I'm sad to announce that our last market of the season is canceled due to rain. But we are still having our giveaway tomorrow! The Local will return in September for our Fall 2022 season. Stay tuned for summer Night Bazaar information!
Scroll down to read about Ma-Meres Maison, Pain Train Salsa, The Pickle Witch, and Sweet Home Sweets and how to enter the giveaway.
A special thank you to Ma-Meres Maison, Pain Train Salsa, The Pickle Witch, and Sweet Home Sweets for sponsoring this week's giveaway, a Bittersweet Basket. Learn more about the creators below!
To sign up for your chance to win a Bittersweet Basket from Ma-Meres Maison, Pain Train Salsa, The Pickle Witch, and Sweet Home Sweets , go follow @thelocalbcs on instagram and like the most recent post. For an extra entry share the most recent post on your story!
Q&A with Ma-Mere's Maison owner, Jay Hiebert
How long has your business been in operation? I have been making Ma-Mere’s Maison jams and jellies for six to seven years and full time for the last three years.
How did you get started? As a small family farmer, I realized that I needed to somehow differentiate my farm and
products from other farmers to create a brand and to build a loyal customer base. After several years of trying different products and ideas, I found that making jams and jellies was my niche! What products can customers expect from you? I offer a variety of jelly's and jams. What is your favorite product you offer? As I was blessed to have the wild Mustang Grapes growing on my farm, this naturally was my first jelly to produce. I was also fortunate that the Mustang Grape is my lifelong favorite jelly. I must have eaten thousands of peanut butter and mustang grape jelly sandwiches as I made my way through school! My Mom would pay me .25 cents per gallon to pick the grapes growing in the woods and ranches behind our house. Today, I still enjoy my PB&J’s, as they are a comfort food, and on a good day, I wash them down with an ice-cold glass of chocolate milk. What is one thing customers might not know about you/your business that you'd like them to know? Some of my best-selling jams were originally pie recipes that I have tweaked to make them work as a jam or jelly. I have found as a result that many customers will take my products and fill Pillsbury crescent rolls to create their own turnovers and pastries! Pretty cool, don’t you think!
Q&A with Pain Train Salsa's owner, Shane Nobles
How long has your business been in operation? 8 years How did you get started? My wife an I had been teachers for over 20 years and I coached high school for most of that time. We have been making salsa for over 20 years and decided to see what the general public thought about it as we brought it to the Tomball Farmers Market nearly 8 years ago. It was an amazing hit and took off to a point that I had to retire from education to keep up with the salsa. We offer roasted red traditional salsas (some hot some not), Pineapple Raw Honey Salsa, Black Bean and Roasted Corn Salsa and our most popular CREAMY AVOCADO 🥑 salsas as well as our own home style chips! Always 💯% all-natural with no additives, preservatives or added sugars! We live by this simple rule: “We don’t put anything in our salsas that we can’t spell” (even though “tomatillos” is tough sometimes 😜”. ITS THE BEST CREAMY AVOCADO SALSA ON THE PLANET. Made fresh daily on MAIN STREET TOMBALL, TEXAS! What products can customers expect from you? We offer roasted red traditional salsas (some hot some not), Pineapple Raw Honey Salsa, Black Bean and Roasted Corn Salsa and our most popular CREAMY AVOCADO 🥑 salsas as well as our own home style chips! What is your favorite product you offer? Creamy Avocado spicy What is one thing customers might not know about you/your business that you'd like them to know? We make everything fresh daily on Main Street in downtown historical Tomball Why do you think people should visit The Local? The local has some fantastic vendors and is in the absolute beautiful location. It’s not just a farmers market but rather an experience
Q&A with The Pickle Witch's owner, Haley Richardson
How long has your business been in operation? Two + years/one year fully self employed (!!!!!!!)
