Today we’d like to introduce you to Stacey West.
Stacey, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I have always loved cooking both of my parents were from the south so Southern cooking was in my DNA. I recently graduated with high honors from Le Cordon Bleu in Atlanta. I have worked at the Hill in Serenbe with Chef Hilary. I have also worked with a few top chefs here in the Atlanta Metro area. My business is now centered on Suga’s Pimento Cheeses. Pimento cheese started when we did Sunday brunches at a local restaurant. The customers loved grits with pimento cheese. Due to the demand we started making the original and spicy pimento cheeses. We started selling in our 1st farmers market in our town of Powder Springs. We have now branched out into 5 markets and more coming in the spring.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has not been a smooth road, the struggles of life were working full-time, going to school full-time, attending outside culinary activities and taking care of family and household. By my side was a strong, brilliant, praying man; my husband. He keeps pushing me to be better and to keep going. I have this saying above my desk at work, “To have a dream is hard to live a dream is harder.” I know every day that this dream of having my own business, working with food and people is a dream come true.
Suga’s Enterprises – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Suga’s Enterprise LLC is our company, which is operated by me as the CEO and my partner and husband operates as CFO, Suga’s is the umbrella in which many other businesses will come under. One of our 1st businesses is Suga’s Pimento Cheese. Pimento Cheese is known as “the caviar of the South”. I want Suga’s Pimento Cheese to be the best caviar in the South. I am most proud as a company for our local connection to the community and making a top quality local product. What sets us apart is the quality of our product, we use fresh ingredients and when possible local ingredients from local farmers. We also make 8 varieties and counting of Pimento Cheeses.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
My proudest moments are when people love the foods I prepare. Relative to the Pimento Cheeses, I love when children shout this is the best cheese ever. I feel so proud when people who claim they hate, I mean really hate Pimento Cheese, they try Suga’s Pimento Cheeses and wind up buying 3. I have many proud moments such as these and as my journey is really just beginning, I hope to have many more such moments.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.sugasfood.com
- Email: chefsuga@sugasfood.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chef_suga/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Sugas.Food/
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