Magpies
Mother-daughter duo bakes “magical” hand pies
By Jodi Werner Greenwald | Photo by Shrimp & Grisettes
Many parents try to create as many memories as possible with their children before high school graduation. During the pandemic, Aarthi Parthasarathy took it to a whole new level, launching a baking business with her daughter, Aditi “Addy” Swaminathan, a rising junior at Ardrey Kell High.
Why hand pies? The answer was simple: Addy likes pies. The duo experimented, grew their business and came to create what Charlotte foodies agree are little bits of magic.
The duo creates new and fun flavor combinations with the season changes, such as strawberry rhubarb and blueberry lemon. They also make take-and-bake savory pocket pies, such as chicken tikka and spinach, egg and cheese.
The duo often sources clean and local ingredients from nearby farms. They also collaborate with numerous small businesses.
Here, Aarthi shares with us a snack-sized look at Magpies.
How do you come up with new flavors?
We look for inspiration from global cultures and customer interactions: What flavors do they want? We’ll use seasonal flavors and local fruits.
Where can our readers find you this summer?
Customers can find us at Matthews Community Farmers Market, Davidson Farmers Market and Uptown Farmers Market. They can also order from enjoymagpies.com and through Foodsby. We also cater for special occasions and office lunches.
What did you do professionally before Magpies?
I worked in factory shop floor supervision and project management.
Tell us about the pie crust.
The pie crust is really, really good. We use only butter, no shortening, so they’re all natural and really flaky. Addy is the dough expert. She runs the big mixer and shapes the pies with the shaper.
What will happen with the business when Addy graduates?
We would like to establish a booth in a food hall.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
Please check us out on Instagram and Facebook at @enjoymagpies.
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Share your creative projects and you could be featured on this page. Contact Jodi Greenwald at editor@ballantynemagazine.com.