Amish Fry Pies and Dutch Crust: Inside The Cumberland Heritage Bakery

Authentic Amish Baking Arrives in Chambersburg

Franklin County has always been deeply connected to its agricultural roots, but a brand-new, family-owned bakery is bringing a fresh wave of heritage craftsmanship to the area. The Cumberland Heritage Bakery has officially opened its doors in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, offering residents a daily supply of unhurried, from-scratch Amish baked goods that reject modern commercial shortcuts.

Stepping into the bakery is an immediate comfort. The air is heavy with the scent of rising yeast, warm cinnamon, and toasted sugar. Behind the massive glass display cases, bakers can be seen rolling out dough by hand and pulling massive trays of pastries from commercial stone-deck ovens. There are no artificial preservatives or pre-packaged mixes here—just flour, butter, sugar, and generations of knowledge.

The Backstory: A Family Tradition Moves West

The Cumberland Heritage Bakery is the pride of the Esh family. For decades, the Eshes operated a highly successful produce farm and roadside bakery stand in the heart of Lancaster County. Seeking a slightly quieter pace of life and more acreage for their growing family, they recently relocated westward to the fertile Cumberland Valley.

While they loved their new farm in Franklin County, they quickly noticed that authentic, settlement-style baked goods were harder to come by in the immediate Chambersburg area. Relying on their family’s heirloom recipe box, they purchased an empty, standalone brick building just off the main stretch of town. After spending the winter outfitting the space with heavy-duty mixers and sprawling wooden prep tables, the Eshes opened their doors this spring. Almost overnight, the bakery has become a morning staple for locals craving a true taste of Pennsylvania Dutch tradition.

What to Order: Bakery Favorites

The true magic of an authentic Amish bakery lies in the flawless execution of classic staples. When you step up to the counter, these are the items you absolutely must try:

Item	The Draw
Amish Fried Pies	The undeniable crown jewel of the bakery. These half-moon hand pies are deep-fried to a golden crisp and heavily glazed. The black raspberry and traditional apple fillings are usually the first to sell out every morning.
Dutch Crust Bread	Baked fresh before dawn, this bread is instantly recognizable by its signature crackled, slightly sweet topping. The interior crumb is incredibly dense and soft, making it the perfect everyday loaf.
Giant Homemade Cinnamon Rolls	Massive, pillowy, and heavily swirled with dark cinnamon and brown sugar. They are served warm and smothered in a thick, sweet cream cheese icing.
Traditional Shoofly Pie	A Pennsylvania Dutch masterpiece. A flaky, handmade lard crust holds a dense, sticky molasses filling that manages to be perfectly sweet without being overwhelming, topped with a generous layer of buttery streusel crumbs.
Hand-Rolled Butter	Sitting in the refrigerated case near the register, this freshly churned butter boasts a remarkably high butterfat content. It is the absolute best companion to a warm slice of their fresh bread.

The Esh family has successfully created a warm, welcoming space in Chambersburg, proving that the simple, unhurried art of traditional baking is a culinary language everyone speaks.

Visit the Business:

The Cumberland Heritage Bakery, 1042 Lincoln Way East, Chambersburg, PA 17201

Benwood’s Best Kept Secret: Inside The Valley Amish Pantry

By Elizabeth Montgomery, Food Editor

The Valley Amish Pantry: A New Destination for Scratch Cooks in Benwood

For home bakers and scratch cooks in the Ohio Valley, stocking up on high-quality pantry staples used to mean a long drive across the river and deep into Ohio’s Amish country. That commute has officially been cut short. The Valley Amish Pantry, a massive new bulk food store, has opened its doors in Benwood, West Virginia, transforming a quiet stretch of town into a bustling hub for heritage cooking supplies.

Housed in a repurposed brick warehouse, the market smells faintly of sweet molasses and toasted cinnamon the moment you walk in. It’s a completely analog shopping experience—no self-checkouts, no scanner beeps—just rows of meticulously labeled clear bins, towering shelves of jarred goods, and a cold case packed with heritage dairy.

