Happy Hand Pies Owner Kittie Storey (Photo courtesy Happy Hand Pies)
History: Kittie Storey, the former kitchen manager and local foods buyer at Richmond’s Little House Green Grocery, found her knack for hand pies after introducing customers to the savory treats in the prepared foods department. The frozen hand pies, in varieties such as roasted butternut squash, and goat cheese and spinach, soon became popular purchases, and the response inspired Storey to launch a business of her own. Founded in 2022, Happy Hand Pies is dedicated to crafting frozen hand pies that are “easy and convenient to make at home but also have nutritional value and highlight local ingredients,” Storey says. With 15 years in the food and beverage industry, the small-business owner says she recognizes that “people are interacting with food much differently, spending more time at home and willing to spend the money for quality over quantity.”
Specialties: Sold in four-packs, bestselling flavors include curry veggie pot pie and barbecue jackfruit, in addition to rotating seasonal specialties. Storey equates the success of the barbecue jackfruit to the complimentary samples she offers at farmers markets, along with the conversations she has with customers about the culinary potential of the plant.
Production: Over 50% of Happy Hand Pies ingredients are sourced locally. Storey works out of Hatch Kitchen making the pies from scratch.
Buy: Happy Hand Pies can be purchased at Ellwood Thompson’s, Union Market, RVA Big Market, Birdhouse Farmers Market, and online at Fall Line Farms and Local Roots. Orders can also be placed at happyhandpiesrva.com.
