Meet Lindsey Hickman of The Heritage Pantry

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lindsey Hickman.

Hi Lindsey, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
After being a news editor for AOL and other printed newspapers for many years, I was milking cows and raising all of our own meat for our family. The opportunity for a small retail location was presented to me and I thought, “no way. Everything I do is illegal. I can’t sell my milk because I don’t have certified dairy, I don’t have a creamery, a butcher shop, or even an egg handlers license.”

But I realized my connections with other farms and artisans were great, and I could help connect people to real food growers in our region of Northern California and inspire them to incorporate it into their daily lives with classes and interactive events. Fast forward four years and that little market grew to become and specialty coffee shop and full farm to fork restaurant. At the end of 2021, one of my good friends and business associate, Alyssa Connelly, said she found the perfect spot near her home in middle Tennessee to consider opening a new venture.

We began searching out local farmers in the middle Tennessee area and found remarkable connections. This leads us to open a brunch and charcuterie cafe, offering unique breakfast and lunch options as well as charcuterie boards, grazing tables, and sharable dessert boards.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
One thing we were shocked to learn is that Tennessee has some unique laws pertaining to alcohol licensing. In order to obtain a liquor by the glass license, a facility must have 40 seats. However, the health department’s law requires two restrooms for any guest occupancy over 16.

Operating in a 100+-year-old cinderblock building there was no way to add a second restroom, so we decided to become a fully BYOB restaurant. We offer all of our cocktails alcohol-free and encourage our guests to bring their own bottles so we can provide unique mixers at a very low cost.

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Heritage Pantry LLC?
I own both The Barn and Pantry, Dixon, CA, and BYH Gallatin, TN. I have a passion for real food and connecting people to the people who produce it for them. Both of our locations work to source the majority of our offerings directly from local sources producing the best quality produce, meats, and treats.

We strive to offer education on seasonal eating, preserving, cooking, and the culture + community that circulates around food. I am proud to have taught more than 300 people how to make sourdough bread over the past 5 years.

Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
Being brave is so important. Real people can be really successful if they simply say yes to that thing they have in their hearts. I often tell people, “think of the worst thing that could happen. A process that, then once you have accepted that it probably wouldn’t be that bad-do it. Because really, what’s the best that could happen?

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: blessyourheart.us
• Instagram: @byh.gallatin
• Facebook: @byhgallatin
• Yelp: BYH
• Other: butterforbreakfast.net. thebarnandpantry.com

Image Credits
REBECCA DENTON PHOTOGRAPHY