Upper Lake >> Carli Tippett is a fixer. When she runs into a problem, her natural inclination is to do something about it. First there were her homemade jams. Appalled by all the wasted pears laying about orchards around the county after harvesting season had come and gone, she decided to put the leftover fruit to use by creating her own jams.
First she took all the lumpy and crooked and ugly pears no one wanted to sell and smashed them down. Then she gave her first batch to friends. They enthusiastically asked for more. Soon after, she began experimenting with everything from syrah grapes to different varieties of plums.
Tippet enjoyed the satisfaction of creating something from scratch, something that turns out just right. But there was also the business side of it. Head out to the supermarket and you’ll find the same limited jam options: concord grape, strawberry, raspberry, sometimes mandarin and peach. She knew her product would sell.
The jams have very little added, with twice as much fruit as sugar in every recipe. The pear and French plum butters are so sweet on their own, they have no sweeteners in them at all.
Tippett went on to sell her concoctions at the farmers’ market, which only lasted throughout the summer. When October hit, there was nowhere to purchase these products that had been available for months. It didn’t make much sense to Tippett. But she had a solution.
In August 2016, People Pleazin’ Pantry opened in Upper Lake. The store sells a number of items farmers’ market regulars will recognize: local olive oil and honey, skin and body care from the Soap Shack in Lakeport, apothecary and herbal items, salt from a man on Cobb, work by local woodworkers and Tippett’s own jams and granola.
“It’s not just about me, it’s about all the people who do such lovely things here in the county,” Tippett said.
Since opening, Tippett has been working on installing a kitchen in the Main Street space. She’s almost there. All that’s needed is a visit from a health inspector for the go ahead and a contractor to install a fan on the roof.
Pretty soon Tippett will be making soups, small batches of breads and muffins, plus some cookies for the store. The kitchen will also be open to other chefs for baked goods, jams and maybe some vegetables. Meat is off-limits though, since it’s not a catering kitchen.
The kitchen is just the beginning. Tippett has plans to offer classes in canning, spinning and bee keeping, just to name a few. She wants to partner with local farms, who could provide crates of fruits and veggies for those who are interested in canning their own foods.
With so many tourists in town for the summer, the first two months at People Pleazin’ Pantry saw plenty of business. Then October hit, and sales fell throughout Thanksgiving. As would be expected, things picked up again around the holidays.
“As a brand new business getting off the ground, you don’t expect to become a millionaire overnight,” Tippett said. “Overall I’m delighted to be here. The welcome I’ve gotten from other people who live here has just been phenomenal.”
Tippett hopes her store can one day be an inspiration to those in her situation. “What i would love to see is that this business grows and it encourages other makers here in the county to do things, to be their own boss and not depend on outside resources,” she said.
People Pleazin’ Pantry is located at 9495 Main St. in Upper Lake. Hours are 10:30 a.m. -3 p.m. Thursday-Monday. The shop is closed Tuesday and Wednesday. Contact Tippett at 245-3883 or peoplepleazinpantry@gmail.com. A website is coming soon.
Jennifer Gruenke can be reached at 900-2019.
