A Salt Lake City vegan barbecue business has been shut down, after the pitmaster’s medical emergency led to a fire that destroyed much of his equipment.
Chris Blatchford, owner and pitmaster for Blatch’s Vegan BBQ, was treated at an area hospital Wednesday and released, his wife, Joy, reported on the company’s Facebook and Instagram accounts. Blatchford suffered second-degree burns on his arms, chest and head.
According to the company’s social media, Blatchford — known as Chef Blatch — was in the family’s garage in the Avenues, where the barbecue pit is located. While setting up for the day’s menu, Blatchford, who has type 1 diabetes, fainted from low blood sugar.
In her posts, Joy Blatchford wrote that the fire burned “more than 80% of our equipment.” She ended her post by saying that the company “isn’t going anywhere.”
Chris Blatchford later took to Facebook and updated followers on his condition.
“Had a diabetic low/blackout while holding a lighter, woke up to flames and kept falling/passing out resulting in burns,” Blatchford wrote in a comment. “I [g]ot out after multiple falls/crawls and some gnarly 2nd degree burns. Treated at hospital and my top/arms and head are all bandaged and wrapped. Feel pretty horrible, but will be OK.”
The barbecue will be closed for awhile, he said, as he will “rework the business” and will return “probably with a full team so I don’t have something like this happen again.”
Chris Blatchford, a veteran pitmaster, started creating vegan alternatives for barbecue in 2018.
“I tried to make my vegan options so good, a carnivore can eat my barbecue and be completely happy, and not feel like they’re lacking,” Blatchford told The Salt Lake Tribune in 2022.
In a message to The Tribune on Thursday, Blatchford reiterated his commitment to making vegan barbecue.
“My passion for what I am doing is here, and we are changing the future,” he wrote. “Nothing’s going to stop that.”