Nashville Jams in More Ways Than One

In the heart of Nashville, where music and culinary traditions intertwine, the story of Gary Baron and the Nashville Jam Company unfolds – a tale of resilience, passion, and the sweet taste of success. Beyondish sat down to chat with the jam master over a series of three video interviews.

Baron’s journey began in the warm embrace of his grandmother‘s kitchen. Amidst the aroma of simmering fruits, he learned the joy of creating flavor from scratch. It left an indelible mark. Thanks to his mother and grandmother, he cultivated a love for gardening, nurturing heirloom tomatoes, and jam. He never imagined that his passion would turn into his calling.

Gary Baron’s life was sweet enough in 2008, gainfully employed supplying electrical equipment to contractors. However, when the housing market took a nose dive, his world soured almost overnight. Baron turned to gardening for solace. One evening he sat down to watch television and happened upon a PBS broadcast touting the potential profits from growing heirloom tomatoes: $10,000 an acre! He didn’t realize it then, but fate had just detoured him toward his sweet destiny.

Grounded in the memories of childhood, he armed himself with tomato seeds and began the cultivation of heirloom tomatoes, using a technique called the “Florida Weave.” This uses T posts and twine to suspend the vines vertically, maximizing their output and minimizing the work at harvest. It was early 2010 and the tomatoes were growing as if in a fairytale. Fate had another challenge awaiting him though. On May 1st, Nashville experienced its worst flood since 1927. All of his seedlings washed away, the entire investment gone by the river banks in the blink of an eye.

Devastating as it was, Baron did not surrender. He replanted and a few months later started harvesting bumper crops so massive that merely selling them at the farmers market was not sufficient. Cheered on by friends, he gathered some old family recipes, such as tomato jalapeño jam, and went to work in his home kitchen. The flavors of his grandmother, as well as his new concoctions were an immediate hit. They created such a buzz that the executive chef of the newly opened Omni hotel came by to try a sample. Smitten, he began featuring Baron’s jams at his hotel. The Omni reset the bar of excellence for everything Nashville, including fine dining. So, when the word on the Baron jams got out, orders flooded in from many other hotels and restaurants as well. This new exposure and a solidly loyal customer base caused a sharp increase in sales, necessitating a massive new commercial kitchen. It also left Baron with a string of personal accolades, awards, and media segments. His challenges, however, were far from over.

In 2019, when the pandemic hit, his retail customer base dwindled sharply and disruptions in the supply chain threatened Nashville Jam’s very survival. Still, his unwavering commitment to quality and his community of jam connoisseurs rewarded him in droves. He emerged stronger and even more prolific at combining traditional southern flavors with modern twists. Besides supplying restaurants and businesses nationwide, Baron grew to 16 inventive jam creations. Along with “all the usual flavor suspects” such as blackberry, blueberry, peach, and apple, he perfected flavors like peach habanero, smoky tomato jam, and strawberry jalapeño jam, just to name a few.

Not withstanding the Omni restaurant’s outrageous dishes such as pimento cheese and bacon omelette, fried green tomato wrap, and Baron‘s Benedict, the pinnacle of his flavor insanity culminated in his creation of the Bronut–a freshly baked, flaky biscuit stuffed full of cheesecake filling, dipped in pancake batter, deep fried, and topped with a generous serving of blueberry compote. This writer never even heard of a culinary creation so fantastically outlandish, and certainly never tasted one.

Today, staying true to his roots, Baron emphasizes a farm to table approach, embracing permaculture and whenever possible, locally sourced ingredients, often grown in his own fields. This dedication ensures the freshness and authenticity of every product produced, from jams, jellies, and salad dressings to catsup and Worcestershire sauce. Visitors to Nashville can avail themselves of Baron’s jams, as well as a fabulous brunch, at his brick and mortar, The Nashville Jam Company, 2806 Columbine Place, Nashville, TN.