Today we’d like to introduce you to Makeda Blackwood.
Hi Makeda, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Greetings! I am a Jamaican native where the food is euphoric, flavourful and tasty. Growing up as a young child, whenever my father was in the kitchen, I followed right behind til it became a habit. In a way, I was his sous chef cutting vegetables, pre-making dishes and juicing. Cooking for me is an outlet to escape reality of cynical depression, it gives me a sense of peace and happiness knowing I can make something from scratch to a complete masterpiece.
Traveling to different countries/states and living in a city where there is a clash of cultures, it has influenced my way of cooking while still having that authenticity. There is a certain charm that is found only when enjoying quality food. Taking my talents further ahead, I created Keda’s Cuisine in 2018 as a catering company to share my talents with the community. What first started out as a hustle became a passion for me to pursue as a business. My goal is to keep you plugged into the food scene so you always have a new recipe to explore and taste and my long term goal is to open a restaurant.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
Nothing that you want comes easy and life is a journey. Some struggles I faced were internally. Dealing with depression/suicidal thoughts can cause havoc when owning a small business. There’s one minute I feel I am doing good and another where I feel like I am not doing enough especially being a perfectionist. It is a struggle to mentally keep yourself going/having positive thoughts when the environment you’re in is not healthy. I often doubt my self because of insecurities I never dealt with and childhood trauma I’m trying to overcome.
When I first started my business, it was a hustle to get quick cash to pay off bills. As time continued, I realized I could turn this hustle I am great at into a legit business while creating a legacy for myself. It was difficult in the beginning starting with little to no support at times. People who I thought would support me, didn’t. I took it personally and wondered why people who I have always supported/showed up/showed love to could not reciprocate the same energy. It had me questioning myself should I even continue with this business, but someone once told me, “don’t look for family and friends to support you, they are not your audience; the right people will put you in a position where you won’t ever need to look for them to support”.
Other struggles I faced were not having the enough funds/proper marketing to make everything look like a proper business, so I would procrastinate a lot. In reality, JUST DO IT whether you have it all or not. Once I started doing that, blessings started to flow and new ideas came about. Seeing the growth over time makes the journey sweeter. I still can’t believe I started out selling plates for $7 because I wanted to appeal to the public and please everyone. One thing I have learned with my business is to know my worth then add tax.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Keda’s Cuisine?
Keda’s Cuisine is dedicated to providing organically fresh and halal, made to order Jamaican/Caribbean- American food and catering services. I am most known for my Jamaican dishes and oxtail; in my personal opinion I am top 5 in the city. My authenticity, quality ingredients and service is what sets me apart from others. I take time into creating my dishes. I like to do research on different ingredients on what’s real and what isn’t. I grew up in a country where the food isn’t genetically modified, ground provision were harvested properly, animals were fed/taken care of, so I can taste/notice when food isn’t right. I am also not afraid to step out my comfort zone, I once had a client that wanted Asian cuisine and that was something very new to me.
My cousin actually pushed me to take that job and believed in me that I could satisfy these people. I went on YouTube, looked up recipes, went into Asian restaurants ate and asked questions about their dishes. I thought I didn’t do a good job since it was something I didn’t specialize in, but after their raging reviews on how good the food was and generous tip, it boosted my confidence. Brand wise, I am proud of my growth and expansion. I first started out selling plates, then being a food vendor at different events to catering services to being hired as a personal chef. I offer personal/private chef and catering services, meal preps, natural/detox juices and in the future cookbooks & kitchenware.
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
I like that Houston is a melting pot of different cultures. There’s always a new restaurant to try like you could NEVER be hungry living here, there are too many options. What I don’t like about the city is construction everywhere, the humidity and some of the politic laws/views that keep people controlled, it is truly aggravating.
Pricing:
- Personal /Private Chef starting rate $250
- Meal Preps $125 – $350
- Natural/Detox Juices Pack $45-$60
Contact Info:
- Email: kedascuisine@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kedascuisine/?utm_medium=copy_link
Image Credits
Imani Sawyer (@xobm0nss_)
