When I first arrived at Sugarbush Golf Club, I was surprised by one thing right away: we weren’t offering a fish fry during Lent.
For a club that prides itself on hospitality and tradition, it didn’t sit right. I brought it up with our chef at the time—and quickly learned why.
Our chicken tenders, hand-cut and hand-breaded in-house, had earned a bit of a following. Almost every group ordered them. And for good reason—they’re famous around here. But there was a problem: our fryers were constantly full of tenders.
We had tried doing a beer-battered fish fry. The fish was good, but the method wasn’t right for our kitchen. The batter would stick together in the fryer if we had more than two pieces, and we could only cook two pieces at a time. Each batch took nine minutes. It just wasn’t practical when the demand for chicken tenders was so high. During Lent, our fish fry sales would go through the roof.
So we adjusted.
During Lent, we moved to a panko-crusted fried fish. It cooks faster—just four minutes per batch. It crisps up nicely. And best of all, we can drop multiple pieces in a single basket without them sticking together.
It was a small change that made a big difference.
We also began focusing more on another menu favorite: our smash burger, which we believe is the best burger in town. (That’s a story for another post.)
The result? A kitchen that runs smoother. Faster fish fry plates. And more room for guests to try something new.
Because at Sugarbush, it’s not just about tradition—it’s about making things better, every season.