Today we’d like to introduce you to Jake Harvey.
Jake, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
In 2012, I moved from Wellington, New Zealand to Harlem, New York City. The year prior, I came for a vacation to the US for three months (As many kiwis do). I was extremely interested in the American Music Industry, especially Hip Hop.
I was influenced by American Hip Hop in my own production and wanted to immerse myself in the culture. I then met my wife, Misty and we traveled around the US together. I then flew back to New Zealand, saved all my cash, then flew back to start my new life in Harlem.
While I lived in New York, I managed an Australian Pie company in the LES. It was there where I learned to processes of making savory pies. I thought of different ideas, and held dinner parties at my apartment with friends, trying my latest creations. Then, in early 2017, I had an offer from the owner to go in with him on another location uptown, and it got me thinking. Could I do this myself? Certainly not in New York City.
Friends of mine had told me about the food scene in Atlanta, and told me that it would be a hit! So, in May 2017, my wife and I packed up our things and moved to a friends place in East Atlanta. It was a struggle to deal with the slow pace at first. I finally got a job at Brickstore pub, which ended up being the perfect place for me to make connections.
I met friends around the city that were in the pop-up scene already, telling me to just go for it. Through brick store, I met people in the beer scene telling me about pop-ups at their breweries, and the meat pies would be a hit. So here we are! Doing pop-ups and breweries and restaurants around the city.
Has it been a smooth road?
Figuring out what flavours pies Atlantan’s like, Getting the right pastry consistency and getting the right size for the cost. I’m not a trained chef, so there was a lot of trial and error. I love to cook, so I got there in the end!
Time management and not being afraid to ask for help was a big learning curve.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Heaps story. Tell us more about the business.
Heaps is a New Zealand savory pie company. We do pop-ups at breweries and restaurant takeovers all around the Atlanta area. We are known for tasty savory pies with a twist.
I enjoy making pies inspired by different cultures around the world and pairing them with sides that compliment them. We use high quality produce mostly Organic from farmers markets. Our meat is always free range and cruelty-free, something I feel very strongly about!
We’ve been collaborating with breweries and incorporating their beers with our pies. You can find us at Monday Night Garage, Three Taverns, Gaja kitchen takeovers. The best way to find out where we are is through Instagram!
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
The future of the pies is going to be distribution. There will be many changes to my company as it is small and still growing. A small brick and mortar? Distributing frozen pies? Catering for cafes? It could go many ways.
Pricing:
- $7 per regular pie
- $2 party pie
Contact Info:
- Website: www.heapsatl.com
- Phone: 9174746583
- Email: heapsatl@gmail.com
- Instagram: @heapsatl
- Facebook: heaps
Image Credit:
@choesenone, @tracielhinnant
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