The Backstory: Bridging the River

The pantry is owned and operated by the Hershberger family, who spent the last two decades farming and operating a wholesale supply business near Sugarcreek, Ohio. For years, Elias Hershberger drove a delivery route through the Ohio Valley, dropping off massive sacks of specialty flours and bulk spices to regional bakeries and restaurants.

Over time, he noticed a recurring theme: ordinary residents in towns like Wheeling and Moundsville were constantly asking if they could buy straight from his truck. The demand for bulk, high-quality, unbranded ingredients in the Northern Panhandle was immense, but the supply was nonexistent.

When an old, high-ceilinged warehouse went up for sale on Marshall Street in Benwood, the family saw their chance. They spent the winter retrofitting the space with custom wooden shelving built by Elias’s brothers, installing commercial refrigeration, and filling the floor with hundreds of bulk bins. The result is a sprawling, sunlit market that brings the best of Ohio’s Amish harvests directly to West Virginia.

Pantry Highlights: What to Fill Your Cart With

Unlike a standard grocery store, you buy by weight here, scooping exactly what you need into plastic bags. Here are the standout items drawing crowds from three states:

Two-Pound Amish Roll Butter: Hand-churned and wrapped in simple wax paper, this butter has a significantly higher butterfat content than standard supermarket brands. It’s a secret weapon for creating incredibly flaky pie crusts and rich cookies.
Vietnamese Cinnamon & High-Oil Spices: The spice aisle is a revelation. Their bulk Vietnamese cinnamon has a remarkably high oil content, making it visibly darker and much sweeter and spicier than standard Cassia cinnamon.
Clear Jel: A holy grail item for canners. This modified cornstarch is the only USDA-approved thickener for home canning because it doesn’t break down under high heat or acidic conditions, resulting in perfectly set cherry and peach pie fillings.
Amish Wedding Brand Jarred Goods: An entire wall is dedicated to these traditional, slow-simmered preserves. The pickled baby beets and the spiced apple butter are the fastest sellers, made with recipes that haven’t changed in a century.
Sorghum Molasses: Hard to find outside of the Deep South or Amish country, this thick, dark syrup is less bitter than standard blackstrap molasses and adds an incredible, complex depth to baked beans and gingerbread.

For anyone serious about their kitchen, The Valley Amish Pantry isn’t just a grocery store; it’s a treasure chest.

Visit the Business:

The Valley Amish Pantry, 415 Marshall Street, Benwood, WV 26031

Bringing Holmes County to Huber Heights: Inside Yoder’s Kitchen

Authentic Amish Dining Arrives in the Dayton Suburbs

By Elizabeth Montgomery, Food Editor

If you’ve ever made the two-hour drive from the Dayton area to Ohio’s sprawling Amish Country just for a slice of proper pie and a plate of scratch-made noodles, your commute just got drastically shorter. Yoder’s Kitchen, a brand-new, family-owned Amish restaurant, has officially opened its doors in Huber Heights, bringing the unhurried, deeply comforting traditions of Holmes County straight to the suburbs.

Taking over a formerly vacant diner space, Yoder’s Kitchen rejects modern culinary shortcuts. There are no microwaves in the back, no pre-packaged gravies, and the scent of yeast and roasting meats hits you before you even cross the threshold.

The Backstory: A Bridge Between Two Worlds

The restaurant is the brainchild of Samuel and Mary Yoder. Raised in the heart of Ohio’s largest Amish settlement, the couple spent the last twenty years running a highly successful catering operation out of their rural farmhouse, specializing in large-scale Amish weddings and community barn-raisings.

