Today we’d like to introduce you to Emerald Thomas.
Emerald, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I was diagnosed with Hashimotos Thyroid disease, gluten intolerance, and food allergies. I was faced with a major challenge when I discovered that I had to change my lifestyle and my diet. I began to miss eating the foods that I came to love such as soul food, peach cobbler, tea cakes, and more. I couldn’t eat many of the foods at my family functions because no one knew how to make them gluten and dairy-free. One day, I became tired of being hungry and I began to convert family recipes to gluten and dairy-free to satisfy my cravings. Friends and family began to ask me to make desserts for them, and that is how Southern Belle Remix came to be. The name Southern Belle Remix comes from me being a Southern Belle, a graduate of Southern University, and remixing my lifestyle. I enjoy building my business and spending time with my husband and sons.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It has not been a smooth road for me. Southern Belle Remix started as a blog. I worked on converting our family recipes for Thanksgiving and my mom passed away soon after. About two weeks after my mom’s funeral, my grandmother passed away. It was the most difficult time in my life and it was hard to continue. I found out that I was pregnant which motivated me to continue. My husband is one of my biggest supporters. We built this business from nothing. There were times when people looked at me and said things like “Black people don’t eat gluten-free foods” or “Black people don’t have celiac disease”. However, the growth of my business has proven that they are wrong. People of all ages and races have different health issues that prevent them from eating certain foods.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
I focus on gluten and dairy-free goodies such as cookies, tea cakes, oatmeal cream pies, brownies, cupcakes, and more. I also make vegan and allergy-friendly options such as apple pie, pralines, and lemon meringue pie. I am known for my brownies and oatmeal cream pies. I am proud of the fact that I make people smile when they eat my goodies. People are so surprised when they taste good. One of my favorite reactions was hearing a customer say, “D@*n that’s good”. The thing that sets me apart from others is that I focus on creating clean, allergy-friendly foods that taste like something your grandmother would make.
What were you like growing up?
I grew up in Beaumont, Texas. I am the youngest of two, but I’m my big brother’s little big sister. I have always been the type of person who stood for what I believed in, even when it meant that I had to stand alone. I have always had a love for baking and trying new things in the kitchen. I’m not surprised that I did something unconventional by starting an allergy-friendly bakery because I go after what I believe in.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.southernbelleremix.com
- Email: emerald@southernbelleremix.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernbelleremix
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SouthernBelleRemix/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/SBelleRemix
Image Credit:
@Sarahroyphotography – picture with 1 shoulder aqua outfit
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