CHILLICOTHE — Baking sourdough bread has always been a passion for Barb Colliton, who has been a frequent vendor at the Chillicothe Farmers Market.
But it was not until recently that she realized she needed more than just a booth at the market, but her own shop.
That is why she has opened Old Thyme Growers Country Market, so that her business has a permanent place to call home.
“We started selling our sourdough breads for purchase at Way Farms in Waverly,” Colliton said. “I really started to miss the interaction with the customers. We started going to going out to the VA, they have a little Farmers Market on Tuesdays during the summer.”
Colliton continued to do farmers markets around the area, doing pop-up shops at events and eventually started at the Chillicothe Farmers Market.
“We got out and met the community and that really inspired us to come here,” Colliton said.
Colliton said she and her daughter were working in their home under cottage food laws, which is a guideline of what a baker can and cannot bake inside their homes, versus what you can make in a commercial kitchen.
“My daughter and I started producing so much bread,” Colliton said. “You can’t hire somebody to come into your house at four o’clock in the morning. So we started looking at different avenues. Baking out of a commercial kitchen gives you so many more options.”
Colliton dreamt of all she could do in a commercial kitchen; pies, cream pies and cheesecakes.
“We kept driving by and I kept seeing it [the building] was available for lease,” Colliton said. “I didn’t know if I wanted to make that leap or not. When you bake, it’s a lot of faith. You don’t know if people are going to buy it, they’re going to like it… I could go to a market and bake three batches of bread and not sell anything.”
But after pressure from her daughter and friends, Colliton decided to take the leap.
“We were planning not to open until the first part of the year, but the girls said ‘we’re opening’,” She said. “So, last Thursday we didn’t advertise or anything, we just opened up the doors.”
The market has options of soup, bread, coffee and more. As well as giving a helping hand to other businesses by allowing their merchandise to be sold. The store is located at 627 Central Center, Chillicothe.
This article originally appeared on Chillicothe Gazette: Chillicothe Farmers Market regular vendor opens storefront
Reporting by Destiny Torres, Chillicothe Gazette / Chillicothe Gazette
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