When their youngest son moved to the Dayton area for a carpentry apprenticeship, the Yoders found themselves frequently visiting Montgomery County. They noticed a distinct lack of the slow-cooked, heritage-style food they grew up with. Recognizing an untapped market, Samuel and Mary decided to bring their massive cast-iron skillets and family recipe books westward. They partnered with local Huber Heights contractors to retrofit a building on Brandt Pike, installing the heavy-duty pressure fryers and massive bakery ovens required to execute authentic Amish fare at scale.

What to Order: The Menu Highlights

The menu at Yoder’s Kitchen leans heavily into traditional, rib-sticking comfort food. The portions are notoriously generous, designed to feed farmhands after a long day in the fields.

Item	Why It’s a Must-Order
Genuine Broasted Chicken	The crown jewel of the menu. Marinated overnight, breaded, and pressure-fried. The result is a profoundly crispy exterior with meat that remains incredibly juicy, completely avoiding the grease of traditional deep-frying.
Brown Butter Noodles	Thick, hand-cut egg noodles served over a mound of skin-on mashed potatoes. They are drenched in browned butter and toasted breadcrumbs, creating a savory, carb-heavy masterpiece.
Slow-Roasted Beef	Cooked low and slow for 14 hours until it falls apart at the touch of a fork. It’s served with a rich, dark pan gravy that takes two days to properly reduce.
Amish Date Pudding	A traditional settlement dessert. It’s a warm, spongy cake heavily studded with dates, swimming in a pool of hot caramel sauce, and topped with fresh whipped cream.
Peanut Butter Cream Pie	A towering dessert featuring a flaky, lard-based crust, a dense layer of sweet peanut butter crumble, and a mountain of vanilla custard and meringue.

Pro Tip: The bakery counter at the front of the restaurant opens an hour before the dining room. Arrive early if you want to secure a loaf of their still-warm cinnamon swirl bread — it routinely sells out before the lunch rush begins.

Visit the Business:

Yoder’s Kitchen, 7450 Brandt Pike, Huber Heights, OH 45424

From Holmes County to Kentucky: The Story Behind Somerset’s Newest Amish Market

Authentic Amish Eats Arrive in Pulaski County

For those who spend time hunting down the best traditional recipes and hidden-gem restaurants, the search often leads to the established settlements of Ohio, Pennsylvania, or Upstate New York. But authentic, scratch-made Amish fare is quietly expanding its footprint, and Somerset, Kentucky, has just become home to a must-visit destination: Miller’s Hearth Amish Deli.

Located just off the main stretch in Pulaski County, Miller’s Hearth isn’t just a place to grab a sandwich; it’s an immersion into a culinary tradition built on time, patience, and uncompromised ingredients.

The Backstory: Finding a New Hearth

The deli is the realization of a decades-long dream for Levi and Sarah Miller. Originally from the bustling Amish communities of Eastern Ohio, the Millers relocated to the quieter, rolling hills of Kentucky five years ago seeking larger parcels of farmland for their growing family.

While they found the land they were looking for, they quickly realized they missed the communal aspect of the bustling Ohio produce auctions and bakeries. Sarah, who had spent her youth managing her aunt’s bakery, began selling her baked goods at local Kentucky farmer’s markets. The demand for her authentic sourdoughs, sweet preserves, and hand-crimped pies outpaced what she could produce in her home kitchen. Seeing an opportunity to bridge their heritage with their new community, the Millers purchased an empty storefront in Somerset, outfitted it with heavy-duty baking equipment and a massive deli counter, and opened Miller’s Hearth this past spring.

