Creating her own lane
Here in Winston-Salem, the name Hardesty is synonymous with good eatin’.
Since 1983, the Hardestys have owned and operated Forsyth Seafood, a market and take-out grill located on the corner of Hardesty Lane and Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
While continuing to build on the foundation laid by her parents Charles and Virginia, Ashley Hardesty is looking to make a name for herself in the Twin City as well.
After graduating from N.C. State University in 2013, where she studied fashion textile management and brand management, Hardesty followed in her parent’s restaurateur footsteps and became co-owner and marketing and visual coordinator at Forsyth Seafood.
As if managing a staff of 20 employees isn’t enough, Hardesty is also the founder and curator of The Table Experience, a farm to table dinner party company specializing in organic meals and nutritional education.
An excerpt on The Table Experience social media post reads “…organic and locally-sourced products, close farmer relationships, and one-of-a-kind services make coming to dinner with us one of the best dinner parties in Winston!”
According to Hardesty, The Table Experience is designed to give people in Winston-Salem the opportunity to explore food curators and farmers right in the Triad area. Along with the four course meal, Hardesty provides information on where the ingredients came from and how to get in contact with local farmers.
Hardesty who is a certified nutritional coach said she got the idea for The Table Experience after traveling to other countries and tasting different types of food. She also mentioned the importance of getting people of color in our community to eat healthier.
“After traveling to 12 different countries in one year I started to think I can start something in my own city,” Hardesty said. “My parents always talked about the importance of giving back to my community so that’s what I wanted to do.
“…I felt that it was very important to show people in our community, especially people of color that there are healthy alternatives.”
After only a year in business the community is taking notice to what Hardesty has been doing. On Saturday, March 24, Hardesty was awarded the Young Professional Award during The Chronicle’s 33rd Annual Community Service Awards.
During a brief interview with The Chronicle, Hardesty said she was honored to receive the award. She said, “It let’s me know that even when you think people aren’t watching they are. It was truly an honor to be recognized.”
