Sometimes, people joke about how they never get their food perfect, …with Small Batch, each sandwich, cracker, or food will be perfect and unique.

Small Batch originally started at their very own farm with peaches. A love for cooking mixed with inspiration made for a flavorful topping.

“It started as a hustle, I had a full-time job,” Sheila Rhodes, the founder of Small Batch, exclaimed. “And I was just making jam in my home using the produce me and my husband grew on our property.”

A hobby to farmer’s markets with strictly homemade jam turned into something even bigger.

“I didn’t intend for this to become a store at first, but they just got so popular at the farmer’s market and I just fell in love with owning my own business and not having to work for someone else so I decided to take a leap,” Rhodes exclaimed.

Aside from herself, Rhodes says she has a lot of amazing people who have and are currently helping her. Some people work in the kitchen making the food, a team for shipping to their over 200 stores nationwide, and just a few people in the store.

“Having people who specialize in those different areas allows me to work on growing the whole business,” Rhodes said. 

Although this flourishing business has almost everything right, Rhodes seems to have one difficulty owning her business.

“The hardest thing is not working. When you work for someone else, you can go home and kind of put it out of your mind for a little bit, but my mind is always racing with new ideas, trying to problem solve for my team, trying to come up with the schedule for next week and that kind of drives my husband crazy because I am always talking about work even when I’m not there,” Rhodes elaborated. 

Owning your own business also means learning how to balance life, work, stress, and everything else. 

“The first thing I do when I get home is make a cup of coffee and sit with my dog,” Rhodes said. 

Balancing yourself and your business may be challenging, but so can family and work. 

“My husband and I have an acre of land, dogs, cats, chickens, honeybees. So gardening, being in nature, and being with my family is all I do and need to relax,” Rhodes said.

With over 20 flavors of jam that change seasonally, it can be hard to choose which is perfect for you. The flavors span from spicy to tangy, with sweetness and other unusual flavors. 

“It started with what I could put in this jar and how crazy I could get,” Rhodes said, “but my favorite changes with the seasons. I prefer a sweet and tangy flavor.” 

You can visit Small Batch at 810 West Main Street or go to the website to order online at Small Batch Kitchen.