tailgaters.

The opponent Auburn is playing determines the meals for each tailgate. Past opponent- theme meals have been pork for the University of Arkansas, Italian food for Syracuse, Mexican and catfish for Southern California and, appropriately, "Junkyard Dogs" for the University of Georgia. "The Struttin' Duck (a restaurant and bar) in Auburn serves Junkyard Dogs," says Wilton. "That's everything you can possibly imagine to put on a hot dog. That's always done on the UGA games."

Wilton's favorite type of food to eat and cook is Cajun (see recipe). The Wiltons say they've eaten their way to Baton Rouge on their way to different festivals and football games.

Auburn's 2004 football schedule has three Louisiana teams coming to the Plains, giving Wilton two opportunities to prepare his favorite food for the CoAg tailgating crowd (one weekend is Ag Roundup, for which Wilton will not have to prepare food). "One of these days Ag Heritage Park will be a very special place...I just love it," says Wilton. "I bet when LSU comes, we'll eat better than they will."

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