Updates from Erin’s Elderberries
Written by Sarah Hickner | Photos by Shannon Ayres
When Erin Mann was told by an allergist that she could do nothing to help her ailing son, she took it as a challenge. The former FBI intelligence analyst turned stay-at-home mom immersed herself in research. She scoured medical journals, dug deep into online sources, and took a shot at creating her own natural remedy of elderberries and honey.
A few months later, her son’s nightly dose of the syrup paid off. The allergist declared his once “sickly” lungs healthy and released him from treatment. Mann, who had long struggled with ulcerative colitis, also experienced unexpected relief. After six months on her homemade elderberry syrup, she was able to stop her usual cocktail of medications, and her flare-ups disappeared.
Mann shared her story with a group of moms on social media, and soon orders were coming in from across the country. “I really just wanted to help people,” she says. “It was never about profit. It’s always been about helping people.” That mission drove her to form a syrup donation program for families with children battling pediatric cancer.
The early days of Erin’s Elderberries were spent at local farmers markets. As demand grew, she hired other moms wanting weekend work and eventually expanded to selling at three markets simultaneously.
At these farmers markets, Mann was meeting other business owners like herself who had created a product to solve a problem in their life and eventually turned it into a business. One vendor had started a candle company for his wife, who loved candles but was allergic to most found in stores; another, a 13-year-old boy, founded a fishing apparel company to combine his interests and raise money for his future.
These business owners were passionate and hard-working, but struggled with the process of getting their wares into retail shops.
A Store for the Community
Erin Mann had found another problem she could solve. She opened a brick-and-mortar location, Erin’s Elderberries, to sell her wares but also provide a retail space for other small businesses and bring jobs to the community. Her store is nestled between Vint Hill and Brookside in Warrenton, just a few doors down from her home. But she didn’t stop there.
As a mom, she knew the pressure many parents feel when shopping with little ones. The stress of tiny hands touching the wrong things or drawing judgmental looks takes the fun out of an outing. Mann wanted to remove that barrier entirely. “The kids’ space was designed first,” she explains. “The rest of the store was built around it.” The kid-friendly section offers room to play, giving parents the freedom to browse locally made products without stress.
Her charming, 1,700-square-foot shop represents more than 65 hyperlocal businesses and well over 100 small Virginia businesses. Every element of the store, from the layout to the products, and even the recently added coffee area, was chosen with purpose and care.
Gathering Encouraged
But Mann wanted more than a store; she wanted a place and a reason for the community to come together.
Mann’s team hosts beloved annual celebrations like a National Night Out, Trunk-or-Treat Boo Bash, and the Candy Cane Christmas at Erin’s Elderberries. Because the shop sits at the corner of a sprawling park, events often spill outdoors, drawing families to enjoy s’mores, hot chocolate, rock walls, balloon animals, craft tables, and even visits from Elsa, Anna, and Santa.
In true Mann fashion, every event is 100% free. “Every glass of lemonade, every balloon animal, everything you see,” she says. “We want every family to come without worrying about cost.”
Local sponsors not only donate, but also volunteer to keep these events accessible. This gives companies a chance to support their neighbors and build relationships along the way.
Education for All
Mann has always had a heart for helping others, and this past April, with the help of a board of directors, she launched a nonprofit, Bee the Community. The mission is simple but powerful: provide education and opportunity to anyone who needs it.
The first scholarship went to a young man who needed aid to finish his final semester of college. The scholarship was presented at the National Night Out event. Another project helped a single mother return to nursing school to complete her degree. It’s exactly the kind of tangible, life-changing work Mann envisioned that the Bee the Community board has helped bring to life.
“I wanted to create something that provided education for anyone,” she says. “That’s always been the dream.”
It’s been a busy year for Mann. She created The Kitchen at Vint Hill, the county’s first commissary kitchen supporting small food businesses, and she also celebrated the publication of her first book. Mann lives in Warrenton with her husband, Craig, and their son, Lucas — the inspiration for Erin’s Elderberries and the driving force behind all that has emerged from it. ML
Published in the January 2026 issue of Middleburg Life.