Today we’d like to introduce you to Shawnte Jackson.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I have always had a love and appreciation for food. At a young age, I would mix ingredients together that my family couldn’t quite understand. The outcome was always amazing! I also enjoy how food can bring people together. I remember when I got my first apartment and worked to get to know my neighbors; it was always food that helped me introduce myself. It wasn’t until I met my husband that I realized I had a hidden gift. I grew up eating different cuisines and was always encouraged to try new foods. My husband was the complete opposite. I had to get very creative to introduce him to the food that I grew up eating. Through this, I began to study herbs and spices and how they complement a dish. My pallet and sense of smell seemed to have an automatic understanding of what a dish should taste and smell like.
Through the years, I have worked to study different cuisines and how to create something of my own with the basic knowledge of ingredients. I was glued to Food Network and anything similar. Anytime I try a dish at a restaurant I would always pay close attention to what I could taste and rushed to re-create it in my own style. As my skill grew, I began to see a plate as a canvas. I wanted to paint a plate with beautiful colors using food. Being able to plate a beautiful dish grew a passion inside that I never knew was there. I knew that I was meant to be a chef.
In 2018, tragedy struck, and I was forced to stop cooking. I had an undiagnosed heart condition that led to Afib, and I was in the hospital for almost a month. I developed seizures that were debilitating. I didn’t know if I would ever be able to work or cook again. I used this time to go back to school for business and project management as I was told I probably would not be able to work again. I refused to accept those words, turned to my faith and love for God, and decided I would start my own business. I worked hard to learn business basics and started my LLC (Trinity Sourced, LLC) in 2021. I began doing small jobs as a private chef once a every few months. As my faith grew, so did the business. I realized that it was more than just being able to cook good food; I had to connect with people.
I quickly realized that there is a large demographic who cannot afford the experience of a private chef or caterer. I felt led to bridge that gap. I wanted to be different and cater to people in more ways than providing food. I wanted to provide an experience. Royal Signature Foods was built to cater to the needs of people, not an event. This means developing a staff as well as gaining clients. I see a great future for RSF, and it will be different than anything that currently exists. As a private chef, I can reach many, however, as a catering company I can reach a multitude. My prayer is to grow to a brick-and-mortar and hire who society says is unhirable, after all, I was told I would not be able to work again. RSF provides experiences that money cannot buy. The food is actually the bonus. I hope to be able to motivate others with a disability that nothing is out of reach. Dreams become vision, vision becomes purpose, and purpose becomes reality.
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?
Being a chef during the pandemic was intimidating. Competing with restaurants that received funding to remain operational kind of left me clinging to hope. Only being able to cooking for a limited number of guests as a private chef makes it hard to expand the business. Having a commercial kitchen for the business will allow for the expansion into being a caterer. It can be discouraging at times when I see the numbers on paper; however, I never lose hope for what will be. I still struggle with epilepsy to this day, which does limit how many events I can provide services to. This grows my hunger for a brick-mortar even more so that I can have staff to depend on when I am not at my best.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next, you can tell us a bit more about your business.
Custom private chef experience meant to cater to the needs of people and not just their event.
Do you have any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
My greatest childhood memory would have to be working with my mother in a restaurant in my hometown. My mother and the owner were good friends, and he would let me work for two days a week in the kitchen at the age of 9. It was a very small mom-and-pop rib shack. I cooked all the burgers to order as well as frying the mozzarella sticks. I felt so proud and accomplished to be trusted with this small responsibility.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.trinitysourced.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/royal_signature_foods/
