There’s nothing quite like the feeling of sitting down at a restaurant for a good meal or drink knowing the ingredients were locally sourced. Companies around central Ohio and throughout Pickerington have been striving to present fresh and localized products to their customers.
Located in the heart of Pickerington is Combustion Brewery & Taproom where owners Keith and Sarah Jackson have worked hard to establish connections with local farmers. The benefits of these connections not only support both their business and farmer, it also provides fresh, local options for patrons to enjoy.
Bryn Farinacci
“We don’t have a kitchen, we don’t sell food that we produce at all, so any food that we offer is made offsite,” says Sarah. “We partner with different businesses when we do pairings, so we’ll pair our beer with certain food items.”
Like many other organizations in Pickerington, Combustion has connections with the Pickerington Farmers’ Market, some of which stem from Sarah’s role as the secretary for the Pickerington Village Association.
Sarah and Keith try to do their part to help out by providing a space at Combustion for farmers market vendors to set up during the cold months.
Many of the connections the Jacksons have established with the local farmers have led to long-term partnerships. Whether it’s collaborating on brewing drinks, pairing foods or selling products in the taproom, these business owners find comfort in their connections.
“Ochs (Fruit Farm) is a vendor that we’ve worked with before, and we’ve used their cider in our hot cider cocktails,” says Sarah.
“Another local farm that we work with is Mapleline Farms. They do maple syrup and we sell it,” says Sarah. “Our biggest connection to them is when they empty out their bourbon barrel, we take those within 24 hours of them emptying the syrup then we age our beer in (them).”
Establishing these partnerships has not only helped the company offer yummy food and a great atmosphere, it has also provided farmers and businesses with outreach opportunities.
Since opening in 2017, Combustion has been making partnerships and striving to always give back.
“Supporting local appeals to the hearts of the people in our community, so we’re drawing on what brings people together,” says Sarah.
Amber Phipps is a contributing writer at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at aphipps@cityscenemediagroup.com.
