Soup Club Year One: Crockpot Chaos Unleashed

Holy crap…Soup Club has officially been a thing for one full year. One year! Who would have thought? Ahh…me. People love soup. We make great soup. This thing had legs from day one. I’m not even a little surprised.

So what are you supposed to write about for a one year Soup Club anniversary? Do I reflect on how this whole thing started in the back of the sales row? Do I recap all the ridiculous, brilliant, occasionally questionable soups we’ve concocted over the last 12 months? Nah. There are plenty of blogs for that. Let’s talk about the stuff that actually matters, because good soup can only carry a club so far.

Let’s start with satisfaction. There is something wildly satisfying about standing in your own kitchen, making something from scratch, then hauling it into the office and putting it in front of a group of people you, mostly, like. The lead up is stressful. It feels like prepping for a big game. You’re second guessing ingredients, tasting, re-tasting, wondering if you just made the best soup ever or something that’s about to get a 6.2 and a head tilt. Then it’s go time. And when it’s over? Win or lose, there’s a legit sense of accomplishment. You showed up. You made something. You put it out there. That’s satisfying.

Then there’s enjoyment. And this one hits harder than you’d think. Most people these days eat alone. Sitting at a desk. Scrolling a phone. Watching videos. Answering emails between bites like some kind of efficiency contest. I’m just as guilty, parked in front of two 27-inch monitors trying to squeeze in one more thing before the next meeting. But Tuesdays are different. There’s an actual buzz leading into Soup Club. People are talking. People are waiting. Then you sit down, eat together, laugh, chirp each other, and have real conversations. It’s simple, but it’s rare. And if I had to guess what’s kept this thing going for a year, it’s not just the soup. Not even close.

And then there’s meaning. This is the sneaky one. At face value, this is just soup. A bunch of people bringing food into an office once a week. But it’s not. It’s people taking time out of their lives to create something and share it with others. It’s building something that didn’t exist a year ago that now somehow feels like a standing appointment in life. There are inside jokes, Bottomer™, Campbell’s Crew™, hot sauce sponsors, TGMB…stuff that sounds completely ridiculous to anyone on the outside, but means something to the people in the room. And maybe that’s the whole point. In a world where everything feels quick and transactional, this is real. People show up. People care. People contribute. That’s meaning…even if it comes in a bowl.

Arthur Brooks, a popular social scientist, says happiness is a combination of satisfaction, enjoyment, and meaning. Turns out Soup Club checks all three boxes. So yeah…Soup Club makes people happy. Or at the very least…a little happier.

OK, enough with the social science TED Talk. Probably could’ve just said “soup = happiness” and moved on. Let’s get to the good stuff…game day. We decided to go big for the one-year. Not just Soup Club. Not just Campbell’s Crew™. We’re talking full office takeover…like 50 people, soups, toppers, Bottomers™, and special sides!

• I rolled in with my Riveting Salmon Cioppino, a known crowd pleaser, and decided to flex a little. Pepitas. Smoked salmon topper. And not one…not two…wait, actually yes, two loaves of blueberry, cranberry, cherry, walnut sourdough. Overkill?

• Kevin brought his Italian Wedding with a meatball Bottomer™, because of course he did. None of that fake meat this time!

• Conlan showed up with his wildly delicious Indian comfort food that makes you question your own cooking abilities.

• Tam had a slow cooker locked and loaded with her Dill Pickle soup, which somehow works way better than it sounds…then pulled a full audible and brought mac and cheese “soup.” Huh. And for sides? Of course…more cheese!

• Andy (and/or Justy?)…details are still murky. What we do know is it was made from 9:30pm–11pm the night before, a double batch (half to be paired with fresh walleye), and it featured Andy’s famous fake meat from Trader Joe’s. We’re still waiting on Andy’s very first Soup Club recipe from a year ago, so I didn’t even bother asking for this one.

• Marketing Mike went with his Dunklee’s Red Curry Rookie Run…the soup that started it all for him. Strong marketing move.

• Adam…unfortunately out sick. And let’s be honest, if Adam is missing Soup Club, something is seriously wrong. The man loves soup. We missed you, buddy. Hydrate. Recover. Maybe…have some soup?

All morning the office turned into a patchwork of incredible smells. You’d walk ten feet and it was a completely different flavor profile. Soup Clubbers were nervous-excited. Campbell’s Crew™ was fully fired up. And the rest of the office? Mildly confused. Like, “What exactly is happening here and why does it smell amazing?”

I even overheard TGMB talking to Brandon about being a soup apprentice. A Soup Club Apprentice Program? Now we’re talking. The only question is…who’s the apprentice here? Brandon? Or TGMB?

And then…noon hit. The Matt Helz Memorial Conference Room was ready for its first real event. Soup and soup accessories everywhere. Crocks lined up like a buffet of bad decisions (good decisions). People started filing in and sampling everything in sight.

And, ahh…it was exactly what we envisioned a year ago. People smiling. Laughing. Talking soup. Talking non-soup. Just…being humans for a minute.

A few moments that are going to stick: Kevin giving mini soup descriptions in spurts about each soup like a proud curator. •Josephine and Aubreigh quietly competing to see who could eat the most soup…final count: 6 bowls each. Chris taking his signature photo, this time featuring SIX crocks of soup. Historic moment. Felton hovering like a heat-seeking missile for anything with meat and absolutely dousing it in Habanero Harman’s Hot Sauce. Jack Hammer in a rush, mixing three soups that absolutely should not have been mixed. Science experiment! How about TGMB telling his version of how he was “banned” from Soup Club, with everyone fully playing along like it actually happened.

Just one of those days. Here’s to year two…can’t even imagine where this thing goes from here. Up next: Andy Yavello. He’s so excited about next week and we all can’t wait!

Happy Birthday Justy!