LUDLOW, Ky. -- Tucked away in the basement of a Ludlow, Kentucky church, Jonni Lynch is busy rolling dough, slicing fruit and imagining new recipes alongside her longtime friend and business partner, Luke Alquizola.
Together, the pair are known as Piebird, a specialty bakery focusing on heritage and "pantry"-style pies.
While each brings a different skill set to the table, Lynch and Alquizola share a common love of history and food. They decided to team up and start a business after noticing that over the years their conversations often gravitated toward family history and recipe sharing.
Lynch, who learned to bake from her great-grandmother, Theodosia, serves many of those same heritage recipes via Piebird today. A self-described "food nerd," Lynch loves to know the history of different dishes and how they came to be. Her conversations with friends and clients usually start by asking about vintage recipes from their childhood -- Lynch feels everyone has a favorite and that the memories created around the table are what unite us as humans.
Piebird's menu rotates along with the seasons and ranges from sweet to savory concoctions that include classic apple, sour cherry, shepherd's pie and more flavors. Pies can be customized and made to order; simply message Lynch via Piebird's Facebook page.
Lynch and Alquizola, who both work full-time jobs in addition to Piebird, enjoy a steady stream of orders and a comfortable presence at local coffee shops and farmer's markets.
"We're not looking to grow exponentially or anything," Lynch said. "Luke and I are perfectly happy getting together to cook a couple nights a week and hosting baking classes here and there. We want to make comfort food -- things from our past that make people feel good."
Piebird
319 Oak St.
Ludlow, Kentucky
https://www.facebook.com/Piebirdchirp/
859-206-2030
