If the Lowes ever decide to write their history of being Cup Match stall holders, ?All in the Family? would surely be the title.

The tradition of serving St. David?s Island food to the masses stretching over the two-day holiday goes back to when Rev. Wilbur (Larry) Lowe?s in-laws, St. David?s islanders Arthur and Evelyn Pitcher, laid the foundation for what has now become a third-generation family tradition.

Today, McLaren Lowe, oldest son of Rev. Lowe and his wife Hope, has assumed the helm, although he hastens to assure that his parents and siblings remain very much involved.

When spectators sidle up to the counter of St. David?s Seafood for their hashed shark, conch stew, mussel stew, codfish and potatoes, fried fish, calamari, shrimps, Johnny Bread and more tomorrow and Friday, it?s a safe bet that very few will have any concept of just how much work and preparation has gone into bringing the crowd-pleasing fare to fruition ? a process which includes everything from building the stall from scratch to installing the stove and refrigeration, and even catching the sharks for the traditional St. David?s Island dish.

Sharing some of the details with , McLaren says he began building the stall two weeks ago; helped his father set the long lines off the South Shore to catch the all-important sharks; and marshalled the massive quantities of ingredients needed to prepare the various dishes. He also does most of the cooking now.

Double-checking, keeping everything organised and on track ? or ?dotting the i?s and crossing the t?s? as Rev. Lowe puts it ? is Hope Lowe?s responsibility.

Taking a break this year from the family line-up is daughter Charisa, who has opted to enjoy the holiday hanging out with friends.

Preparation of the traditional East End dishes begins in advance. Hashed shark, for example, is a laborious and time-consuming process. First the raw meat is boiled, then the family is joined by expert relative Oliver Pitcher at the waterside picking it over with their fingers to remove the skin and cartilage, which is tossed overboard for other fish to enjoy. The meat is then squeezed dry.

Meanwhile, the liver is fried to extract the all-important oil, which Rev. Lowe notes is what gives the hash its flavour.

?If the shark has a nice white liver when you catch it then you?ve got quality oil,? he says.

Finally, the hash is blended with herbs and seasonings and fried up and voila! The famous fare is ready.

?It?s a lot of work,? McLaren Lowe admits.

Conch stew is also time-consuming. Tough and rubbery in its natural state, McLaren boils it for four hours to tenderise it, following which he adds seasonings and other ingredients, and simmers the concoction for a further two hours to let the flavours blend.

He estimates that he makes up 40 gallons of conch stew, none of which is frozen ahead of time. The first pot of stew goes on the stove about midnight tonight, and will simmer all night on a low fire. Meanwhile, McLaren will be making up the sauce for the Thursday morning codfish and potato breakfasts.

Since Cup Match is a two-day event, in order to meet demand McLaren is constantly ?on the case? making back-up supplies even as the first batches are going down the hatches.

Rev. Lowe and his youngest son, 15-year-old Jonathan, are the family?s acknowledged Johnny Bread specialists ? another popular breakfast favourite, served with cheese ? preparation for which begins at 4 a.m. each day, and which Rev. Lowe admits ?goes fast?.

All in all, the clergyman estimates they will make approximately 12-15 loaves of the popular bread each morning.

Over the years the family has devised a system to keep things running smoothly and efficiently, not only for the customers, but also for the staff manning the stall. Even so, McLaren watches closely for ways to improve the methodology and fine tune the operation each year.

Like his siblings, his parents involved him in working at the stall from the time he was knee-high to a grasshopper, with the assigned tasks being age-appropriate, but also allowing time for play.

As did his father before him, 21-year-old Jason Lowe, a student at Morehouse College, will be working alongside his family to help raise funds for his education.

?While it has always been a family tradition, I stuck with it to help put myself through college and then we just kept doing it,? Rev. Lowe recalls. ?Now McLaren has taken on the job and is doing a very good job of it too.?

This year, Jonathan is receiving a deeper indoctrination into running the stall because big brother McLaren wants him to ?get a feel for the operation? as part of ensuring that the family tradition continues when he too decides to ease up a little.

Like his forebears the teenager will quickly understand that Cup Match is no holiday for the Lowes ? their break comes when the last drop of conch stew has been served and the stall has been dismantled.

Meanwhile, McLaren expects to get little sleep during the two-day event.

?I?ll start cooking around midnight tonight, and tomorrow night I?ll probably leave the ground around 2 a.m. and be back again at 6 a.m.,? he says. The hours of sleep he does snatch will be few because his mind is constantly planning what he has to do next.

Rev. Lowe will be among the family members remaining on site overnight from tonight, catching forty winks on air mattresses laid on the stall floor. This is partly because he must rise so early to begin preparing some of the day?s fare, and partly for security reasons.

His memories of past experiences include a fire in the stall, having all of the money stolen, and sleeping on the then-flat roofed stall.

Childless though McLaren is at present, one thing is predestined: any offspring he does have will also be steeped in the Lowe traditions of Cup Match catering.

As to which team family members support, since the Somerset Lowes are intermarried with the Pitchers and Foggos from St. David?s, loyalties remain unswervingly divided.

Far from generating ill will, however, this is a recipe for friendly rivalry and good-natured banter each year, with no hard feelings when stumps are drawn.

?A house divided, but which still stands,? Rev. Lowe assures.