SIMPSONVILLE, Kentucky, (September 19, 2008)

F. B. Purnell Sausage Company, Inc. announces the launch of four new products to its line of more than 60 fine sausage foods.

Todd Purnell, President of F. B. Purnell Sausage Company who manages the IT’S GOOO-OD® Old Folks brand says, “Purnell Sausage Company is responding to the growing demand for high quality ‘quick serve’ products,” as the company launches Purnell’s Old Folks Fully-Cooked Country Sausage Patties and Links both of which come in a 24 count package. The company is also launching Purnell’s Old Folks Fully-Cooked Turkey Sausage Patties and Links in 24 count. Each product, Country Sausage and Turkey Sausage Patties and Links, come in a convenient reseal-able bag and use the same high quality standards that separate Purnell products from their competitors.

A major U.S. retailer will be rolling these products out nationally today.

Convenience and quality are two important components to consumer’s selection criteria for healthy breakfast for their families. Protein accounts for one of the most vital components of a well-rounded family food plan. Consumers can visit http://www.itsgooo-od.com to obtain breakfast, lunch and dinner serving suggestions and recipes for Purnell’s full line of fine sausage products.

About F. B. Purnell Sausage Company
Fred B. “Old Folks” Purnell began making his own country sausage from choice cuts of meat in 1932. He used only the best cuts of meat along with a special blend of seasonings, which is still used today and is the pride of three generations. The company is family-owned and operated. Purnell’s Old Folks brand of breakfast, lunch and dinner sausages are made from pork, and turkey and are distributed to grocery stores and restaurants throughout the U.S., as well as Mexico.

By Scott McDaniel/Sentinel-News Staff Writer

The Old Stone Inn’s new owners will soon reopen its doors and welcome diners back into the historic restaurant.

Simpsonville natives and cousins Shelley Thompson-Cotton, proprietor, and Deanna Shelton, assistant, spent the month of March preparing their newly acquired business for the public.

They said they hope to have the Old Stone Inn open before the 134th running of the Kentucky Derby on May 3.

“We’re ready to go,” Shelton said. “We’re just waiting on licenses and permits from the state.”

The Old Stone Inn restaurant, a national historic landmark built in the 1700s, has been a restaurant since the 1920s.

Owners have changed through the years, but Shelton said one thing that remains the same is the restaurant’s unique atmosphere.

“I think people can really expect, when they walk in the door, the same ambiance that was here before” Shelton said. “They might notice some subtle changes. Our goal is to bring the people back who have been here in the past, but also reach out to everyone within the community.”

Paul and Sally Crump recently stepped away from the restaurant, leaving an opening that Thompson-Cotton said she couldn’t pass up.

“This has been a dream of mine since I was 15 or 16.” Thompson-Cotton said. “I’ve been in the restaurant business off and on for the last decade. It’s a very big passion of mine. The opportunity that the Purnell’s (the building’s owners) have given me is just unbelievable. And for it to be this place - I can’t even put it into words, it’s just amazing.”

Chef Jerrett Berry, who grew up in Shelby County, and several of the same employees will return to the restaurant.

The menu will remain the same, but with the addition of lower-priced options to accommodate more diners.

“We want everybody to feel welcome,” Thompson-Cotton said. “I really think the community needs a place that can offer everybody something.”

After listening to the community’s feedback, Shelton said in the last month they’ve worked to keep what people already enjoy about the restaurant, while making plans to add new improvements people said they’d like to see.

As a result, she said she hopes to make the restaurant an appealing option to locals and visitors of all ages and budgets.

Several rooms have been re-painted and touched up.

Carpet has been removed from the room beside the bar, exposing the old wooden floor. Shelton said the room will become a lounge area and offer additional seating for the happy hour crowds.

Paintings from local artists will be on exhibit and available for purchase throughout the building.

The upstairs area will provide a getaway for diners and be an ideal area for special events such as birthdays or business functions.

Outside on the patio, Shelton said they will set up extra seating, install a new outdoor bar and bring in a variety of local musicians to perform more often than in the past.

The restaurant’s hours of operation will be from 4-10 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, and from 11:30-3:00 for Sunday brunch. Thompson-Cotton and Shelton said they eventually want to establish lunch hours.

Together, Thompson-Cotton and Shelton have over 17 years of experience in the restaurant business.

Both said they expect to take a very hands-on approach to running the restaurant and making sure diners find hospitality, good food and a good time.

“We want people to leave anticipating their next visit,” Shelton said.

The restaurant’s website, www.oldstoneinnky.com, should be updated in the coming weeks with opening date information, menu listings and scheduled events, Shelton said.

Copyright ©2008 Sentinel-News. All rights reserved

Clara Purnell

Clara Purnell

SIMPSONVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Clara Bridges Purnell, co-founder of Purnell Sausage Co., died Saturday at her home in Simpsonville. She was 102.

Purnell, a native of Springfield, Tenn., helped start the business in 1932 with her husband, Fred B. Purnell Sr. She helped grind and season the meat, packing it in hand-sewn cloth bags marked Purnell’s “Old Folks” country sausage. The recipe was Fred’s mother’s, brought from his family’s Tennessee farm.

The family moved from Nashville to Louisville in 1950. Six years later, the Purnells settled in Simpsonville.

The Purnells’ plant, 20 miles east of Louisville, produces more than 100,000 pounds of sausage daily and is sold to grocery stores and restaurants in 44 states. The company is still family owned and operated.

Allen Purnell of Simpsonville said on Sunday that he would remember his mother’s faith and her outlook on life.

“She thought you ought to keep your mind thinking positive,” he said. “She lived what she preached.”

Clara Purnell also is survived by another son, Robert E. Purnell of Louisville; a daughter, Betty Moffett of Simpsonville; 12 grandchildren and 25 great-grandchildren.

Copyright ©2004 Associated Press. All rights reserved.