SHOP LOCAL The Barn & Thistle • Westmoreland, NH

After retiring from decades in the restaurant business, Cathy Watson went after her dream of owning and operating a family-owned eatery and gift shop that serves as a comfy, cozy oasis from life's hustle and bustle. &emsp;&emsp;She achieved her goal at The Barn & Thistle, which opened in January 2022 in the building formerly occupied by the Westmoreland Village Store (next to the town hall on Route 63); the restaurant offers breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea Wednesday through Saturday. &emsp;&emsp;Upon entering the inviting atmosphere, a customer feels instantly at home inside, with its twinkling lights, wing-backed chairs by the fireplace, and warm-toned woodwork reminiscent of — no surprise — a barn. &emsp;&emsp;On the home page of Barn & Thistle's website are the words "feel the magic," which is what Watson wants people to experience during their visit. &emsp;&emsp;"I wanted something warm and inviting," she says. &emsp;&emsp;Watson, of Westmoreland, had this vision for her business since 2018 when she retired after working 17 years with L.A. Burdick Chocolates. &emsp;&emsp;She was their general manager, responsible for the operations of both the Restaurant at Burdick's and Walpole Grocery, eventually becoming the company's chief operating officer before the business was sold in 2015 (the chocolate shop was sold in 2016). &emsp;&emsp;As the company grew, so did Watson's investment in it, leading her to take the role of COO and helped execute the expansion of the chocolate company, opening stores in Boston, New York City and Chicago. &emsp;&emsp;She started working in the restaurant industry at 16 and purchased her first restaurant when she was 22, a venture she put on hold when she began having children. &emsp;&emsp;She then found a job managing John Cooper's, an ice cream and sandwich shop in Walpole that also sold gifts. &emsp;&emsp;"It had a similar feel (to Barn & Thistle)," notes Watson. &emsp;&emsp;Even then, she dreamed of opening a family business. &emsp;&emsp;She created a vision board that she covered with inspirational images that called to her and began to search for a location, even considering building a barn in the field in front of her home for a while. &emsp;&emsp;She already knew that she wanted to use the word "barn," and "thistle" was a word on a sign she was struck by one day while antique shopping. &emsp;&emsp;"It was like a lightning bolt," she says. "I knew exactly what I wanted for a name." &emsp;&emsp;She immediately went home and secured the website domain name, and when the Westmoreland property went on the market in 2018, she knew it was the perfect location. What's on the menu A few of the many sandwich offerings for lunch, served from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., include stuffed turkey, a grilled turkey and Swiss cheese; depending on the season, it's stuffed with slaw or homemade stuffing. &emsp;&emsp;Salads are also seasonal — in the fall and winter, the "thistle salad" is on the menu, mixed greens with roasted butternut squash and cranberries. &emsp;&emsp;The breakfast menu includes pancakes, French toast, bagels and breakfast sandwiches, and a "morning parfait" with Greek yogurt, fresh fruit and granola. The eatery also serves beer and wine. &emsp;&emsp;Watson aims to source her food as locally as possible: meats come from North Country Smokehouse, cheese is Vermont cheddar; maple syrup from Stuart and John's in Westmoreland; and beans from New England Coffee go into the "Thistle Blend." Everything is fresh, and of the highest quality, she notes. &emsp;&emsp;Her husband, Jeff, takes care of the maintenance needs of this family-operated business. Watson created the menu with her stepdaughter Cori Hildreth, the cook in the kitchen and a former Burdick's employee (she oversaw pastry production, including mail order for all five LA Burdick Café locations) and grew up working alongside Watson since she was nine years old. &emsp;&emsp;"If I come up with a sandwich combo, Cori will know how to put it together and what to add," says Watson. And there's a gift shop Along with the eatery, Barn & Thistle is also a gift shop, selling a wide selection of handmade soaps and chocolate (including Walpole-based Jouvay Chocolate, a Fair Trade product sourced from Grenada) to gourmet snacks and sauces, clothing and décor items Watson handpicks. &emsp;&emsp;She works with companies that are family- or women-owned small businesses. &emsp;&emsp;"I read the stories of all the companies and choose the ones that connect with me," she said. &emsp;&emsp;Giving back to the community is important to the Watson family. &emsp;&emsp;The store has held toy drives, coat drives, and a giving tree, and this past summer, Watson held a craft fair for local artisans to sell their wares. They are also planning to offer a schedule of outdoor music performances — her husband, a singer/guitarist, is one of the regular performers. The Barn & Thistle can also host functions during off-hours. &emsp;&emsp;Clearly, for Watson, The Barn & Thistle is so much more than a retirement project. &emsp;&emsp;"I want to have a magical, warm, comfortable, cozy place to escape; I want people to walk in the door and feel it," she says. "It's getting back to what life is about." BOX: Barn & Thistle 784 NH-63 Westmoreland, NH 03467 603-399-0082 barnandthistle.com Follow Barn & Thistle on Facebook for events and updates. Hours: Wednesday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. Breakfast is served from 6 a.m. to 11 a.m. (Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m.) and lunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. (including takeout).