What to Order: Deli & Bakery Favorites

The true draw of an authentic Amish deli is the uncompromising quality of the staples. Here is what to look for when you walk through the doors:

Item	The Draw
Lebanon Sweet Bologna	Smoked, cured, and sliced paper-thin. It strikes a perfect balance of tangy and sweet, completely unlike standard grocery store cold cuts.
Amish Fried Pies	A staple of Amish bakeries. These half-moon pastries are deep-fried to a golden crisp and heavily glazed. The black raspberry and peach fillings are the first to sell out every morning.
Dutch Crust Bread	Baked fresh daily, this bread features a signature crackled, slightly sweet topping over a dense, soft crumb. It is the perfect vessel for their deli meats.
Hand-Rolled Butter & Apple Butter	Sold in modest plastic tubs, their freshly churned butter and slow-simmered, heavily spiced apple butter are worth the trip to Somerset alone.
Mustard Pickled Eggs	A jarred delicacy sitting right on the deli counter. They are deeply savory, slightly sweet, and carry a sharp vinegar bite that pairs perfectly with a heavy meat-and-cheese platter.

The Millers have successfully translated their generational knowledge into a space that feels entirely authentic, proving that you don’t need to travel to the largest settlements to find culinary craftsmanship.

Visit the Business:

Miller’s Hearth Amish Deli

402 East Mount Vernon Street

Somerset, KY 42501

Bringing the Farm to Cumberland Street: Inside Lebanon’s Newest Amish Market

Esh’s Lebanon Valley Market, 742 Cumberland Street, Lebanon, PA 17042

Lebanon County has long been a quiet powerhouse of Pennsylvania Dutch agriculture, overshadowed only slightly by its famous neighbor, Lancaster. But for those living right in the city of Lebanon, getting authentic, farm-direct Amish provisions usually required a weekend drive out into the countryside. That has officially changed with the grand opening of Esh’s Lebanon Valley Market on historic Cumberland Street.

Taking over a beautifully restored brick storefront in the heart of downtown, the market is bringing the analog, slow-food craftsmanship of the local Amish community directly to city residents and visitors alike.

The Backstory: From Myerstown to Main Street

The Esh family has been farming the fertile soil of nearby Myerstown for four generations. For decades, Samuel and Annie Esh operated primarily as wholesale producers, selling their raw-milk dairy, cured meats, and bulk produce to larger distributors. However, as their eight children grew older and took on more responsibilities, the family realized they needed a new outlet that would allow them to sell directly to their neighbors.

The push to open a physical storefront came from their eldest son, John. He noticed that downtown Lebanon was experiencing a quiet revitalization, yet lacked a dedicated spot for genuine, locally sourced groceries. John partnered with a local “English” (non-Amish) building owner to navigate the city zoning and point-of-sale systems, while the Esh family transformed the interior with handcrafted wooden shelving and massive deli cases.

Today, the market operates as a true family cooperative. A horse-drawn buggy might not be parked out front on Cumberland Street, but a dedicated refrigerated truck makes the short trip from the Myerstown farm every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, ensuring the shelves are perpetually stocked with fresh, off-the-grid goods.

Market Favorites: What to Buy

Esh’s Lebanon Valley Market doesn’t bother with mass-produced pantry staples. Everything here is rooted in deep Pennsylvania Dutch tradition, highlighting preservation, curing, and scratch baking. Here are the items already flying off the shelves:

Traditional Sweet Lebanon Bologna: You can’t open a deli in Lebanon without this iconic meat. The Esh family makes theirs using an old-world, 100% beef recipe, cold-smoking it over damp hickory wood for days. It has a distinctive dark color, a smoky tang, and a rich sweetness that pairs perfectly with sharp cheese.
Pickled Red Beet Eggs: A vibrant, magenta-colored staple of Amish tables. Hard-boiled eggs are submerged in a sweet and sour brine made from fresh farm beets, vinegar, and sugar until they absorb the brilliant color and tangy flavor.
Hand-Churned Golden Butter: Made strictly from the milk of their pasture-raised Jerseys, this butter is churned until it reaches an incredibly high butterfat content. It is lightly salted and so rich it practically tastes like cheese.
Oatmeal Whoopie Pies: A rustic twist on the classic chocolate version. Annie Esh bakes impossibly soft, spiced oatmeal cookies and sandwiches them around a massive layer of traditional, fluffy marshmallow buttercream.
Dried Apple Snitz: A true heritage product. These locally grown apples are peeled, thickly sliced, and slowly dried. They are perfect for snacking or for taking home to make traditional Schnitz un Knepp (apples and dumplings).

