Inventors of the Fried Clam

A YANKEE TRADITION

The Story of Woodman's

The Start of a Yankee Tradition

IT ALL BEGAN BACK IN 1914 when “Chubby” and Bessie Woodman opened their roadside clam shack on the causeway in Essex, MA. At that time, the TV hadn’t been invented, the average yearly salary was $750, and a gallon of milk cost 32 cents. WWI was just beginning, Babe Ruth was a rookie for the Red Sox, the fried clam hadn’t been invented, and it took all day and a beach to cook a New England clambake.

A LOT HAS CHANGED SINCE THEN . . . while Chubby may lay claim to changing only two of these, he made his mark in culinary history through inventing the fried clam and revolutionizing the New England clambake.

Inventors of the Fried Clam

IN 1916 CHUBBY INVENTED THE FRIED CLAM and presented his new delicacy—clams from the shell coated with cornmeal and deep fried in a kettle—during the 4th of July parade in Essex, MA. (Read the full story of the fried clam) From this humble beginning the Woodmans became famous in New England, opening many doors for their expansion into clambake catering.

Perfecting Clambake Catering

CHUBBY IMPROVED ON THE ORIGINAL “INDIAN” CLAMBAKE which required a beach—and digging a hole, heating the rocks, and waiting hours to cook. True to his entrepreneurial spirit, Chubby designed a method allowing him to boast—“We come to you and cook.” He loaded everything onto a truck and drove to his customer’s site where he cooked the clambake over a wood fire in large boiler pots. His new clambake system gave him the flexibility to travel throughout New England and serve groups of all sizes at their locations, enabling many more people to experience a New England clambake.

Continuing the Seafood Tradition

TODAY, 90 YEARS AND FIVE GENERATIONS LATER, the Woodman family is synonymous with traditional New England seafood at its best. Zagat calls Woodman's “A cult classic—right up there with baseball and apple pie, this Essex icon is an enduring American cult favorite.”

Honoring Chubby's spirit, Woodman's continues to cook up his famous fried clams at our restaurant, bring clambake catering to New England and ship fresh lobsters to the world.

With awards such as “Best Seafood in America” from Forbes FYI and induction into the MA Restaurant Hall of Fame, the Woodmans enjoy local and national recognition for continuing their Yankee tradition of excellence.

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