CHESTER, Vt. – The Southern Pie Cafe has become a favorite stop for visitors traveling to the charming Town of Chester and an annual tradition for many of the area’s seasonal residents. For locals, the cafe is where they go each morning for coffee, a muffin, or one of Southern Pie’s famous “Breakfast Sammys.”
The popular bakery holds a special place in the hearts of its customers, and much of that feeling and connection can be credited to Southern Pie’s chief cook and baker, Leslie Blair.
Leslie and her husband, Scott, started the business from scratch 12 years ago, baking at home and selling their products at pop-ups in Londonderry and at Goodman’s American Pie in Ludlow. Leslie’s first recipe was a strawberry sour cream pie, a Southern style pie that she introduced to the area. She then expanded into other fruit varieties like blueberry, apple, and peach. The menu continued to grow from there.
The couple initially faced some resistance from the town economic development committee at the time, which questioned the sustainability of a pie shop. Leslie said she was told, “It will never work.”
“That just gave us fire,” Scott said.
When a space became vacant at 287 Main Street, now Community Art Garden, Scott recalled, “We found a used deli case on Craigslist for $250, and we brought in a fold-out table…we baked at home and brought it in to sell.”
Leslie remembered, “We had no furniture. We had a baker’s rack with coffee mugs, and an old register where you typed in the numbers.” The couple laughed, thinking about their early days, when, in addition to the bakery start-up, they each had full-time jobs.
Over the years since they purchased the building at 94 Common Street and relocated the cafe, the couple has taken almost no vacations and made countless sacrifices for the sake of the business. One recent weekend, Leslie had to close the bakery to accompany the couple’s son on his first college tour.
But the feeling was still bittersweet when Leslie and Scott made the decision to permanently shut down the bakery and transition into something different. Nov. 29 marks the date when Southern Pie Cafe will officially exit its brick and mortar storefront at 94 Common Street.
“I have loved it here, but I am ready to take a step back from all of it,” Leslie relayed. “Cooking is me. It’s the only thing I’ve ever done, the one thing that I know I love. So, I don’t necessarily want to step away from that, but maybe just change it up a little. I have been doing this for 30 years.”
Although Leslie is sad to say goodbye to the cafe’s regular customers, one thing she looks forward to is finally attending her son’s basketball games and other events. Jacob, a junior at Vermont Academy in Saxtons River, was excited when his mother told him she was going to walk away from the bakery full time.
“We need to really focus,” Scott remarked. “It’s family and the future.”
It does feel like the natural time for the family to move on to a new chapter, and the community is rallying behind whatever comes next. This Thanksgiving will be the final pie sale at the shop, and orders are pouring in.
Leslie said her immediate plan after that is “to take a month off.” She and Scott explained that, since starting out, the pair has been so immersed in Southern Pie, they never had a chance to take a honeymoon. At first, the couple will go back to their roots, with Leslie baking at home. They will likely hold a pop-up sale around Christmas. “And then,” Leslie said with a grin, “kind of whenever we want.”
A Facebook post announcing the bakery’s closure reads, “We look forward to our last Thanksgiving Pie Blitz in store, but not the last pie served.”
As for the space at 94 The Common, that will not remain vacant for long. The community can celebrate the relocation of another unique store on the Chester Green, Thyme & Again Apothecary. Owners Michelle and Charlie Golden and their daughters, Vaylyn and Jayda, have built the wellness business throughout the past few years, offering natural and locally produced products, honeys, teas, herb blends, and much more.
Michelle said it would likely be mid-December before Thyme & Again will open at the new location. The Goldens will keep the cafe kitchen operational, where they will make products as well as “drip coffee, tea, and, in the near future, lattes and organic smoothies.”
Additionally, Michelle plans to offer Leslie’s baked goods and soups, once Leslie is ready to get back at it. “We are super excited to support Leslie in whatever capacity she would like,” said Michelle.
“[The Blairs] have offered endless support to Thyme and the family,” Michelle remarked. “[They] support Thyme continuing to grow for the community and our children’s future.”