Whether you are a Lebanon local looking to upgrade your weekly grocery run or a traveler wanting to taste the genuine flavors of the Pennsylvania Dutch country, Esh’s Lebanon Valley Market is a masterclass in agricultural heritage.

Smoked Meats and Shoo-Fly Pie: Byler’s Heritage Deli Opens in Jamestown

Bringing Conewango Valley to Downtown: Inside Jamestown’s New Amish Deli

Byler’s Heritage Deli, 114 W 3rd Street, Jamestown, NY 14701

Just blocks away from the National Comedy Center and the bustling Jamestown riverfront, a completely different kind of attraction has opened its doors. Byler’s Heritage Deli brings the slow, analog craftsmanship of New York’s largest Amish settlement directly into the heart of the Pearl City.

In a downtown currently defined by modern breweries and trendy cafes, this new deli cuts out the noise, focusing entirely on heirloom recipes, hand-churned dairy, and meats smoked the old-fashioned way.

The Backstory: From Route 62 to the City Center

If you’ve ever driven the rural stretches of Route 62 through the Conewango Valley, you likely know the Byler family’s farm stand. For two decades, Jacob and Mary Byler operated a roadside shed where locals would leave cash in an honesty box in exchange for massive jars of pickled beets, fresh-baked breads, and wheels of raw-milk cheese.

The transition to a downtown Jamestown storefront was catalyzed by a devoted customer. Sarah Jenkins, a Jamestown native and event planner, was driving out to the Byler farm twice a week just to supply her catering business. Recognizing the massive city-side demand for the Bylers’ preservative-free, deeply flavorful goods, she proposed a partnership.

Sarah took on the “English” side of the operation—securing the Third Street lease, setting up the digital point-of-sale systems, and managing the daily lunch rush. Meanwhile, Jacob and Mary remain on their farm in Cattaraugus County, focused purely on production. Every Tuesday and Friday morning, a driver transports coolers of fresh, off-the-grid provisions down Interstate 86 to keep the deli cases full.

Deli Favorites: What to Order

Byler's Heritage Deli — Byler’s Heritage Deli

The menu ignores modern culinary shortcuts. Everything in the deli case is a product of slow fermentation, careful curing, or scratch baking. Here is what the downtown lunch crowd is already lining up for:

The Wood-Smoked Trail Bologna: This isn’t grocery store lunch meat. The Bylers cure local beef with a secret blend of spices and smoke it over native hickory for two days. It’s served thick-cut on Mary’s legendary sourdough, layered with sharp mustard and raw onions.
Hot Pepper Jam & Turkey Panini: A brilliant balance of sweet, heat, and savory. Thick slices of house-roasted turkey breast are paired with creamy Havarti cheese and slathered in Mary’s vibrant, sticky-sweet jalapeño and bell pepper jam, then pressed until golden brown.
Cave-Aged Raw Milk Havarti: Hand-pressed and aged in the Bylers’ stone cellar, this cheese is creamier and far more complex than commercial varieties, boasting a rich, buttery melt that makes it the secret weapon of the deli’s sandwich menu.
Pickled Mustard Seed Potato Salad: A tangy, mayonnaise-free German-style potato salad tossed in a sharp apple cider vinaigrette and packed with pop-in-your-mouth pickled mustard seeds and fresh dill.
Pumpkin Maple Whoopie Pies: A localized, Western New York twist on the classic Amish treat. Two incredibly soft, spiced pumpkin cakes sandwich a thick layer of whipped, brown-butter maple cream.

Whether you are grabbing a quick bite before a show at the Reg Lenna Center or stocking up on artisan provisions for a weekend out on Chautauqua Lake, Byler’s Heritage Deli proves that the old ways are still the best ways.

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