With the traditional ribbon cutting and a serving of goodies from local caterers, Anson County's first fully certified commercial kitchen opened Thursday night, March 11, at the Lockhart-Taylor Center in Wadesboro.

The 900-square-foot kitchen, the result of a partnership between New Ventures Business Development, Inc., and South Piedmont Community College (SPCC), is available to any local small businesses, caterers, chefs and farmers who wish to serve and sell their goods in the community.

"Several people have asked what was the genesis of this kitchen," said Dr. Don Altieri, executive director of New Ventures and one of the driving forces behind creating the commercial kitchen. "There was no certified public kitchen in Anson County where caterers or what have you could prepare their meals."

The new fully certified kitchen meets all health codes, he added, and also features a loading dock out its back door to make loading and unloading convenient for the kitchen's users.

"We also realized we have farm families that might like to do more than a dozen jars of jellies or salsa to sell," Altieri said. These folks would be able to use the kitchen, as well.

"We're really looking at this as an economic development tool for what it can do for Anson County," he added.

"It's been a long time coming, but something that will be of benefit to the entire community," SPCC president Dr. John McKay said.

The kitchen adjoins the Lockhart-Taylor Center's Ingram Community Room, which can accommodate 400 at tables for meals and 500 with auditorium-style seating.

Chamber of Commerce executive director Lynn Edwards said she was "personally very excited" for the kitchen's opening since the annual Chamber banquet has outgrown itself the past three years.

The commercial kitchen features a Vulcan 10-burner range with two conventional ovens, Southbend 30-gallon tilt skillet/braising pan, two Baker's Pride full-size convection opens, Traulsen two-door and three-door reach-in refrigerators, a Hobart temperature-sanitizing dishwasher and a Panasonic .8 cubic foot microwave oven.

Funding for the kitchen was provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Business Enterprise Grants program, the N.C. Rural Economic Development Center, the Golden LEAF Foundation, Effie Allen Little Foundation, Elizabeth Burns Yost Trust, William A. Smith Trust, Pee Dee Electric Membership Cooperative, Stogner Architecture and Progress Energy.

Those interested in the commercial kitchen can find more information by contacting New Ventures at 704-272-5457 or by visiting www.ansonkitchen.org.