LONDON, Ky. (LEX 18) — A 15,000-square-foot marketplace featuring goods from over 60 producers has transformed how families in London, Kentucky, shop for fresh food and enjoy home-style meals.
Cornett Farm Fresh, located on Highway 192, offers Kentucky-grown produce, baked goods, and a full lunch and dinner menu in a space that doubles as a community gathering place complete with a play area for children.
The restaurant's menu draws particular praise from regular customers.
"People go wild over the chicken livers," said Rhonda Cornett, owner of Cornett Farm Fresh.
The business emerged from unexpected circumstances during the pandemic. In 2020, Rhonda and her husband Brent began selling produce from their old tobacco barn.
"We had put produce out for some of our wholesale things, but we'D never really gone that direct to consumer route. Then Walmart didn't really necessarily, Kroger didn't necessarily have everything that the customers wanted, and I thought, 'Well, we do!'" Cornett said.
The family quickly outgrew their barn, moved into a building, then outgrew that space as well, leading to their current expansive location.
"If you would have asked me six years ago if this is what we would be doing, I would have laughed and said there's no way in the world, but God has other plans for you and you just get to go right along with him whether kicking and screaming or not, which I kind of was to begin with," Cornett said.
The Cornetts discovered significant demand for fresh food, a place to slow down, and meals reminiscent of grandmother's cooking.
"Just the variety of specials keeps me coming back, it's always fresh, it's always good," said Jason Burton, a regular customer.
Their homestyle menu matches their motto: "If it were any fresher, it'd still be in the field."
"I know where it came from. I know how it's been handled and you know I would feed it to my family, so it's OK for you to feed it to yours," Cornett said.
The family says their success hasn’t all come from the fresh produce and delicious food. Looking around, a room of familiar faces creates the family-like atmosphere at Cornett Farm Fresh.
The chef is a former student of Rhonda's, the women behind the counter are lifelong friends, and customers feel personally invested in the business.
"This is what small towns are about: just supporting and encouraging and just running into people, meeting new friends. That's a good asset that London has here with Cornetts," said Kelly Burton, a customer and longtime friend of the Cornetts.
A wall of photos displaying the farmers who came before them serves as a testament to humble beginnings and hard work, connecting the current generation to their agricultural legacy.
"I think that they would be impressed and I think they'd be very proud that we're still trying to live their legacy generations later," Cornett said.
