Kristy Kelly: Tammy's Kitchen deserves to be seen

Tucked beside the Lenoir County Farmers Market sits a red building with a lot of promise.

Many people drive past it without realizing what it is, or what it could become. Affectionately known as Tammy’s Kitchen, the Lenoir County Commercial Kitchen marked its second anniversary in April.

The kitchen was created to be a shared community resource, a place where small food businesses can use commercial-grade equipment in a safe, health department-approved facility. For someone with a recipe, a dream, and not enough money to build out a kitchen of their own, that kind of access can be the difference between an idea and an actual business.

A lot of what has worked so far has worked because of one volunteer, Julie Babbin. She has given her time, energy, knowledge, and even her own money to help keep the kitchen going. That kind of dedication is admirable, but it also raises a hard truth: a long-term community asset should not depend so heavily on one person’s unpaid labor.

For micro-baker Shannon Bachman, the kitchen has already made a difference.

“I am very grateful for the kitchen,” she said. “It has helped me become a micro-baker. It is a very nice facility and the volunteer kitchen manager is amazing. It is definitely a huge asset to the community.”

She is not the only one who has benefited. The kitchen has been used for cooking classes, craft classes, holiday events, and other gatherings. Its display kitchen and seating area offer space for people to learn, create, and come together. It is not just a kitchen. It is a place where small ideas can get a little room to grow.

Another local baker, Savannah Chase, found a practical solution there. Her cupcakes are popular, but North Carolina heat is not kind to frosting. During BBQ Fest on the Neuse, the commercial kitchen gave her access to a cooling display that helped solve a very real small-business problem.

“The kitchen is instrumental in the operation of my small business and the support from the volunteer kitchen manager has made my experience as someone using the kitchen so much more comfortable,” said Chase. “It’s a resource that I’m incredibly grateful for existing, I don’t think I’d be here without the community kitchen and the community support.”

Local chef Seraphim Smith also saw the value for his small business.

“It's just so great that I can rent the Community Kitchen to make bread and not have to have my own bakery to do it. It's like a business incubator... but for cooks,” he said.

That is what makes the kitchen worth paying attention to. It gives people access to tools they may not otherwise have. It gives them a place to test an idea, solve a problem, teach a class, or sell something they made with their own hands.

At $20 an hour for either the commercial kitchen or the demo kitchen, Tammy’s Kitchen is not an unreasonable expense for someone trying to start small. It is one of the more accessible tools the county has for home bakers, caterers, instructors, and food entrepreneurs. But affordability only matters if people know the kitchen exists and understand how to use it.

A paid kitchen manager would help turn that access into stronger outcomes. Consistent staffing can improve outreach, scheduling, renter onboarding, class coordination, partnerships, and day-to-day operations. It can also protect the kitchen from burnout and interruption if volunteer availability changes.

The kitchen’s potential reaches beyond individual bakers and food entrepreneurs. With stronger support, it could help grow the Farmers Market itself by drawing in more vendors, more classes, and more reasons for people to visit. It could become a place where residents learn about food safety, nutrition, local food laws, and the versatility of what is grown and produced here in Lenoir County.

Babbin also sees room for children’s and adult culinary classes, budget-friendly food preparation classes, and stronger relationships between residents, farmers, cooks, and food providers. Those are not small things. Food is one of the easiest ways to bring people into the same room, and Tammy’s Kitchen already has the space to do that.

The facility has also shown it can meet a high standard. According to Babbin, Tammy’s Kitchen received a 100 sanitation grade in both 2024 and 2025, and a 99.5 on its first health department inspection of 2026. That matters for anyone trying to build a food business or teach a class in a trusted, approved space.

There may also be opportunities for co-packing, grants that support food access and programming, and classes that help families prepare affordable meals. In other words, this is not just about renting a kitchen by the hour. It is about whether the county wants to use the kitchen as a fuller resource for small business, education, health, and community connection.

For two years, Julie Babbin has invested in Tammy’s Kitchen because she believed in its purpose. A paid kitchen manager would build on that foundation and help ensure this community resource can keep growing.

For more information about using or supporting Tammy’s Kitchen for food production or food workshops, contact the NC Cooperative Extension - Lenoir County Center Office at 252-527-2191.