Discovery Plus investigates Seymour’s claim to hamburger fame
SEYMOUR – Smile Hamburger Charlie, you’re on a new Discovery+ series, “The Messy History of American Food.”
The town hosted a video crew at the 2021 Burger Fest to give them the inside scoop on how Charlie Nagreen created this beloved all-American food.
Seymour’s claim popped up while doing research for the show, said Chad Gajadhar, the co-executive producer. After visiting the Burger Fest website, “we knew right away we wanted to visit.”
“We wanted to capture America’s love of the hamburger and the nostalgia that goes along with it,” Gajadhar said. “A small-town festival celebrating the burger’s origins really encapsulates that Americana vibe. It felt right in line with what we were looking for.”
Local canon says Nagreen was selling meatballs at the 1885 fair in Seymour when he smashed the meat between two pieces of bread to make it easier for fairgoers to eat and called it a hamburger.
“We were thrilled to have the Food Network come out and learn about Burger Fest and Hamburger Charlie,” said Donnie Planert Jr., Home of the Hamburger board president, in a media release. “To have our story featured on a national show is amazing.”
Home of the Hamburger is a nonprofit organization that oversees the annual Burger Fest, which includes making a 200-pound cheeseburger (including the bun and fixings), ketchup slide and other fun focused on celebrating Seymour as the burger’s birthplace.
The ketchup slide provided a splash of surprise for the “Messy History” crew.
“The whole setup was so fun, and we were especially amazed at the record distance for the event,” Gajadhar said.
This episode of “Messy History” tracks the evolution of the burger from its origins through modern times, and Seymour plays a central role in the early part of that story, Gajadhar said.
Bill Collar, Seymour Historical Society president, walked the show’s team through the town’s role in that history and presents Seymour’s case as the birthplace of the hamburger in the episode.
The burger episode premiered last week on Discovery+ streaming service. Other episodes diving into the stories, conspiracies and origins of other American food staples.
This year’s Burger Fest is set for Aug. 12 and 13, according to the organization’s website,