How did you get started? I started selling pickles to support my family!! We were homeless and struggling to get out of poverty. Our lives had been dismantled and making pickles was the only thing that kept me from losing my mind at the bottom of a bottle. I sold (2) cases of pickles during a Punk Rock Flea Market in December 2019. In December '22, I sold 200 cases. My community has consistently lifted me up and supported me and without them, I wouldn't be where I am today. I can't STOP making pickles now!! I pack away 50-100 lbs a week. I sell out at damn near every market and I'm supporting my family 100% as a single mom. I'm so grateful to be able to be in my own kitchen every day making a pickle that my community loves. You really can taste the love and magic in every bite, y'all. What products can customers expect from you? The best damn pickles in Brazos Valley! Homemade relishes and jams each season. What is your favorite product you offer? Hellish Relish has been my favorite since I was 8 years old! What is one thing customers might not know about you/your business that you'd like them to know? I'm a local owned, woman ran, small business!! When you buy from me, you support secure housing for my five children or new tires for my Pickle Delivery Machine. I'm not a corporation like Best Maid or Dixie pickles. I'm a single mom! And every dollar goes back to raising up my beautiful, brilliant children and giving them a better chance at their own good life. And I thank you from the bottom of my heart, y'all!!! Why do you think people should visit The Local?
Supporting local business is the best thing you can do for your community. You're putting time/attention/money back into your local economy and helping it thrive. Having a rad space, filled with great music and food, makes it even better! That's why The Local is the coolest place to be on Tuesdays!!
Q&A with Sweet Home Sweets's owner, Analeigh
How long has your business been in operation? Aggie owned and operated since 2018
How did you get started? I learned everything from my daddy, of course! My brother and I grew up in the kitchen watching and helping dad make family dinners and dessert for special occasions. I've always had a love of being creative. In high school, I developed a passion for all creative activities like baking, photography, and fine arts. During college, baking became my stress reliever between group projects and studying for exams. Then, I would share the treats I baked with friends and family to enjoy. It wasn't long before everyone began asking me to make a batch of chocolate brownies for them, no matter the cost. I graduated Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas, where I studied marketing at Mays Business School and minored in art. Even just a short time after graduation I didn't know how to answer the one question everyone wanted to ask, "What are you going to do now?” I just remember my parents telling me, “Find something you love that doesn’t seem like work to you." It wasn’t until one Sunday afternoon when my dad and I were baking together in the kitchen that I realized this was my passion. I remember looking over my shoulder to face my dad and saying, “You know what, this right here is the one thing I’m most passionate about… being in the kitchen, baking with you. Is there a way to do this every day?” He smiled and responded, “Let’s try it!” What products can customers expect from you? We bake everything super fresh, from scratch, but we don't bake our entire menu every day. Sweet Home Sweets always brings the most popular "Everyday Fan Favorites" to the show tables like our signature triple chocolate Cocoa Loco brownie and the original cinnamon sugar Sopapilla blondie along with select seasonal flavors based on popular demand/requests. We continuously rotate various brownies, blondies, cakes, pies, & cookies. What is your favorite product you offer? Picking a favorite flavor is like… It depends on who you ask! If you ask my dad, Rob, he’ll say anything with peanut butter or nuts to get some extra protein, my mom will always say CHOCOLATE, my best friends will say whatever new flavor they tried for breakfast. For me, my favorite changes. it’s usually the newest flavor or the one recipe that gives me the most nostalgia that week. When our family gets together for the holidays… we’ll leave it up to your imagination. What is one thing customers might not know about you/your business that you'd like them to know? One thing customers may not know is that Sweet Home Sweets does not have a brick-and-mortar location, so our bright yellow tent serves as our physical storefront location to our customers. We like to be wherever the people are! However, we are known to sell out before the end of the show —so either plan to come by early or send someone you trust who won't eat all the brownies before they get home. The best way to get exactly what you want is to make a pre-order reservation by 4pm at least 2-days in advance. You are always welcome to place a Custom Order of exactly what you want and have it delivered straight to your doorstep or picked up at one of our scheduled shows or markets. Why do you think people should visit The Local? I think people should visit The Local to find GREAT FOOD, GREAT TEXAS MADE PRODUCTS, & GREAT PEOPLE. Lake Walk provides a space to support and shop with your local small businesses & spend time with friends, family, and your dogs as you end the day on a sweet note watching a beautiful Texas sunset and maybe with a brownie in your hand!