Articles Written By: The Batch Yard Team

The Batch Yard Calls Former Candy Factory Home

Boston is home to a lot of history. Paul Revere’s famous ride, the battles of Bunker Hill, Concord and Lexington and the Boston Tea Party all took place in or near the city. In addition to the stuff you learned about in a textbook, Boston also has a history as a candy-making hub. In fact, The Batch Yard is housed in a former Charleston Chew manufacturing plant.

The Charleston Chew was invented by Donley Cross, a former actor, who founded the Fox-Cross Candy Company in 1920 with his friend Charlie Fox. They launched with the Nu Chu, but the company didn’t achieve fame until it rolled out the Charleston Chew in 1922. Named for the popular dance craze at the time, the original Charleston Chew candy bar was made up of vanilla-flavored nougat covered with milk chocolate.

Company records indicate that candy production was taking place in Cambridge in the middle of the 20th century. The brand changed hands in 1957 when Nathan Sloane bought Fox-Cross. This is when things really took off.

Sloane moved production of the Charleston Chew to Everett, opening the factory at the site where The Batch Yard now stands. He automated production and worked to build the brand through advertising. Sloane introduced new flavors, like chocolate and strawberry, and it was under his ownership that people first started keeping their Charleston Chews cold to create “Charleston Crack.” People now swear by this method of freezing the candy bars and smacking them on a hard surface to create bite-sized pieces.

By the time Sloane sold the company in 1980, he had doubled production. Fox-Cross changed hands numerous times after that and when Nabisco bought the brand in 1985, it moved Charleston Chew production back to Cambridge.

The former Charleston Chew factory in Everett stood vacant for nearly three decades until The Batch Yard sprang up. The new housing development features luxury apartments, a roof deck, pool, special pet care facilities and other top-of-the-line amenities. And perhaps best of all? The building’s sweet history.

Kick Off Summer at the Hyper-Local Craft Brewfest

Summer is the perfect time to enjoy a refreshing beer and there’s no better place to do so than at the Sustainable Business Network’s Third Annual Hyper-Local Craft Brewfest. The event takes place at the Arts at the Armory in Somerville, only a few miles from The Batch Yard, on June 13 and 14. Tickets are $45 for one of three sessions.

The Hyper-Local Craft Brewfest truly features the best in area breweries. Somerville’s own Aeronaut Brewing, the Cambridge Brewing Company, the Boston Beer Company, Portico Brewing Company of Boston and Idle Hands Craft Ales from Charlestown will all be on hand for the event.

The rest of the event’s breweries are from various cities in Massachusetts with a few coming down from Maine. In addition to the craft beer, Downeast Cider from Charlestown, Far From the Tree Cider from Salem and Gus Soda will take part in the event.

Attendees will get access to unlimited 2-ounce samples of the various beers on tap during the event. The brews are sure to be unique, with many featuring New England ingredients like local hops, apples, cranberries, grapes and even oysters!

And you can wash down all those delicious drinks with local food. From Somerville’s Taza Chocolate and Q’s Nuts to Valicenti Organico from Hollis, New Hampshire, and Vermont Smoke and Cure, there will be tasty treats that appeal to all. Food is available for purchase for $6 or less.

In addition to the regular beer sampling, the Hyper-Local Craft Brewfest is hosting a special Homebrew Showcase during the Friday night session. This will give attendees a chance to taste some very local, rarely sampled beverages and learn about the homebrewing process.

So if you like delicious, craft beer and food, come down to the Arts at the Armory for a celebration of all things local!

Eat Local at the Everett Farmers Market

With the warmer weather of spring comes the growing season here in Massachusetts, which means that farmers markets are starting to open. There are many in the area, including one in Everett only a mile away from the Batch Yard.

The Everett Farmers Market is open on Wednesdays from 2 p.m.-6 p.m. from June 25 to October 15 at the Old Everett High School (538 Broadway). The market will feature vendors selling fresh, local fruits and vegetables as well as handmade jewelry, crafts and home goods from area businesses.

A Musician’s Corner provides a space for local artists and students to entertain the Everett Farmers Market attendees as they shop. The market often features activities for kids, like face painting and crafts projects.

Perhaps best of all, the Everett Farmers Market works hard to ensure that everyone can eat fresh, local produce by allowing customers to use the SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits. The market also operates the Double Bucks program, which matches SNAP dollars (up $10) to provide more purchasing power! And as an Everett community member, you can sponsor this program to help fellow market-goers.

If you just can’t wait until June 25 to get your hands on local, fresh produce, you can visit the two markets in Somerville, which both open in May. The Union Square Farmers Market on the Union Square Plaza is open from May 17 to November 22 on Saturdays from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. The Davis Square Farmers Market is open on Wednesdays from noon-6 p.m. from May 21 to November 27 in the parking lot at the corner of Day and Herbert Streets.

Both of those markets have several vendors selling fresh, local fruits and vegetables as well as sweets like doughnuts, ice cream and pastries. You can also stock up on chicken, beef, fish and eggs as well as bread and other locally made food products.

Whether it’s right in Everett or across the Mystic River in Somerville, there are lots of options for eating fresh and local all season long.