Basic HTML Version

|  | Table of Contents |  | View Full Version

Page 30 - Feast_Vol3
P. 30

    Meet me at
           FEAST!

           By Kelli Boylen

           At the first FEAST! Local Foods Marketplace in 2014, vendors
           varied from established local foodmakers looking for a bigger
           market share to those with a kernel of an idea ready to pop
           but unsure where it would land. As FEAST! has grown and
           fine-tuned its offerings, many of its foodmakers have done the
           same. We checked in with four vendors to learn more about
           their products and how gathering at the annual marketplace

           has helped them grow.

           West Indies Soul Food

           St. Paul, Minn.
           westindiessoul.com
           Growing with FEAST! since 2018
                                                                   and tangy blend with savory qualities to enhance any entree;
           West Indies Soul Food wants to improve your next meal! For   Caribbean Flavor Hot Pepper Sauce, frequently used by her
           more than 30 years, Sharon Richards-Noel, head chef and   catering service to add spicy kick to rice dishes; and Not Only
           owner, has brought flavorful eats to the Twin Cities.   Jamaican Jerk Sauce, a fiery-hot, local favorite that “pairs
              Raised in Port of Spain, the capital city of Trinidad,   beautifully with meats, eggs, veggies and seafood.”
           Sharon was surrounded by “multicultural Caribbean character   Sharon premiered her sauces at FEAST! in 2018 after
           and the homegrown calypso soundtrack of the West Indies.”   hearing it might help increase sales. Her all-natural, gluten-
           She moved to Minnesota in 1982 and immediately started   free sauces were a great fit, and she experienced first-hand
           sharing her love of Caribbean cuisine.                  the strong demand for vegan and vegetarian-friendly items.
              “At the time, I was married, and we had a vision with   “I gained more leads on where I can sell my sauces, met new
           another couple to open up a catering business and offer good   distributors, and found a new customer base,” says Sharon.
           quality, healthy, authentic food. We had the same vision and all   These days, you can find her sauces in the Twin Cities at
           made it happen,” Sharon recalls.                        Mississippi Market and The Wedge Co-ops, at the HyVee in
              In 2014, West Indies Soul Food started selling three bold,   Owatonna, Minn., and on her website, where you’re invited to
           spicy sauces: Better Be Quiet Bar-B-QUE Sauce, a sweet   transform your meals into “dat real Island delight!”
         30  FEAST! Local Foods Magazine

| 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 |