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Sarah Nicholas, new owner of Ladles & Linens (Photo by Megan Irwin)
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Inside Ladles & Linens (Photo by Megan Irwin)
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Michael Warner and Michelle Linn Warner from Washington, D.C. (Photo by Megan Irwin)
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Ladles & Linens offers a variety of kitchen and home items. (Photo by Megan Irwin)
Sarah Nicholas, a former FBI employee turned chef with her own PBS cooking show, isn’t afraid to pursue her passions.
In May, she acquired Ladles & Linens Kitchen Shoppe (ladlesandlinens.com), with a store at 3016 W. Cary St. and shops in Roanoke and Lexington. Nicholas' vision for the business is to make cooking accessible to all while honoring the traditions of the craft.
“She is an intensely curious person,” says Heather Sheets, a longtime friend of Nicholas. “When she gets a hold of something, it becomes a passion, and I’d absolutely say that about cooking. She’s going to bring that to her customers.”
From the FBI to the Kitchen
Nicholas, 34, took a deep dive into cooking when she decided to leave the FBI in 2014 to pursue a culinary degree in New York. As a project manager at the bureau, Nicholas had coordinated agents responding to violations on Native American reservations around the country. “It’s a very difficult area to work in,” says Ken LaVictoire, a former co-worker.
Nicholas remembers the moment she knew it was time for the next phase of her life. “I had a great job, loved the people, but it was time to find a way to work for myself,” she says. “I made a list of everything that made me happy: family, [my husband,] Evan, friends, and my love for cooking was high on the list.”
She completed a six-month accelerated culinary degree at the International Culinary Center, formerly known as The French Culinary Institute. Well-known graduates include chef and restaurateurs Bobby Flay and Christina Tosi of Milk Bar. After graduation, Nicholas started a private chef business. Then, a phone call came.
It was a production company looking for a host for a new cooking show. One of Nicholas' professors recommended her. Not only did Hexane Production need a host for a new series, but they needed a concept. Nicholas created an idea on the spot. That phone conversation became “The Story of Cooking,” which has aired for three seasons on PBS, though not yet in Virginia. Through the show, Nicholas explores her curiosity about food, ingredients and the history behind the dishes we all love.
“It was always about making cooking accessible to everyone and also connecting families in a meaningful way,” Nicholas says.
Nicholas filmed the first season in a studio in Long Island. The second season primarily takes place in the Shenandoah Valley, where Nicholas grew up and her parents still reside, but also features travel destinations. For the third season Nicholas returned to New York, highlighting traditional New York dishes and restaurants including Delmonico’s and Mario’s.
Nicholas is working to bring the concept to Richmond to film the fourth season. Driven by the same interest in history and family life, she also plans to offer cooking demonstrations and classes in some way at all three store locations. As a new business owner, she plans to start small and work her way up, bringing her dream of creating a full cooking school to life.
Making Richmond Home
Much like the beginnings of her television show, the opportunity to buy Ladles & Linens was a matter of a well-timed phone call. Former Ladles & Linens owner Tina Miller, based in Lexington, had called Nicholas’ mom to ask if she knew anyone who might be interested in buying the business, who then thought of her daughter. After Nicholas’ first conversation with Miller, she knew it was her next move.
Miller had founded the business in September 1997, so Nicholas will celebrate the company’s 20th anniversary this September.
“I’m excited about Sarah’s perspective,” says Joy Taylor, store manager in Carytown. “She doesn’t have retail experience, so she has no stale habits. Now, it’s not just a kitchen store. We’re incorporating more gift and entertainment items.”
Taylor also notes the previous owner was not based in Richmond, which will make Nicholas stand apart.
“Sarah has done it all — the busy mom life, the working professional grind, and has professional chef experience that she can bring all of that right to your family,” Taylor says. “She knows what the Richmond mother wants and expects; customers leave with more knowledge than when they came in.”
“I always wanted to move back to Virginia,” says Nicholas.
When she decided to purchase Ladles & Linens, her husband transferred to work in Fredericksburg and the couple purchased a home on the South Side. Nicholas’ sons are 1 and 3 years old. They’ve all begun to acclimate to the area, even Evan, a native New Yorker.
“He’s found similarities to New York, and so have I,” Nicholas says. “Richmond is like New York because it has a diverse population, a healthy art scene, parks and surprisingly amazing food. I’m impressed with the restaurants here and how Richmond treats its chefs like celebrities.”
Nicholas says Ladles & Linens will carry everything a family might need for cooking, baking, grilling, storage, cutting and more as they always have. She’s been working to add more festive party essentials and carry locally made goods such as handmade cutting boards from The Timbered Wolf, butcher blocks and cheese boards.
As an extension of her educational mission, Nicholas will also increase the store’s social media presence. Short tutorial videos are coming soon about topics ranging from boiling an egg to cutting meat properly.
Nicholas and her team have also started a community book exchange. At the back of the store, there’s a shelf full of books, many from Nicholas’ collection. She welcomes customers to take one, and replace it with one of their own for the next person. Soon, she’ll set up a partnership with a local nonprofit to donate to if someone doesn’t have a book to exchange. It’s one of many ways Nicholas is learning to make Richmond her home.
“I also want to create a community,” says Nicholas. “I want the store to be one ongoing cooking party and everyone is invited.”
