Food

By KELLY PREW
Food Editor

OVERTON -- Nothing beats a good, old fashioned peanut butter sandwich -- give or take the jelly.

That's what Carrie and Keith Parsons believe.

The couple owns the Peanut Butter Emporium, a small town business now garnering attention from a major national magazine for the gourmet peanut butter milled and sold there.

"Everyday With Rachel Ray" named Nutty's Old Fashioned Peanut Butter, Honey Roasted Crunch the "Best Honey" variety nationally in the September issue.

"I just figured, you know, 'thanks for inviting us,'" Carrie says during a recent interview at the shop. "I never thought we would actually win anything."

The award was won honestly. The Parsons simply got a phone call one day from the magazine asking for a case of their different flavors of peanut butter (now there are 12). They've speculated about how their small company caught the attention of the magazine.

"If brittle and peanut butter had a child, this 'sweet, nutty' concoction would be it," magazine writer Dina Cheney raves. "With a 'crystallized sugar' texture, Nutty's 'tastes like honey roasted peanuts.' It would even make a great candied topping for ice cream.'"

Maybe it was the jar given to President George W. Bush by a local Make-A-Wish child that made its way to food editors. Maybe it was a jar sold at Galveston's Peanut Butter Factory. Maybe it was one of the gift baskets sent to a soldier in Iraq. There's just no way to know.

Nutty's Old Fashioned Peanut Butter now joins the ranks of Jif, Skippy and Smuckers, also awarded in the article.

"We think we've got a niche market, at least for now," Carrie says. We consider our peanut butter fresh product, meaning it's only ever about eight weeks old at most.

"We also consider ourselves the fun side of peanut butter. We do make a sugar free, salt free peanut butter on request, but we like the sugar and the flavorings."

And, apparently, so do a lot of other people.

In six years, the small shop set up to serve a few peanut butter sandwiches during lunch in a small East Texas town, has grown to include a full menu all day. Peanut butter milled there travels to all corners of the country, thanks to the Internet and now, national magazines.

Gift baskets begin lining the store shelves before Thanksgiving, complete with jars of award-winning Honey Roasted Crunch and favorites like White Chocolate Chip, Peanut Butter Cup, Cinnamon Raisin and Chocolate Marble, to name a few. Orders also are taken online.

Stop in for peanut butter pie, cookies, Blue Bell ice cream or fudge, too.

It's a place that welcomes customers with warm smiles and "how's it going today?" and mural of "Nutty," the official brand mascot, waves to folks from the corner.

Come lunchtime, finding a seat at one of the red and white checked tables can be a challenge on a busy day, but that's when the real beauty of the place comes alive.

Kiddos from the small school district walk downtown for an off-campus lunch, often lining the curbsides out front, eating peanut butter sandwiches and enjoying a little time away from class. Older customers, bikers passing through and regulars who walk over from the bank, the veterinarian's office or the hardware store step into a familiar rhythm there, too.

Favorites on the menu, in addition to peanut butter sandwiches of all shapes and sizes, are chicken salad sandwiches, Texas Sized Spuds or even a fresh fruit plate.

And when teachers and business people can't make it out for lunch, the emporium delivers. The Parsons deliver to eight surrounding school districts every day of the week, and the service keeps growing.

"No pun intended, its nuts on Fridays," Carrie laughs.

Taking into account the atmosphere of small town America, the emporium appeals to guests much like Mama's kitchen might.

The decision to open the shop in Overton was simple: it was affordable, quaint and a perfect place to raise their son. It didn't hurt that the building, built in the 1930s, added to the charm of the whole idea.

"We started in a little shop next door, and I think we had three non-peanut butter items on the menu," Carrie says.

"One thing we did think about was maybe to spur growth in the downtown, maybe help revitalization efforts," adds Keith, who was once mayor here.

Keith says the ability to supplement with salads, sandwiches and other non-peanut butter items has allowed the peanut butter business to take off.

"It's hard to have a specialty business in a small town," Keith says matter-of-factly. "That's kind of how it evolved. We added other things as an alternative for people who didn't want peanut butter. It's having the local restaurant that gave us the longevity to work on peanut butter.

"Obviously, peanut butter is her passion," he says adoringly to Carrie.

Together, they admit burning up three blenders in one day of experimenting once they decided to live her life-long dream.

"It was just trial and error and trial and error, and taste," Keith says with a grin.

Area schools and churches often bring students in for a tour of the peanut butter exhibit, featuring a history lesson and a few invaluable pieces of nostalgia on display.

The Peanut Butter Emporium will cater meetings and parties and always welcomes groups to stop in for lunch or dinner.

Carrie and Keith Parsons, owners of the Peanut Butter Emporium, pose in front of a mural of “Nutty,” the business’ mascot, that they painted themselves. Their Honey Roasted Crunch peanut butter was chosen by “Everyday With Rachael Ray” as “Best Honey” peanut butter.
(Staff Photo By Jaime R. Carrero)