Celebrating 40 years

Why do people venture to Amish Country by the millions each year?

Yes, the ambiance and serenity of Amish Country is alluring with its buggies, charming landscape and tranquil lifestyle.

However, for many people it is the food. It is the baked goods, the farm-fresh fruits and vegetables, the huge variety of top-quality noodles, herbs and spices, jams and jellies, meat, and the very best ingredients a person could hope to take home to recreate a tiny slice of Amish Country right in their own kitchen.

When it comes to purchasing all of those food items and a whole lot more, there is no better destination than Ashery Country Store Bulk Foods in Mt. Hope, where fantastic food is the scrumptious cake and hospitality is the creamy, delectable icing on that cake.

The Ashery is loaded with the best in bulk foods, complete with a deli featuring choice meats, a produce section that is as colorful as it is tasty, a spice wall that smells like heaven, the Ashery’s own tantalizing, homemade special blends of sweet and salty snacks, and even their very own melt-in-your-mouth Cecil’s frozen custard.

The Ashery is the perfect stop for those visitors to Amish Country who make food a priority.

This spring patrons can join owner Curt Yoder and the Ashery family of employees in celebrating the store’s 40th anniversary.

When Cecil Yoder started the store in 1979, recreating the old ashery that stood there for decades before, he made each visit a positive experience for customers, one that put people at ease. Forty years later, that remains as true as it was on day one when Cecil invited customers in.

“It is exciting to see us carry on what my dad began 40 years ago,” Yoder said. “It has been very satisfying to be able to meet people’s needs and build relationships the same way Dad did when he first began.”

The 40-year anniversary celebration will see the Ashery posting a large number of old photos from its history to show its roots and how much it has grown. On May 4 there will be a fantastic celebration that will include a pair of chainsaw carving artists, 10-percent savings on everything, free coffee and doughnuts, mugs for everyone and a giveaway of 200 special mugs to the first 200 customers.

“Dad always felt this was a ministry of reaching out, going beyond what was expected to make people feel special,” Yoder said. “For us here at the Ashery, it is all about family, and our family extends well beyond just the walls of our home. It is everyone who visits. This celebration is about taking care of every aspect of our family, whether it is my family, our staff or our family of customers.”

Ashery Country Store Bulk Foods is located at 8922 state Route 241, 2 miles north of Mount Hope. Call the store at 330-359-5615 or visit them on the web at www.asherycountrystore.com.