Today we’d like to introduce you to Kendall Holmes.
Hi Kendall, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself
I started my food journey as a young twenty-something in Brooklyn. I really developed a curiosity for food preservation techniques like fermentation, pickling and curing when I started working at The Brooklyn Kitchen. The connections I made there led me to explore a lot of aspects of the food world, from food manufacturing to bartending. I love any food job where I can collect knowledge and apply it. It was during the pandemic where I had the time and desire to branch out entrepreneurially. It was in putting myself out there is how I met Sam and came to CinSoy.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
There are always struggles! Learning new skills, negotiating partnerships and co-worker relationships can be hard. However, the hardest part is always acquiring funds to get your projects going. And in general, the pay is low for food jobs, which is a shame, because in many food jobs you are required to bring your whole, mind, body and soul to a position. So there has always been a discrepancy between the love that one has for the job and the take home pay. I think people would give even more if they felt properly compensated. For the most part, my food career has been a labor of love, from teaching pickling classes to learning about wine, to cocktail bartending. Unfortunately, the root of most of my challenges has always been financial.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about CinSoy Foods?
I am the chief product developer at CinSoy Foods. We are a company in Cincinnati making soy sauce, miso, tofu and other delicious condiments. We use Ohio grown soybeans and maintain many local relationships with vendors and retailers. We are one of a handful of soy sauce producers in America, so it is pretty cool to be among the first to offer a newly American-made product! We are in a pretty strong growth pattern, hopefully on our way to becoming a household name.
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
Keep pushing! When it gets hard, remind yourself of your goals from when you first started. Do everything you can to get the best version of whatever you’re doing to the people who should have it, Finally, have patience and don’t get bogged down in the day. Always remember that you are building something!
Contact Info:
- Email: kendall@cinsoyfoods.com
- Website: www.cinsoyfoods.com
- Instagram: @cinsoy_foods
Image Credits
Aaron Conway
Kendall Holmes
