With world-class fishing, North Carolina’s Crystal Coast is known for its local seafood. One Beaufort based business is working hard to promote “local seafood” to visitors coming to the Crystal Coast.

Hungry Town Tours offers visitors an opportunity to sample local Carteret County seafood by bike or foot with the Beaufort Culinary Bike Tour or the Food by Foot Culinary Walking Tour.

Visitors start at the waterfront on Front Street with a walk or ride through beautiful historic streets, stopping at several of Beaufort’s best culinary treasures.

Participants will nosh, and sip their way through 300 years of Beaufort’s history as they make five culinary stops that include three restaurants, a wine tasting, and olive oil pairings at a chef-inspired store.

“The culinary tours are built around a three-course progressive dining experience to include appetizer, entrée, and dessert from the restaurant’s regular menu, so you won’t leave hungry,” according to Betsy Cartier, co-owner of Hungry Town Tours.

Hungry Town Tours pride themselves in working with restaurants that offer fresh, local products that support local fishermen and farmers. Their restaurant partners focus on providing higher quality local ingredients, food with integrity and fresh produce for both seafood and non-seafood diners.

One organization that Hungry Town Tours promotes is Carteret Catch.

The Carteret Catch program was formed in 2006 in response to the influx of cheaper, imported seafood replacing domestic catches in the commercial markets. The organization represents a joint venture between the county’s fishing industry and local restaurants to advertise seasonal seafood caught by Carteret County fishermen. Members include, fishermen, restaurants, wholesale dealers, and retail seafood markets.

Hungry Town Tours is unique in that the company is a member of Carteret Catch. Mr. Cartier serves on the board of Carteret Catch.

“Over 90% of the seafood consumed in the U.S. is imported from other countries around the  world. We think that’s just wrong,” stated Hungry Town Tours co-owner David Cartier.

“We’re excited to have created a “dock to dish” experience that features North Carolina seafood for visitors coming to Beaufort,” said Mr. Cartier.

“The culinary tours are a great way for us to connect the consumer to the local fishermen – right at the restaurant table,” said Mr. Cartier. “It’s a unique way for us to get the message out about the benefits of eating local seafood,” he stated.

Hungry Town Tours promotes seafood availability to consumers looking for fresh local fish with seafood availability guides offered through North Carolina Sea Grant.

“These guides are a great resource for letting diners know exactly where they can be sure to find the local catch,” stated Mr. Cartier. “Education is a big part of what we do,” he said.

The Beaufort Culinary Bike Tour departs Monday through Saturday starting at Noon. The Food by Foot Culinary Walking Tour is the walking version of that tour.

The culinary tours include a local guide, food samples, some non-alcoholic beverages, taxes, and restaurant gratuities. Alcoholic beverages are additional. They run approximately 3 to 3¼ hours. The cost is $69 per person. The culinary tours are for ages 21 yrs. old & up. However, younger adults can be accommodated and tours can be arranged for groups or families. Hungry Town Tours can also accommodate those visitors that desire non-seafood dishes and those with special dietary restrictions.

Other culinary tours include Bike, Brunch & Bubbles, and the Sunday Brunch Walkabout that features culinary offerings from Beaufort Grocery Company.

For more information, call Hungry Town Tours at 252-648-1011 from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. or visit them online at hungrytowntours.com. They are located at 400 Front Street on the waterfront in Beaufort, North Carolina.

Hungry Town Tours operates year-round with walking and bicycle tours with fifteen different tours. The walking tours are offered rain or shine! All culinary stops are within proximity to each other.

“In the summer months, people really enjoy the culinary tours because we are either dining under covered patios or in air-conditioned restaurants, said Ms. Cartier.

The goal is to get Hungry Town Tours guests to see the destination as the locals do. Mr. Cartier says that food experiences are always extremely popular with guests.

“Visitors want to find things that exist only here, that remind them why they came, and that they’ll remember for years later. We think of it as collecting stories, not just souvenirs,” according to Ms. Cartier. “We don’t consider us as tour guides, but story tellers,” she said.

Ms. Cartier said, “Beaufort has a great story to tell between the rich maritime history, historic homes, and the bountiful culinary offerings.”