A Pittsburgh Mom Turned Her Kitchen Into a Classroom for Her Son With Autism

PHOTO BY PAM LUU

Melissa Terrell cried tears of joy at Barrel & Flow.

The chef and her 13-year-old son, Anthony, who was diagnosed with nonverbal autism at age 4, were at the August beer festival selling homemade apple butter, applesauce, banana pudding, jellies and baked goods.

“It was amazing! He did so well,” Terrell says. “He talked to people when they asked him questions about his menu, he offered them samples and discussed ingredients. A kid who couldn’t talk to me became a kid who realized he had purpose and value.”

Anthony, who is affectionately known as “Tugboat” or “Tug,” even offered refunds to customers who didn’t love the products.

No one wanted their money back. In fact, some paid for second helpings.

Tug Butter LLC is more than a business; it’s a teaching tool.

When Terrell, a single mother of three, was laid off from her job as a mental health worker during the pandemic, the family’s kitchen became a classroom. Tug, the youngest, was struggling to read, write and communicate, so Terrell turned simple recipes into life lessons.

PHOTO BY PAM LUU

Using poster board and markers, they made a snack chart and hung it on the wall. If Tug could read and then verbalize the things he wanted, he’d get them — but he’d have to lend a hand in their preparation. Popsicles made with puréed fruit and agave were a big hit, along with popcorn.

Soon, daily tantrums turned into delicious treats.

Tug began giving away jars of apple sauce to fellow members of Baptist Temple Church in Homewood. When demand for his handiwork skyrocketed, the congregation began donating money to help the family bolster the supply and add new items.

To enhance Tug’s skills, Terrell decided to go back to school to study culinary arts.

“Everything I was learning, I was learning very aggressively because I had a lot at stake,” she says. “It’s not about me being the world’s best chef; this is about me teaching my son a different skill in a different way. We were learning at the same time.”

Through her education and mama-bear tenacity, she earned the 2023 Gloria Pépin Memorial Grant from the Jacques Pépin Foundation and landed a job as production manager at Pittsburgh Public Schools, as well as back-of-the-house gigs in restaurants such as Braddock Public House.

With support from the community and organizations such as the Pittsburgh chapter of the American Culinary Federation, those in-home cooking tutorials turned into a full-blown catering business.

You can find Tug Butter goodies, including cobblers, pies and strawberry pretzel salad, online and at local events such as the 3rd Annual Homewood Island Block Party on Sept. 6.

On certain weekends, the pair put up their royal blue tent in the neighborhood at the corner of Sterrett and Idlewild streets.

As Terrell searches for an affordable commissary kitchen that can do double-duty as a training ground, she continues to work and pursue more culinary certifications. She wears an Autism Speaks puzzle piece on her chef’s coat and every jar of Tug Butter bears the colorful autism awareness ribbon.

PHOTO BY PAM LUU

Mother and son are gearing up for a busy holiday season filled with hand-delivered desserts. Although Terrell admits she experiences moments of sadness, fear and self-doubt, she believes it’s all worth it to watch Tug and his namesake company ride a wave of success.

Her advice to other parents?

“Keep moving,” she says. “I’m a huge advocate of ‘If there’s not a lane for them, create it.’ Our traditional and non-traditional kids have got to see what goodness looks like. If we are not the example for them, who’s it going to be?”