Friday, September 18, 2009
Pleasing pie crust leads to family business
Lisa Helmick
Priscilla Richardson is columnist The Botetourt View. You can contact her at 981-3430 or via e-mail.
Priscilla Richardson
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Daleville's Lisa Helmick knows what it's like to have five kids. She has four in school, one at home. She knows what it's like to come home after work and then have to prepare dinner. She used to work as a nurse at Roanoke Memorial after her graduation from Radford.
The big difference? She also makes wonderful piecrust, her family loves her chicken pies, and she really wanted a business she could do from her home. So, when her husband got a transfer to work in Roanoke, she started as The Pie Lady.
Lured by the promise of a healthy but delicious dinner from the freezer, local folks have been buying her pies almost as fast as she can make them. These pies come with a pound of chicken in each one -- "absolutely no fillers," she promises -- and only need one hour in your own oven.
Helmick, a native of Pulaski County, was working in Roanoke when she met her husband, Rob. After they married, Norfolk Southern, his employer, transferred him to the Detroit area. It was only supposed to be for a few years, but 10 years later they got back here. "He's from Ohio," she explained, "but he fell in love with this area when he was here before and said he wanted to be here to raise his family." She also proudly relates that his goal at work "is to get as much freight off the roads as possible."
Despite her booming business, she loves to scrapbook, so her children can have their own personal history. "I try to journal what they say and do." How does she manage that with everything else? "I'm very behind, but I'm trying."
She calls her children her unpaid staff. They fold the boxes that hold the pies, then she puts on the stickers that identify each one and give ingredient information. Her husband participates, too. Evenings, he puts the children to bed while she makes pies. "We try to stress to them that this is a family business and we all take part in it and make it work."
Her daughter Grace had the idea last year for a version of the pie called "CheesyChikn." Helmick's father suggested the chicken fajita flavor. The other choices include "Just Chikn, Chikn&Veg, Chikn&Shroom, and ChiknBroc&Chse." Then there's the signature pie, with spinach and asiago cheese added. And dessert pie, "ChocPecan." They all come in 9-inch family size or, for chicken pies, in a 4-inch size.
Helmick works out of her home kitchen. Unlike a caterer, who must have an industrial kitchen and work subject to health department inspection, Helmick comes under the state's Department of Agriculture. She just passed her most recent inspection. She appreciates this rule because she learned so much from Bud Anderson, the Botetourt inspector. She praises his help.
For example, she uses boiled chicken in her pies, so it has to be chilled quickly. Anderson gave her ideas on how to cool hot food efficiently. As you might expect, she has an industrial size freezer for her completed pies.
Since these pies are a handmade product, Helmick does not ever want to expand into wholesale. She reaches customers from the front porch of Ikenberry's store during the farmer's market on Saturdays from 8 until 1, where she will have between 20 and 30 pies ready to sell. And gives out samples then, too. Yum! Or you can call (540) 816-7227 a few days in advance and pick it up.
Here's to easy meals!
FYI: The annual Botetourt Historical Society dinner is coming October 3, 6:30 p.m., with Elizabeth Muhlenfeld speaking on "Women in the Civil War." More next week. Buy tickets at the Botetourt County Historical Museum, Digital Image Printing or from any society member, $25 each. For more information, call 473-8394, email info@bothistsoc.org.
