There's no denying Pat and Pete Enochs' contribution to Auburn – or their 'best popcorn'

There are two typical reactions when McCann Award winners get the call from the Auburn Journal: They either cry or question, oftentimes both. It was the latter when Pat and Pete Enochs answered their call from the Journal informing them they are the 2025 recipients of the McCann Award: "Why would we get that this year?" Pat Enochs said. "Wow!" Said Pete Enochs, "We're shocked. It's a prestigious award. We never expected it." That's a key reason for the shock: McCann Award winners don't expect it because they aren't in it for awards, or glory, money or local fame. The lengthy list of McCann Award winners do what they do out of the kindness of their hearts, because they want to make Auburn a better place to live – or as some have said simply, because it's just what they do. The Enochses were nominated twice, each of which included a sizeable list of their contributions to the city – notably, to the Auburn Wine, Ale & Food Festival and the Auburn State Theatre. Teena Wilkins, chairperson of the Auburn Wine, Ale & Food Festival, noted Pat and Pete have "brought a spirit of collaboration, a genuine commitment to excellence and a unique ability to inspire both chefs and wineries to rise to the occasion." Wilkins said everything changed when she invited the Enochses to join the committee. "They bridged the gap between agriculture tourism, the culinary arts and the hospitality industry," Wilkins wrote. "They brought a spirit of collaboration, a genuine commitment to excellence and a unique ability to inspire both chefs and wineries to rise to the occasion." As owners of The Kitchen and Latitudes, Pat and Pete long ago developed a positive reputation for feeding the homeless, to which Pat said, "It just seemed like the thing to do." She said they were one of the first restaurants to receive products from area farmers. At Latitudes, they changed their cuisine every month to, as Pat said, show "appreciation for different flavors of the world. … Our customers really started appreciating all the flavors." Most recently, they've remained involved with the State Theatre. "Without them we would not have the reputation of the 'best popcorn' in the area!!!" Crystal Deck wrote in her letter of nomination. Best popcorn? Pat and Pete laughed. Pete noted they're on "the natural food side of things" so when they started concessions at the State Theatre, they encouraged organic ingredients to support the community. The recipe? It's no secret. Said Pat, "Organic popcorn and sea salt with organic coconut oil and organic safflower oil, and it made a clean, tasty product." Pete added, "And rich. Everybody wants the flavor of butter on their popcorn, right? But we don't want a lot of greasy hands on the chairs. Coconut oil gives popcorn a rich flavor without adding butter." Pat and Pete Enochs will be honored at the annual Celebrate the Community Awards on Thursday, Sept. 26, at Gold Hill Gardens in Newcastle along with either other award winners.