By definition, a family heirloom is “something of special value handed down from one generation to another.” While many wouldn’t even consider a grill a family heirloom, Big Green Egg families know the truth: a Big Green Egg not only lasts for generations, but it also becomes a part of family lore forever.
One such family story came upon the Big Green Egg team by happenstance. At this year’s EGGtoberfest, Joy Banks, a passionate second-generation Egg owner, was ecstatic to bump into Ed Fisher, our founder, and share her family’s story.
Mike Banks loved his family and his Large Big Green Egg. He had a charcoal grill, too, but the Big Green Egg was his go-to. It made him proud; it gave him a reason to gather the entire family for every occasion. Whether it be Memorial Day, the 4th of July, or Thanksgiving, Mike always grilled ribs, turkey, or prime rib. Everything was grilled on his Big Green Egg, but ribs were his specialty.
And he loved sharing the experience, especially with his grandchildren. It was an all-day affair; sitting by the pool, helping grandpa man the Egg. His grandson Max, in particular, helped kick off grilling season with his May birthday. He would always request his grandfather’s ribs, and he didn’t mind jumping in to help, either.
After Mike Banks passed in 2014, his Big Green Egg sat unattended. It’s not easy for a grieving family to move an Egg, its Nest, and all the accessories from home to home. Eventually, Joy and her son Max inherited it, and it was moved to their home, where they used it once or twice but sat outside mostly unused. Joy felt guilty about it and knew she had to do something with it, but she just wasn’t sure how much she could take on by herself.
A few years ago, Joy married Jeremy: a big ol’ gift to the ol’ Big Green Egg. He knew how many memories the Egg held and the guilt that came with the idea of getting rid of the Egg, which now had rusted hardware, a rotted table, and a cracked lid from years of sitting outside unused. To get rid of it meant losing some of those memories. Plus, Jeremy says, “Those Eggs are kind of valuable.”
So, Jeremy set out on an adventure to refresh and repair Mike Banks’s Big Green Egg for his new wife and family. He did a lot of research, tapping into the Big Green Egg community for advice and sourcing replacement parts and upgraded pieces to make the Egg new again. He even built a custom table with castors and bought a new cover to cover the whole thing.
The Egg needed a lot of work, so the process wasn’t easy. But Jeremy knew what it meant to Joy. The effort was worthwhile to keep the old memories, the recipes, and all the new future memories in the family. “He brought it back to life,” Joy says proudly.
Since the Big Green Egg was refreshed, Joy, Jeremy, and Max have enjoyed creating new dishes while reminiscing on old memories. They BBQ—Joy makes the seasonings, and Jeremy handles the smoking. They’ve made smoked Thanksgiving turkey, pizza with the Pizza Wedge, and wings with the EGGspander (Jeremy’s favorite accessory). Joy even attempted to re-create her father’s ribs, but she claims she wasn’t able to get them just right. “There was just something special about his ribs.”
As a family, they’re proud to continue the traditions of their father and grandfather through recipes and the act of gathering with loved ones around the Big Green Egg. Their next sight? The Rotisserie. And we have no doubt Mike is egging them on to add it to their setup.
