One of my favorite Amish-Mennonite bulk food stores is only about an hour away from me, but life's craziness keeps me from going as often I would like. Hopefully, however, you can make it.
For people wanting an authentic Plain experience and are passing through southern Ohio near Brown County, The Home Place is an amazing Mennonite-owned bakery and bulk food store in Georgetown, Ohio, and it's absolutely worth a stop. I've made many sojourns to this store.
❤️ Reasons I Love The Home Place
Authenticity: The Home Place is a combination bakery, bulk food and furniture emporium and they even have a walk up refreshment window during the summer. Oh, and fresh produce, lots of that in season! The Schlabachs, who started the store back in 2006, belong to the Beachy Amish-Mennonite church. The Beachy Amish-Mennonite church hews to many of the same traditions as the Old Order Amish, but are more progressive in their adoption of technology and participating in missionary work.
Community Connection: Eastern Brown County is like the land that time forgot. One-stoplight towns, century-old barns groaning in the wind, and Mom & Pop diners serving breakfast all day add a forgotten flavor to this rural respite about 30 minutes from Cincinnati's eastern suburbs. The area represents precisely this piece of peace that prompted the Bethel Beachy Amish Mennonite church in Holmes County to start a "daughter church" here in 2006.
Salt-Rising Bread Specialty: Susan Schlabach makes salt-rising bread at The Home Place, and it's become one of their signature items. She usually makes it every Friday morning and is generally out on bakery shelves by early afternoon.
Fresh Doughnuts: The Home Place makes fresh doughnuts every Friday morning so if you are ever in that area, be prepared for your mouth to water. My daughters loved the melt-in-your-mouth doughnuts we got there once!
Amazing Pies: The best peanut butter pie is at Yoder's Restaurant in Sarasota, Florida or the Home Place, Mennonite bakery in Georgetown, Ohio. Their peanut butter pies are legendary among visitors. Susan Schlabach’s aunt was the late Amanda Yoder, the founder of the Sarasota restaurant and the one who’s peanut butter pie recipe is so popular. Susan learned from her Aunt Amanda the recipe so customers of the Home Place are essentially treated to the same pie.
🏪 More Than Just a Bakery
While The Home Place is famous for its baked goods, they also have a furniture, bakery, bulk component. It's truly a one-stop destination where you can find everything from bulk foods to handcrafted furniture.
The store also features homemade granola (Tried and True), which has become a customer favorite. I gave a jar of homemade granola from The Home Place to my father for his birthdayone year and he loved it. Actually, I think my Mom likes it even more.
🍖 Delbert's Ribs
Some Fridays, owner Delbert Schlabach, a natural showman and entrepreneur is out grilling ribs himself to serve to customers. And, no, this is not a sponsored post, I just love the place.
This is a pulled pork lunch meal I got from The Home Place. I am not sure what looks better in the above photo: the barbecue sauce, the crisp chips, homemade cole slaw, or the ice, ice, ice cold CAN of Coke sitting there. Man, you just don't get any better than an ICE cold COKE with a picnic-type meal like that. I have to make it back to The Home Place soon.....
🍩 Delbert's Doughnuts
These are fresh doughnuts out of the Home Place fryer!
Eat first, ask questions later...that is what I did with this doughnut that I bought...This is a bacon-dotted, maple-glazed doughnut....Man, it sure was good...I didn't know what it was until I send the Schlabach's note days later asking what it was...I just knew it was good!
🛣️ Part of the Southern Ohio Trail
The route is speckled with wonderful Amish and Mennonite markets. There's The Home Place in Brown County, Keim Family Market near Winchester, Miller's near Seaman. I really think you could make a two-day trip into this area just by starting out at the Home Place bakery in Brown County, Ohio, working your way east and eating your way through Keim and Miller's Bakeries in Adams County, Ohio and then cap it all off with a delicious stop in Bainbridge.
Also, make time to visit The Home Place, a Mennonite-owned market near Georgetown, Ohio when exploring the Adams County area.
📍 Visiting Information
The Home Place
7771 US Route 68
Georgetown, Ohio
Phone: (937) 378-3400
Salt-Rising Bread: Call if you want to be certain. They also try to keep frozen loaves in the merchandising freezer, all week.
🍰 What Makes It Special
I love Brown County, Ohio, it is a picturesque patch on the edge of Appalachian and The Home Place captures the simplicity effortlessly. I love the up-from-your-bootstraps story of how the Schlabachs built the Home Place from scratch. Whether you're looking for fresh bread, amazing pies, bulk foods, or even furniture, The Home Place offers an authentic glimpse into Mennonite culture and craftsmanship.
The combination of traditional baking methods, quality ingredients, and genuine hospitality makes The Home Place a must-visit destination for anyone exploring Ohio's Plain communities. It's more than just a store – it's a window into a way of life that values community, tradition, and exceptional food.
Note: This store is not to be confused with "The Old Home Place" near Chillicothe, Ohio, which is a different Mennonite-owned establishment.
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