Tennessee

Crafted in Nashville, Tennessee, The BE-Hive produces artisanal seitan products with a mission to make plant-based eating more accessible. In 2020, The BE-hive production transitioned from their small 1,200 sq. ft. kitchen to a new, over 7,000-sq.-ft. facility in the heart of the Donelson neighborhood in Nashville. The BE-hive continues to make plant-based eating both delicious and approachable.

Christina McCoy Cohn grew up baking with her grandmother and great-grandmother. In 2003, with her husband, George Cohn, she decided to continue the legacy. From their signature Almond Toffee to their many other delightful chocolate and toffee confections, everything at Nashville Toffee Co. is made by hand, in small batches and with high-quality ingredients.

Family-owned and -operated Sequatchie Cove Creamery makes handcrafted, raw-milk cheese in Sequatchie, Tennessee. With environmental consciousness at the forefront of their business, Nathan and Padgett Arnold run their creamery out of their 100%-solar-powered facility and utilize their largest waste product, whey, as food for the farm’s pigs.

Simpson Farms is an independent, family-owned farm located in Athens, Tennessee. They raise their cattle to graze only on Tennessee pasture grasses during the growing season and cut hay from those same fields to feed the cattle during the winter months. Great care is taken in producing their Animal Welfare Certified, grass-fed beef.

Calling her company “sugar peddlers specializing in whimsical confections,” Sarah Souther opened The Bang Candy Company after creating their Rose Cardamom Marshmallow for a birthday party. More artisanal marshmallows followed, and Nashville ate 'em up. Crafted in small batches, this candy “for a discerning palate” has made a big bang.

Small batches. That’s the key to the success of Mahasti Vafaie’s famous chunky hummus. Housed out of her local restaurant The Tomato Head in Knoxville, Tennessee, each batch is created using chickpeas, oil, garlic and classic tahini. Vegans (and non-vegans) always have their chips raised and ready for a dip.

Thistle Farms, located in Nashville, Tennessee, creates handmade home and body products. All of their products are made with love by women survivors of trafficking, prostitution and addiction. Named a 2016 CNN Hero and a White House “Champion of Change,” founder and president, Becca Stevens, has employed over 1,800 women worldwide through Thistle Farms.