From farm-fresh foods to handcrafted sweets, meet five local food makers bringing distinctive flavors, family traditions, and entrepreneurial spirit across the valley. Combining family traditions and creative flavors, these entrepreneurs have built delicious homegrown businesses in Utah.
Drake Family Farms
Six generations of the Drake family have farmed the land that is now home to Drake Family Farms in West Jordan. Edward Drake purchased the farm in 1880, and today the property is recognized as a historic Utah Century Farm. The family’s interest in dairy goats eventually transformed the farm into a commercial goat dairy, licensed in 2000. Today, the farm produces raw and pasteurized goat milk, yogurt, and farmstead cheeses, including chèvre, mozzarella, feta, and ricotta. Its farmstead designation means its cheeses are made on the farm using milk exclusively from the farm’s own goats.
DrakeFamilyFarms.com
Utah Natural Meat
For the Bowler family, raising food in West Jordan is a tradition stretching back generations. At Utah Natural Meat, Shayn and Kristen Bowler operate a small family farm where customers can connect directly with the people—and place—producing their food. The farm offers grass-fed and grass-finished beef and lamb along with pastured pork, poultry and eggs, and raw milk from its dairy. Meat is dry aged, hand cut and wrapped in the farm’s own butcher shop. The Bowlers began selling meat to local customers in 2009, initially operating a store from their garage before expanding the farm’s retail and production facilities.
UtahNaturalMeat.com
Rooster’s Gourmet Popcorn
With more than 150 flavors ranging from sweet to savory, Rooster’s Gourmet Popcorn has turned a familiar movie-night snack into a specialty food experience. The locally owned company operates its flagship shop at The District in South Jordan, offering popcorn in categories including savory, candied, nutty, chocolate, and premium varieties. Choices range from cheddar and dill pickle to key lime pie, S’mores, and chocolate cinnamon bear. Owners Mike and Debbi Estrada actually discovered Rooster’s as customers. When the original owner planned to close the business after moving out of state, the Estradas stepped in to keep the popcorn popping.
RoostersGourmetPopcorn.com
Deep Dark Drinking Chocolate
A childhood spent partly in Switzerland introduced Emily Low Nichols to exceptional chocolate—and eventually inspired a Utah business of her own. South Jordan-based Deep Dark Drinking Chocolate specializes in European-style drinking chocolate, a thick, velvety alternative to traditional hot cocoa made with premium, ethically sourced dark chocolate. Nichols developed her own recipe after discovering that the drinking chocolate she enjoyed in European cafés was difficult to find back home. The company also incorporates a social mission into its business: Each bag purchased helps provide a day of food and education for an at-risk child in Ghana.
DeepDarkDrinkingChocolate.com
Bets and Kate Toffee
What began as a homemade Christmas tradition for two Herriman sisters grew into Bets and Kate Toffee, a small-batch confectionery built around old-fashioned English toffee. Co-owners Betsy Tanner and Katie Jensen began making toffee as gifts, but as family and friends started asking to buy it—and Christmas became too long to wait—the sisters decided to turn their tradition into a business. Their original roasted almond milk chocolate toffee has been joined by inventive flavors such as churro, Mexican hot chocolate, peppermint, and strawberries and cream. The company also makes chocolate-dipped pretzels, toffee bits, and toffee suckers.
BetsandKateToffee.com
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