Plant-Based Food Entrepreneur Brings Vegan Options to Classic Comfort Food Dishes

Better for your health and better for the environment is the lesson Amanda Courtney Powell, founder of GRDN KTCHN, hopes to convey to customers across Connecticut.

GRDN KTCHN (pronounced garden kitchen), creates delicious vegan dishes inspired by the meals Powell enjoyed most while growing up in her African American household in Bridgeport, CT. Her focus with the just-launched business is on creating vegan/plant-based recipes for classic soul and comfort food dishes.

Powell made her transition to a vegan lifestyle four years ago after watching a variety of documentaries illustrating the harm from the meat industry not only on our health, but on the environment as well. While Powell was dedicated to eating a vegan diet, she found herself fed up with the limited options available.

Inspired by her own struggles to find alternatives to her favorite foods, