Meet Tanya Rice-Berry of CookingTravelingTye in Decatur

Today we’d like to introduce you to Tanya Rice-Berry.

Tanya, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Well, my story begins with me spending summers in Savannah, Georgia, with my grandparents. My grandmother is an amazing cook and my grandfather had an amazing green thumb he could grow anything in his garden and he was a fisherman. Growing up I spent my summers helping my grandmother in the kitchen and enjoying fresh seafood that my grandfather would catch. The food turned into a form of art for me at a very young age. I love savory southern food. I decided to develop a media outlet to display my passion for food. My heart is into cooking as well. I didn’t realize there is a whole community of Foodies that share my same passion! I was so excited to share and display all my foodie adventures.

I started this adventure a little over a year ago. And I am so appreciative of all the positive feedback and support. Another passion of mines is traveling. So far, I have traveled to The Bahamas, Dominican Republic, Mexico, The Grand Turk Islands, Texas, Florida, Tennessee, Mississippi, South Carolina, New Orleans and the list goes on but for me food and traveling go hand in hand. I was only able to travel outside of the country once this year due to COVID-19 huge disappointment. This pandemic has forced us all to adapt to the new normal. With traveling and restaurants, well really the whole country shutting down, I had to figure out a different way of expressing my art. I would always talk about starting a garden and I thought how cool it would be to see if I had my grandfather’s green thumb. Well, I did just that I dig up a small corner of my backyard, put bricks around it and started planting seeds.

I enjoy YouTube so I just went on there and watched a few gardening videos and my garden turned out to be a huge success, especially for it being my first garden. I had cucumbers, tomatoes, squash, basil, strawberries, blackberries, green bell peppers, and lavender. I also planted a few flowers like sunflowers, roses, hibiscus, and hydrangeas. Of course, the seeds do not grow overnight and I had more than enough time on my hands during our quarantine period so I decided to make my own organic whipped shea butters for about three years now and I kept getting compliments on how clear my skin is I wanted to share with the world what I use woot woot! And just like that, I became a small business owner! I have received so much support on all my platforms it has been so fabulous! It has really been a wild year but I just flutter my positive vibes like a butterfly. 

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It hasn’t been an easy road. I struggled with what I was expecting from this business. I struggled with staying consistent. I struggled with second-guessing myself. I realize you just have to cast all fears aside. Stay true to yourself. And don’t forget to have fun.

We’d love to hear more about CookingTravelingTye.
My business started out with just me showcasing my love for food it then turned into digital photography. Once the country shut down, I could no longer showcase restaurants or their food so I started my own business venture. I now sell skincare products.

Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
I’d have to say my mom, my children, and my husband deserve credit for supporting me, encouraging me, pushing me, and believing in me. It has really made a huge difference.

Pricing:

• Body Butter $10 plus shipping

Contact Info:

• Website: linktr.ee/cookingtravelingtye
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/cookingtravelingtye

Image Credit:
Tanya Rice-Berry

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