TBAI Launches Kitchen Incubator

Travel Beautiful Appalachia, Inc. - Ashland Company Store, Ashland , WV was approved as a shared use kitchen manufacturer for the local food producers by the Bureau of Public Health November of 2006. This Kitchen Incubator program is designed to help our local artisans to manufacture and promote their products through the Ashland Company Store and other stores. Ashland Company Store also, helps the local artisan in labeling their products. A seminar on food production, labeling and marketing was presented by Teresa Halloran with The West Virginia Department of Agriculture, Teresa is in their Marketing Specialist-Foods Marketing & Development Division.

On November 28, 2006 Geneva Manes of Rockridge , WV was our first local artisan to use our kitchen. Geneva produced homemade apple butter and blackberry jam. Her creations have won many blue ribbons at the West Virginia State Fair in Lewisburg. Teresa Halloran was on hand to assist Geneva in developing these local food products. Geneva said, she enjoyed the nice spacious kitchen and looked forward in selling her apple butter and jelly in the store.

Jay Chatman, TBAI Director stated; “It is very exciting to be able to provide a service for local people in producing and marketing their products.” “We hope to offer other services and seminars in the future to help promote economic growth in our area.” Chatman concluded.

TBAI is a non-profit organization with the mission to create economic development for the unemployed and under-employed in McDowell , Wyoming and Mercer Counties . Anyone interested in using our kitchen to manufacturer and market their products can contact Becky Abel, Project Coordinator at 585-7419, Debbie Bailey, Business Development Manager at 862-4800 or Jay Chatman TBAI Director at 862-4800.

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