Last updated on September 14th, 2022
Smaller companies are offering local products that shoppers seek
As part of a recent trip to Tennessee, Shelby Publishing President and Publisher Stephanie Reed and Jackie Krapf, business development manager, visited with many local vendors. Some of the company profiles appear below. Nearly all are listed under the Pick Tennessee Products.
Harbin Hallow 
Harbin Hollow owns and operates an apiary in Portland. It has a certified honey house and bottles local, raw honey from an apiary, as well as other Pick Tennessee Products apiaries.
The company sells honey-bee products such as bee pollen, comb honey, beeswax, lip balm and whipped honey.
Harbin Hollow Local Market is a farm-to-table specialty grocery store that prioritizes sourcing inventory from small farms and small businesses grown and made in Tennessee and Kentucky.
It also offers meat, dairy, produce, baked goods, bath and body items and a handmade line of immune-boosting elderberry products.
Walker Brothers 
Brothers Luke and Sam started the Nashville-based company with a SCOBY (symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast) inherited from their aunt and a desire to develop kombucha, what they describe as a better-for-you craft beverage that creates space for moments of connection while also being conducive to a healthy lifestyle.
All Walker Brothers kombucha starts with house yeast and their family culture. Though they implement slightly different brewing processes for the non-alcoholic and high-gravity products, both are open-fermented, unpasteurized and made with organic ingredients. These traditional brewing practices provide a more sustainable approach to production and lend to light, refreshing, probiotic-filled beverages with crisp flavor profiles.
All Walker Brothers products are vegan, gluten-free and rich in probiotics. The team is committed to sourcing the highest quality ingredients – such as Peruvian ginger and Yosemite Valley watermelon – to let the underlying flavors of the kombucha shine.
In addition to rotating seasonal offerings, non-alcoholic flavors include Blueberry Jasmine, Citrus, Cucumber Melon and Ginger, while high gravity (5 percent ABV) flavors include Citra Hops, Ginger and Watermelon Lime.
T&L Honey 
T&L Honey is a multi-generation canning family in Dixon Springs that prides itself on producing small batches with the freshest ingredients.
Loretta Ewing is a fourth-generation canner and is now teaching her granddaughter, Tonya, the trade. The family sells fruit jellies, fruit butters and honey, among other items. They currently make more than 175 flavors and welcome special requests.
Tennessee Whiskey Sauce 
From the hills northeast of Nashville, Chef Christopher has been serving steak sauce for generations. The sauce works for beef, fish, poultry, pork, vegetables and baked beans. It can be used as a sauce or a marinade.
“My customers have been asking me to do this for years and I finally did. My sons say our sweet, savory sauce with the little kick at the end is good on anything,” he said on his website.
“We crafted it for steak, but it is great on any protein. You can cook with it, use it as a dipping sauce or as a marinade. A little goes a long way.”
Tennessee Brown Bag Jerky 
Tennessee Brown Bag Jerky in Hixson is a premium artisanal beef jerky company that specializes in a homemade “fine-cut” jerky made from 100 percent USDA certified beef. Flavors include Original, Peppered, Spicy, Teriyaki, Hotiyaki, Dill Pickle, Jalapeño Dill and MaKattack (ghost pepper).
The business started at the grassroots level, selling from table to table at breweries and other local spots. The owners envision retail in the future.
For more information, visit facebook.com/tennesseebrownbag.
Ingram Express Services 
Nashville-based Ingram Express Services was born as a kitting, fulfillment and distribution company, according to its website. From that foundation, the company has grown to offer clients print and fabrication services.
The growth has been organic, based on meeting the needs of clients. The company strives to control the process of print, fabrication, kitting and distribution, in order to adapt quickly.
IES can also provide mock-ups for grocers, with different branding components, all digitally before they run their first physical prototypes.
Gone Nuts 
Gone Nuts was founded in 2015 as a natural nut butter company. Its products are gluten free and have no added sugars. The nut butters do not have to be refrigerated to ship and have a year shelf life on the counter.
Flavors include Bee’s Knees Honey Peanut Butter, Cin City Cinnamon Cashew Butter and Date Me Almond Butter with Dates.
For more information, visit gonenutscompany.com.
Click here and here to learn about even more Tennessee vendors.
