Page 30 - Feast_Vol3

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