Blake Stoker Speaks to Rotary Club

McKENZIE (November 19) — The Stoker family has been known for its tobacco products for years. The Dresden-based company was a large distributor of tobacco from its headquarters. Now, Blake Stoker is starting a new family legacy: barbecue.

Blake Stoker was the featured speaker at the Rotary Club of McKenzie on November 19. The young man told how he started his career by cooking for his fraternity brothers and others during his college years. Then he transitioned into a food trailer and later into a full-service restaurant in an old mill in downtown Martin.

Blake’s at Southern Milling, a restaurant, bar, and private event space offers Texas-style smoked meats, Southern sides, and classic cocktails in a beautifully preserved and fully renovated historic building situated in the heart of downtown Martin, Tennessee. Built in 1918, 109 S. Lindell Street has long been a landmark and gathering place for locals.

Blake said he travels to Texas to learn more about meats, cooking and restaurant layouts in order to provide the best food service here locally. The small operation grew to a major business for the young man, who enjoys telling the history of the restaurant.