WS Chronicle

Over five years ago, local chef and entrepreneur Shanta Faison set out on a journey to continue the culinary legacy left to her by her grandmother by marketing and selling a line of collard greens that would take consumers back to their own grandmothers’ kitchen with just one bite

After years of hard work, she’s doing just that, and the legacy of “Rosey Bloom’s” is here to stay.

Made with greens that are hand-picked and sourced by local farmers, every jar of  Rosey Bloom’s Collard Greens is made with the same passion and love that sets real soul food apart from all other cuisine without the guilt that comes with it. 

During an interview with The Chronicle, Faison said her grandmother, Rosetta L. Bloom, was a specialist in the kitchen whose homemade spices and fresh ingredients kept family and friends coming back for more. Born into a family of sharecroppers, Bloom learned the in’s-and-outs of the kitchen at an early age and as time passed her skills continued to evolve.

Even while she worked towards her degree at Winston-Salem Teacher’s College, Bloom continued to show a true love and passion for cooking.  Prior to passing away in the early ’90s, Bloom made sure to pass on the family recipes to Shanta, who took care of her after she fell ill.

Faison said although she was only in the fourth grade at the time, that’s when she fell in love with cooking.

“When she had the strength, she would come in the kitchen with a walker and show me how to cook. She would tell me to put this in that so basically she inspired me to start cooking because I wanted her food to be perfect because she couldn’t do it for herself,” Faison said.

Just as it happened with her grandmother, as time passed Faison’s love for cooking continued to grow, so much that she decided to pursue it full time. Faison started her career as the executive chief for Sundance Hotel and in 2006 she started her own catering company, KMS Catering. 

Although she spent time exploring other ventures, Faison said her plan has always been to sell and market her own food in stores. She said, “This is something that I’ve always wanted to do. I wanted to market the recipes but I just didn’t know how.

“I had my own ideas on how to get reviews and sell the collard greens but it was a lot more than that,” laughed Faison. “When I met someone who had their own line in stores, that’s when I started to learn how to get things moving.”

Faison said after sending off her request to the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 2013, she was finally approved earlier this year. She said it was well worth the wait. She said on the day of the pre-launch of Rosey Bloom’s, she could feel her grandmother’s spirit.

“When my grandmother was sick, we became like partners, and the day that we pre-launched, I could feel her spirit with me the whole day. She’s like my guardian angel,” continued Faison. “I felt like she was guiding things that whole day.”

After debuting Rosey Bloom’s at the Triad Minority & Women’s Business Expo last month, requests for Rosey Bloom’s have been rolling in. Faison said every day she receives requests for deliveries or to set-up pop-up shops at various locations across the city and Forsyth County.

“The response has been great. At the Minority Business Expo, we sold over 100 jars. I really haven’t had an opportunity to let it all soak in, but it feels great.”

While discussing the future of Rosey Bloom’s, Faison said the collard greens are just the beginning. She mentioned a white chocolate bread pudding, black-eyed peas, a vegan version of the greens and TV dinners.

“Rosey Bloom’s is the line; it’s not just collard greens.”

For more information on Rosey Bloom’s Collard Greens, visit www.roseyblooms.com.