Meredith Simmerman founded Reney’s Honey Butter in April of 2017. She picked blackberries on Sunday afternoon and came home with way too many to handle, so getting creative, she made her first batch of Blackberry Honey Butter. From one Facebook post about it, Reney’s Honey Butter was born! As sales took off, Meredith continued to grow her business and now has a brick-and-mortar location referred to as “The Cottage”.
We had the chance to ask a few questions and get to know Meredith and her business a little better.
Where are you from?
I am from Pascagoula, Mississippi, but after Hurricane Katrina when our family lost most of the things in our home, we relocated to Mobile.
What does your business provide?
Reney’s Honey Butter specializes in making over 60 flavors of both sweet and savory butters. Everything we serve for both breakfast and lunch are items that either have our butter in them or go really well with our butters. We also do custom gift sets for holidays and even have a food truck!
What is the most challenging and rewarding aspect of your business?
The most rewarding aspect of my business is the relationships. I have enjoyed getting to know my customers, my suppliers, my vendors, and the people at each store I am in. Relationships are the currency of life, so this is my most favorite and most rewarding aspect of Reney’s Honey Butter.
The most challenging aspect of being a business owner is all the things it takes to keep a business going! The behind-the-scenes work is 90% of what happens while people only see the 10%. I wear many hats running a business and I have had to learn to rely on the strengths of others where I need help!
How did you decide on your business location? When did you move into your current location?
I loved the look of the building and the location, and I had passed it many times before. I wanted to grow and thought this was the perfect location for that. For the first 2.5 years, I had been selling my product wholesale while doing different vendor markets along the Gulf Coast. We have been in this “Cottage” for over 4 years now!
What people or other businesses would you consider to be your “MVP’s” in getting your business up and running?
There are so many people and businesses that have helped me along the way! My family and friends have showed up big time for me in every aspect of Reney’s Honey Butter. We have met some amazing customers who have become family. Many other food businesses and small businesses have supported me and invested in me. The small business community and food truck community are excellent at showing up for each other and cheering each other on!
What’s one piece of advice you have for other business owners?
For me, this is about more than just butter. It is more than just the bottom line. It is about my passion for people and our products. Without that passion, business can be very difficult. So my advice is to love what you do and why you are doing it! As my employee Lisa always says, “don’t forget your why!”
What’s one reason a customer should consider visiting your store?
It will make their life “BUTTER!”
