The husband-wife team of Chris and Jen Porter have much to be proud of as owners of Timber Lane Handcrafted in Mohnton, a store and business offering beautifully crafted wooden implements from cutting and charcuterie boards to custom furniture destined to become family heirlooms. Chris is the artistic woodworker while Jen lends stellar marketing expertise. One look at their Facebook page or Instagram account reveals an array of home décor pieces for the kitchen and beyond that are simultaneously elegant and utilitarian.

“In 2020 we started Timber Lane Handcrafted, making cutting and charcuterie boards out of a woodshop on our property, and just a few short years later, we also started Reading Table & Company, which is custom bespoke furniture. My husband handcrafts all the furniture, all the cutting boards, charcuterie boards, plus numerous cooking and baking utensils, and our business grew because we started by selling our product to small gourmet grocery stores, cheese shops and home decor stores across the country. We have a small retail website, and as that grew, we were looking to move to a larger property where we could have our woodshop and a storefront,” says Jen.

After finding the perfect place in a vintage barn, the Porters expanded even more. “In April of 2025, we opened our first brickand-mortar store, Timber Lane Handcrafted Mercantile,” says Jen. “It’s also the home of Reading Table & Company. It has been wonderful. The woodshop is the lower level of our beautiful barn, and everything is made right there. We only use locally sourced, Pennsylvaniagrown, sustainable hardwoods.”

Importantly, she points out, “we finish all the cutting, charcuterie boards and utensils with an all-natural condition oil and a protective wax, so all our food items are food-safe, nontoxic, vegan and vegetarian.”

From Live-edge Wood Pieces to a Trendy Olive Oil Bar

Jen continues, “When we moved into the space, it was big enough to do more than just showcase our cutting boards and furniture. Now we have an upscale home décor store where we have florals, candles and a gourmet food section. We privatelabel our own virgin olive oil that’s naturally infused and have an olive oil tasting bar where you can try out all the olive oil and balsamic vinegar that we sell by the bottle.”

This business is the culmination of a dream, reflecting Chris’ longtime yearning to do creative woodworking. Jen reflects, “He’s always been doing woodworking from home. He’s made furniture and boards for family and friends, and we heard enough times, ‘This is beautiful. You could sell this!’ So here we are.”

Once the pair started asking if businesses wanted to carry their products, “literally everyone did.” Validation came full circle when a cheese company that’s been around for more than 80 years chose to carry their cutting boards, knives and charcuterie boards. “One of our biggest claims to fame is the fact that DiBruno Brothers of Philadelphia wanted to carry our boards in all five locations. That was really a big step for us.”

Article Courtesy of Berks County Living Magazine