Smoke and Flour is a new “pop-up” lunch stand in the Owensboro area that features boxed lunches, freshly-baked artisan bread by the loaf, and smoked meat by the pound. Webster County native Ryan Nall moved to Owensboro six years ago and brought all of his culinary passions with him.
Nall spends his days working in environmental health and safety at a local aluminum company but reserves many nights and weekends for his passion — food. He created Smoke and Flour to share his love for bread and meat with the community.
“I’ve had different food and culinary ideas for as long as I can remember … I’ve always baked with my mom and grandmother,” he said. “I started cooking mainly for family and friends, and it evolved from there. In its simplest form, we’re smoked meats and bread — but there really isn’t a box for it — we’re cooking stuff we like to eat.”
His passion for smoking meat developed when he inherited a smoker that his grandfather constructed 25 years ago. His wife Leslie assists him with the operation which he likes to relate to the barbecue styles of central Texas.
“The smoker has been mine since my grandfather passed, and it’s a hobby that I’ve recently fallen in love with — I love the simplicity of it,” Nall said. “Just like Texas, you cook as much as you can fit on your smoker and serve it until it’s gone.”
Nall prides himself on using the simplest of locally sourced ingredients. His honey-wheat bread features Cecil Farms honey, while his briskets come from Hill View Farms.
We’re trying our best to source locally and keep things simple — when you have good meat, you don’t have to do much to it,” he said. “I’ve been doing this for my friends and family for years. We’ve only done one event so far, but we plan to host several more in the future.”
Smoke and Flour’s most recent event — a “pop-up” lunch at Cecil Farms — featured brisket plate lunches, served with baked beans, chips, and Nall’s signature honey wheat bread. Held at the farm’s new pavilion, they sold out in mere hours.
Smoke and Flour operates as a home-based processor. They offer pre-ordering through their online platform and sell bread baked only on that day to ensure freshness.
Nall is excited to bring his brand of BBQ and baking to Owensboro. For more information about Smoke and Flour, search @eatsmokeandflour on Instagram or email [email protected].
“We love Owensboro — it’s home to us,” Nall said. “It’s close to where I grew up and big enough to offer anything anyone could need. We love where we’re at.”
