About 8 years ago, it was decided that we had outgrown our space at Chatham Mills, and we were going to look for someplace to build our new meadery. A mutual friend said that we should ask Lyle and Tami if they knew of somewhere great. Turned out, Lyle thought that we should build here at The Plant and help create the Chatham Beverage District.
The Plant, as it’s been come to be known, has a long history here in Chatham County. Starting as early as 1946, the area was home to Sunshine Gardens growing rows of chrysanthemums. In 1986, an aluminum smelting plant was built. Lyle and Tami acquired the acreage in 2004 and turned it into a biodiesel plant creating diesel fuel from used cooking oil. In 2012, when that became unsustainable due to size, they started looking for other options. Fair Game Beverage was born. We came along in 2014 and the idea of the Chatham Beverage District was born. By the time we moved in 4 years later, Chatham Cider Works had also joined the neighborhood. And it’s been growing like crazy since.
There are now 18 businesses that call The Plant home! Such an amazing group of people and such varied businesses all centered around locally available and cooperation! In the Chatham Beverage District, we have us, Fair Game Beverage (distillery/bar), Chatham Cider Works, Vortex Roasters (coffee), and bmc brewing. We have food offerings from Copeland Springs Farms (vegetarian, locally grown on site), Lilly Den Farms food truck (locally raised meats), and Metal Brixx Café (fair snacks, coffee, popcorn). For your shopping/entertainment pleasure, there’s Oak City Hemp, Hempsmith Clothing, Chatham Axes, Cataleya Jewelry Studio, Smelt Art Gallery, Pittsboro eBikes, and Carolina Hemp Tours. (There are also a couple of non-profits and a few other non-public facing businesses.) So much to do and enjoy on 17 acres of trees, birds, art, and trails!