After working in architectural woodwork for over 20 years, designing and selling millwork packages for commercial, academic, and retail businesses, Stan Sommer decided to venture out on his own. He saw a lot of millwork, casework and cabinetry work being outsourced to China and other countries to save money. His philosophy is that sending materials overseas creates problems … [Read more...]
John Young: Luthier
"A table, a chair, a bowl of fruit, and a violin; what else does a man need to be happy." -Albert Einstein I spent a recent morning in a violin maker’s shop, being given a tour by its luthier, John Young. John picks up a future violin, a pair of wooden boards, and we look at the flaming of the grain. He shows me a scattering of violin pieces, ribs, f … [Read more...]
Go Bacon Jerky
Outdoor enthusiasts may not think of bacon as a go-to adventure snack, but Orem-based GoBacon Jerky is working to change that. With products like uncured maple bacon jerky and uncured Sriracha bacon jerky, this new company has made a portable version of everyone’s favorite breakfast meat. When Ryan Kowalk started GoBacon Jerky for a BYU class assignment in 2014, his goal was … [Read more...]
Make Something You Love, Otherwise It’s Just Work
James Lindsey has always been a cook who enjoys food with an extra kick. While some cooks add wine or herbs for more flavor, more often than not today both chefs and consumers are gravitating to the increasing array of hot spices to achieve not only a “kick” but sometimes a kick in the ass, so hard you might find yourself laying on the ground chugging whole milk and eating sa … [Read more...]
Utah’s First Barrel-Aged and Sour Beer Brewery: Toasted Barrel Brewery
“In heaven there is no beer, that’s why we drink it here.” ~Traditional drinking song Something new is brewing in Salt Lake City’s Marmalade District. Just off the 600 North exit from I-15, Toasted Barrel Brewery is transforming a former brine shrimp processing plant and abandoned dance club into Utah’s first barrel-aged and sour beer brewery. Toasted Barrel will complete a t … [Read more...]
Turning Passion into a Business: Interview with Jennifer Carleton from Mountain West Cider
Jennifer Carleton and her husband, Jeff, “have never been big beer drinkers and generally gravitate to wines and mixed drinks.” But after a visit to Ireland, they became “hooked on ciders.” They especially loved the hand-crafted ciders available at the pubs they visited. “The dry, gluten free, crisp refreshing taste was a perfect fit for my palate and system,” Jennifer says, and … [Read more...]
Petra’s Backstubchen—Traditional Pastries from the Old Country
Growing up in Kliding, a small town in Germany, Petra Vigil, owner of Petra’s Backstubchen, learned how to bake from her mother and her aunts. “I always baked. My Mom was always baking and cooking big meals. It was normal to me,” says Petra, “I think if my Mom hadn’t taught be so much I wouldn’t be here.” When Petra moved to Utah over 25 years ago, she brought her baking book … [Read more...]
Made In Utah – Sweet Makers
RubySnap RubySnap is probably the only cookie maker in Utah who has taken on the largest cookie monster in the world - the Pillsbury Doughboy. After being sued by Pillsbury to change her name, My Dough Girl, or risk getting crushed by a team of lawyers and inferior cookies, Tami Cromar didn't give up, she re-branded as Ruby and grown her business ever since. RubySnap cookies … [Read more...]
Beehive Naturals
“Our kids actually do a lot of the work on the farm—milking goats and tending bees. When we aren’t farming we put them to work making the products.” The Ginn kids don’t play video games or watch TV (except an occasional football game) instead, Sam Ginn says, “They help me with the massive amount of work” on their small backyard homestead in Plain City (just north of Ogden), p … [Read more...]