Today we’d like to introduce you to Morris Jackson II.
Hi Morris, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
As almost every chef will tell you, I’ve always been in love with food. I grew up in the south (Jacksonville FL, Lawrenceville GA) with a family that loves to cook. Growing up, my parents would throw card parties with spreads that would put the average thanksgiving meal to shame! My late grandfather Marvin Jackson is most definitely my biggest inspiration to be an entrepreneur, he owned a landscaping company in Jacksonville and can’t remember him ever complaining about a single day of hard work in the hot Florida sun.
My Culinary Career started with an industry-certified course which I graduated from in 2012 at Grayson Technical High School. This is the only culinary “schooling” I received, any other training I’ve gotten has been on site under some of Atlanta’s best Chefs in the multitude of kitchens I’ve been in, cookbooks, or YouTube university.
Restaurant Resume
Graft 2012-2014- linecook
Hi Life 2014-2016-linecook
Noble Fin 2016-2017-sous chef
Iberian Pig 2018-2019-sous chef
Bar Mercad0 2019-2020-sous chef
Gunshow 2020-linecook
HD PREP 2020-present-Chef/Owner
I’m having a hard time pinpointing what got me to this point because I have such a long way to go. Consistency, dedication, competitive nature, refusal to fail are some of the qualities I’ve learned to work on in order to keep advancing forward in my culinary career.
I started HD PREP in the midst of the pandemic while health was and still is on the forefront of everyone’s lives. Food is essential for everyone, unfortunately for the majority of Americans food is the source of so many problems (Obesity, Diabetes, Hypertension, stroke, sciatica, depression, sleep apnea and the list go on). I personally wanted to change the way I ate to improve my overall health and being a chef the next step to turn that desire into a business almost came naturally. Now I have the privilege of providing healthy and delicious meals to the city of Atlanta!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I wouldn’t say smooth road. I started my company while unemployed and as I’ve come to learn running a business is very expensive so making ends meet is a struggle. About eight months in, I had no sales for three weeks straight, so we had to transition into more catering events and Pop ups (Thank You Three Taverns Brewing and RoundTrip Brewing) to make up for the low meal prep sales.
It comes with the territory, but the long days aren’t always easy to manage either (80-90 hour work weeks).
We’ve been impressed with HD PREP, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Our mission here at HD PREP is to provide convenient Healthy & Delicious food to the city of Atlanta, GA. Now more than ever, health is at the forefront of all of our minds. With two epidemics (type 2 diabetes and obesity) crippling the world, I wanted to find a way to change people’s outcomes for the better. Simply, a positive change in diet can help reduce or eliminate the chances of getting such diseases. Although a double cheeseburger, fries, sweet tea, and dessert under $15 seems hard to pass up, it’s not for your health. With HD Prep, you get Chef-inspired, affordable, and balanced meals delivered directly to your door. Convenience is key when changing your lifestyle for the better. With our prep and delivery system, it’s easy to stay on track and have confidence that what you’re putting in your body will be Healthy & Delicious.
HD PREP meals are “ready to eat” and delivered to your door. We’ve built relationships with many Georgia farmers, so we only use the freshest ingredients available. Order your weekly meals on our website www.hdprep.net, deadline for orders are Saturdays 11:59pm for Tuesday’s delivery.
I’m most proud of the fact that we’ve expanded into the Pop Up scene throughout Atlanta in such a short amount of time. All the work put in so far is validated whenever I hear customers ask, “when are you opening a brick and mortar?”
What makes you happy?
Good Food Competitive Madden matches or honestly any game or sport
Cycling
Pricing:
- 8-19
Contact Info:
- Email: healthydeliciousprep@gmail.com
- Website: www.hdprep.net
- Instagram: chef_jackson
