Ashlea Chance is growing a brand at Mavens & Makers

Nov. 30—Ashlea Chance is a grower of things.

Since age 21, with her husband, Chase, she has been growing a young family — four home-schooled, well-mannered young boys to date.

For the past five years and with her boys, she has been growing a meat farm in Baileyton, centering on heritage breeds — and allowing her engineer husband to grow his career in Huntsville.

Since April 2021, and with assistance from both husband and boys, she is now growing a business — an artisan shop selling certified meats, chef-grade cookery and utensils, fine spices, oils, and an assortment of specialty foods and items you're unlikely to find in other Cullman shops.

Even the name of her business is something that grew organically, produced from the wares she offers: Mavens & Makers, a name that Chance admits could be a bit confusing, but perfectly describes what her shop offers.

"At first, a lot of people didn't know what we are because our name is not something that's a give-away," she said, "like we're an antique store or a mercantile gift shop. A lot of people come in thinking we're a thrift store. We're definitely not a thrift store."

What the shop is, is a store centered on connoisseur — one definition of mavens — cooking, cookery and assorted, related items.

"Mavens means expert," Chance said. "And that's what we are, an 'expert' type of store. Food is one of my passions. I love to feed people. I love to entertain. I love to cook and more than anything, I love to eat. So, that's my contribution to the store. and that's where the name comes from."

With a rustic, renovated look — the brick building, just off US 278 at 609 AL-74 E., dates to 1928 — Mavens and Makers on the outside could be taken for something other than what it is ... until you step inside.

Bright, open spaces complement the fine goods and products that are packaged and presented as befits the artisan boutique that it is. A separate kitchen space in the back offers cooking classes and demonstrations, and the shop often hosts other experts, such as those who teach dried flowers arranging.

Again, all of this was something Chance grew into.

"Really, we had no major plans of opening a retail store," she said. "We moved to Cullman about five years ago and we started a little hobby farm. Well, our hobby farm grew to a much larger farm and we were looking at putting a little farm-stand type shop on our property in Baileyton. and then the weekend we were planning on getting a building ready to do some renovations, I drove by (the store's current location), and saw a lease sign on this building — and I've always loved this building, it has such character to it.

"I called my husband, and he said, 'Well, OK, what do you want to do with it?' I'm like, I have no idea. and he said, 'Call them and see what they need.'

"And so we took the lease, and our vision changed a little bit from when we first decided to open a shop, but we've kind of found our niche."

With what Chance describes as "lots of small-batch artisan foods and meat we raised on our farm," high-end kitchen wares and, pots and pans, that niche, she said, is a "nice mix between a farmers market and Williams-Sonoma."

Now, especially with the holidays approaching, Chance is working on bringing that mix home for local and regional shoppers who are looking for that hands-on, mavens experience.

Cooking demonstrations and craft technique classes are always in the works, and for holiday shopping, the store will be fully stocked with "our full line of cookware — and we will have an extensive array of charcuterie items," she said.

A short-list of that "stock," Chance said, includes many specialty brands she keeps available year-round, such as products from Humble Heart Farm, Wright's Dairy, cookware from Demeyere, De Buyer, USA Pan and Staub, Messermeister knives, Piper & Leaf teas and Fiore Artisan Olive Oils.

"The Messermeister knives are definitely one of the bigger sellers for gifts and the holidays," she said. "And during the (Christmas season), we add in a little home decor and other gift items."

"But the focus of our store remains the same — artisan foods and kitchen goods," Chance said.

Because staying true to your foundation, she said, earns customer loyalty and trust — and that's how you grow a small business in Cullman County.