Don’t Fence Us In: Local Midwest Businesses Go Online
As shutdown orders descended on Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky in March, small food entrepreneurs had to quickly lean into a sales channel that hadn’t previously been much of a focus: ecommerce. While processing and shipping orders added complexity to their businesses, it allowed them to serve existing customers, find new ones, grow their brands—and simply keep operating. Looking to sample local delicacies from nearby states? These sources sell online and ship regionally.
SWEETS & TREATS
Brooke’s Naturals
BrookesCandyCo.com
Brooke Schmidt has been making chocolate since she was a teenager. Her toffee, caramels, truffle brownies and other treats are flat-out irresistible.
Just Pop In! Popcorn
JustPopInPopcorn.com
Twin sisters run this gourmet popcorn shop; they partner with other Indy purveyors like Sun King Brewery and Smoking Goose to create unique flavors.
My Sugar Pie
MySugarPie.com
Touted by Country Living and People, this two-location bakery is known for their sugar cream pie. Their Pie Club makes a great gift.
Newfangled Confections
NewfangledConfections.com
Carrie Abbott’s culinary experimentation yielded “frittle”—a cross of fudge and brittle. She sells frittle, chocolate-dipped cookies, caramels and other goodies.
Georgia’s Sweet Potato Pie Co.
GeorgiasSweets.com
Deyago and Dawn Urrutia named their bakery after Dawn’s maternal grandmother, who shared love with all. That love is baked into every pie.
Kizito Cookies
Kizito.com
Founder Elizabeth Kizito says that her family’s African roots, the American Dream plus lots of hard work are mixed in with the chocolate chips and nuts in her baked goods.
Chocolats Latour
ChocolatsLatour.com
Shalini Latour’s hand-painted truffles and caramels are works of art, and her artisan chocolate bars feature exotic flavors and locally sourced ingredients.
Twist Cup Cakery
TwistCupCakeryDayton.com
Promising “happiness in a jar, wherever you are!” Twist ships halfpint jar cupcakes in flavors like red velvet, bourbon pecan and white chocolate peanut butter.
BABY FOOD
Café Baby
CafeBabyToGo.com
Get age-specific, wholesome, frozen foods for babies and toddlers delivered by subscription right to your home.
Taste-T-Love
TasteTLove.com
Inspired by her grandmother, Kourtney Terry created a line of natural, pure fruit and veggie purées. Pouches are available for shipping and can be stored in the freezer.
PANTRY & PERSONAL CARE
Frangipani Body Products
FrangipaniBodyProducts.com
From almond oil to ylang ylang, this plant-based skincare brand uses natural ingredients to craft gentle, soothing products.
Wildflower Ridge Honey
WildflowerRidgeHoney.square.site
The full range of honey products: from bee pollen and beeswax to whipped honey and infused honey, along with honey peanut butter.
The Healing Kitchen
OneWiseCracker.com
Aiming to heal bodies and bellies, owner Tiffany Wise uses local, whole ingredients for healthy foods. Bone broth, flaxseed crackers and fermented vegetables are available for shipping.
JohnTom’s Barbecue
JohnTomsBBQ.com
Backyard barbecue enthusiast John Tom Branson’s secret recipes are behind Indiana’s favorite brand of handcrafted barbecue sauces.
Bourbon Barrel Foods
BourbonBarrelFoods.com
A smorgasbord of bourbon-flavored and -influenced products, from barrel-aged vanilla extract to mint julep-infused sugar to Bluegrass Soy Sauce.
Pappy Van Winkle Barrel Aged Maple Syrup
PappyCo.com
Can’t get your hands on a bottle of pricey Pappy bourbon? This awardwinning maple syrup on your Sunday pancakes might be the next best thing.
Weisenberger Mills
Weisenberger.com
Family-owned and operated for six generations, this central Kentucky mill produces flavorful cornmeal, grits, flours and baking mixes.
MadHouse Vinegar
GoodVinegar.com
This artisan produces “small batch vinegar from small batch beverages” made from expired wine, leftover local beer, foraged flavorings and rescued produce.
Simply Savory by Rachel
SimplySavorybyRachel.com
Stock your spice rack with vibrant blends inspired by global cuisine, such as Cajun lagniappe, Moroccan chermoula, Brazilian churrasco and more.
MEATS & CHEESES
Jacobs & Brichford
JandBCheese.com
J&B has scored numerous awards for their cheeses, all made with milk from their own grassfed cows. Enjoy their Everton Premium Reserve, which won Best in Class at the U.S. Cheese Championships.
Our Home Place Meat
The-Berry-Center.square.site
An initiative of The Berry Center, farmer-activist Wendell Berry’s legacy, this market is a model for humanely raised and sustainably produced meat. Sampler and gift boxes are available for shipping.
Kenny’s Farmhouse Cheeses
KennysCheese.com
This on-farm creamery churns out signature American and Europeanstyle cheeses plus flavored cheddars and a killer blue-gouda hybrid. On-farm accommodations through Airbnb, too!
My Artisano
MyArtisanoCheese.com
Using locally sourced milk, talented cheesemaker Eduardo Rodriguez handcrafts fabulous European-style artisan cheeses; assortments are available for shipping.
Smoking Goose
SmokingGoose.com
Indy’s premier producer of cured meat goodness ships products like mortadella, pepper bacon, Italian-style salami and sausages directly to you.
Lamp Post Cheese
LampPostCheese.com
Small-batch cheeses made from raw milk—such as French tomme and Spanish mahon—are the hallmark of this young creamery.
Grassroots Farm & Foods
GrassrootsFoods.biz/store
In addition to flavorful grassgrazed beef, this farm direct-ships foods prepared in their kitchen, including sliders, aioli, meatballs and ragu.
Tea Hills Farms
TeaHillsFarms.com/s/shop
A veritable online butcher shop for farm-raised meats: whole chicken, soup bones, duck breasts, pork hocks and more.
DRINKS & MIXERS
Gents Original
GentsOriginal.com/shop
Don’t disrespect your artisan spirits by stirring them into storebought mixers. Gents Original bottles quality mixers for mint juleps, mules and old fashioneds.
Root Natural Sodas
RootBeverage.com
This family-owned company draws on their history in the apothecary business to create vintage-style cream soda, root beer and cherry soda.
Amazing Hazel’s
AmazingHazels.com
Up your brunch game with their premium Bloody Mary mixer; their gourmet chili sauce, made from a family recipe, is essential on eggs and burgers.
Photos: Provided by Brook’s Naturals, Chocolats Latour, Taste-T-Love, Frangipani, Simply Savor by Rachel, Our Home Place Meat, Gents Original
