NW BUSINESS MONTHY
STARTUP BUSINESS OF THE YEAR NOMINEES
Whatcom County
BELLINGHAM PASTA CO.
By Brita Adkinson
Fresh pasta made with locally grown organic flour and organic eggs from local farms is now available in Bellingham stores thanks to business partners Katie Hinton and Anna Rankin.
Their wholesale business, Bellingham Pasta Co., delivers nearly 300 units of fresh pasta to five local Haggen stores, Terra Organica at the Public Market, and the two Community Food Co-op stores. They also deliver pasta to the Cliff House restaurant on State Street.
“Using local ingredients is important to us,” Hinton said. “We buy non-organic semolina from Pendleton Mills, Oregon, because we cannot find any semolina locally. However, most of the flour we use is organic and comes from Fairhaven Mills.”
Customers can enjoy spaghetti, linguine, fettuccine, fusilli and penne rigate pasta made with ingredients including semolina, whole wheat, roasted red peppers and spinach.
The final push to start the business came when Hinton and Rankin heard that Nettle Farms on Lummi Island ceased making fresh pasta. But the story really began in Portland about 20 years ago when Hinton and Rankin worked together as travel agents, and enjoyed eating fresh pasta there.
When Hinton settled in Bellingham several years ago, Rankin came to visit. She liked the town so much she moved here. In spring 2008, Hinton invited Rankin to join in the pasta-making venture.
Hinton gained business experience when she ran her own travel agency for six years. Rankin has 20 years’ experience managing restaurants, cafés and lodges in remote parts of Alaska, and cruise ship catering.
The two found a pasta maker on Craigslist – a bright yellow pasta extruder from Italy, then formed an S-corporation. Hinton is president, her husband Steve Hinton is secretary, and Rankin is treasurer. Next, they mailed out marketing information to local stores, restaurants and catering companies, and soon they had responses from several companies.
“We work every Sunday and Monday, 2 to 9 p.m. On Tuesdays we deliver,” Hinton explained. “Our kitchen is located downtown, so Anna delivers pasta to Terra Organica, the Community Food Co-op, the Cliff House and Haggen in Fairhaven, because she is doing it by bike. I deliver to the other businesses, by car.”
Working toward a lighter carbon footprint is an important philosophy at Bellingham Pasta Co. For example, the pasta is packaged in 100 percent biodegradable containers.
Rankin also works part time at Mount Baker Theatre and at Ciao Thyme Catering. In addition, she volunteers at the food bank, Pickford Cinema and KUGS radio. Hinton works one day a week at a travel and timeshare company. She volunteers at the Columbia Neighborhood Association and in the Parkview Elementary School.
The team plans to introduce fresh pasta products at the Bellingham Farmers Market when the season begins in April.
Why did they start this business? “Because there was no fresh pasta here and we love fresh pasta,” Hinton said. “And pasta is ‘recession food’ – it is cheap.” She sums up the business philosophy at Bellingham Pasta Co.: “Affordable. Fresh. Local.”
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