Lauren and Chris Wiener have been friends and business associates with Robin and Chris Pickel for almost a decade now. We had been selling our Mangalitsa pork and farm fresh eggs at the Historic Toxaway Market for 3 years and often joked about taking over the store when the Pickels finally retired. We never expected that 2024 would be the year. We are so honored to be afforded the opportunity to continue serving the Toxaway community, both locals and the thousands of people that come to enjoy our Blue Ridge Mountains every year.
We look forward to continuing to bring the finest wines, meats, cheeses, produce, prepared foods, and other products that we can source from local sustainable producers and some of the best products that the world can offer. We hope to stimulate your palate and titillate your taste buds with fresh exciting culinary delights. We will continue to carry as much organic, non-GMO, Gluten Free type food as we can.
So that you can know a little more about the new owners, allow us to introduce ourselves: My name is Lauren Wiener and I am 10000% the face of the Market. I come from a long line of Transylvania natives. My great grandfather Avery Case started Case Cabinet Shop back in the 1950’s. Like Chris, I was born overseas in Germany. I spent several years in the Philippines and Indonesia with missionary parents before returning to the US to complete my college education. My experiences included landscaping, building with Habitat for Humanity, and medical assisting those with special needs before moving back home in 2010. I was a local deli cook, spent 8 wonderful years caring for physical therapy patients, and now I am a pig farmer. Chris and I were married in 2021. We have 5 children who are all on unique life journeys and of whom we are incredibly proud.
My name is Chris Wiener and I handle behind the scenes stuff that happens in the Market. I was born in the UK to a 1st generation American father and a German mother in 1970 who met in Australia (long story - come by the market to hear it). I spent 17 years moving around the US and Europe while my father continued to serve in the US Airforce and at 18, I enlisted in the North Carolina Army National Guard. After completing my undergraduate education at UNCC and a total of 7 years of Guard time, I joined Microsoft and eventually landed back in the UK and finally in Dubai, United Arab Emirates for 18 years. I moved back to Brevard NC in 2015 to develop software for the construction market. On December 15th 2020, God blessed us with the opportunity to launch Freedom Farms and we started raising chickens for egg production and Mangalitsa hogs for meat. We want to thank the Pickels for starting the market. We will honor their efforts in the future and if y’all come by the market, you may still get to meet with them on the odd occasion. Like when the Pickels started, we anticipate this to be a huge learning experience and we are blessed to be able to continue to lean in on their experience and knowledge. We know the community will continue to support us as we support the community. We are excited for both Chris and Robin in their retirement endeavors.