The owners of Blush Farms, cousins Marty Wynn and Angie Siddens, were born to host. They grew up watching the matriarchs of their family entertain guests, cooking for them and pulling out all the stops to host a great party at their family farm in rural northern Missouri.
“Our moms and our grandma, just hospitality and entertaining and cooking [were] always huge,” says Marty. “[It was] just a huge part of our life growing up — having people over a lot, cooking big meals, that type of thing.”
Now, it’s like they get to host a great party every day at Blush Farms, their charcuterie bar in historic downtown Liberty.
Blush Farms Cork + Board began when Marty and Angie had the idea to make a few charcuterie boxes and gift them to friends during the pandemic. The amount of interest in their boxes told the pair that they were onto something.
“All of a sudden, people were just like, ‘How can we buy this? Can I send one to so and so? Can I send one to my work team?’” says Marty. “So we were like, ‘Okay, give us a minute. We can figure it out professionally.’”
Marty and Angie had orders rolling in, so they rented a commercial kitchen space and started making deliveries. It wasn’t long before the pair opened their first tasting room in the historic Corbin Mills building. Then, they expanded into a second storefront — a retail space where guests can shop for wine, barware, gifts, and now, gather to play mahjong.
The century-old tile game has found a great audience at Blush Farms, as it pairs perfectly with wine and charcuterie. After discovering the rising mahjong trend online, Marty reached out to a company in Dallas called Oh My Mahjong and hired an instructor to teach them how to play.
“What I like about mahjong is you're playing as an individual, and you can kind of be as serious about it as you want,” says Marty. “If you make a mistake or miss something, you're the only one that suffers from it.”
Now, Marty and Angie are full-fledged mahjong enthusiasts and host mahjong multiple times a week. They’re even certified instructors themselves and host workshops, both privately and publicly, for those who want to learn how to play. The vibe is laid-back and inviting — no pressure, no pretense. And while it may be predominantly women who fill the tables, the community is multigenerational and growing.
Marty and Angie are also continuing to expand the offerings of their business. They recently purchased the Italian mobile tap truck, Fizzolino, and are looking forward to breaking it out at their shop or booking it for private events. They can’t wait to pour cold brew coffee and Prosecco from the silly little truck’s three taps.
Whether they’re running a mahjong night, pouring a drink from Fizzolino’s taps or building a charcuterie board, Marty and Angie will be the hostesses with the mostest — after all, providing a good time is what they do best.
Blush Farms Cork + Board
131 South Water Street, Liberty
@blush.farms
blush-farms.com
You can stop by Blush Farms for a charcuterie board and a cocktail during their regular business hours, or find one of their events, like mixology classes and seasonal gatherings, on their website and Facebook page. For more information about mahjong, follow them on Facebook and Instagram, or join their private Facebook page for weekly play.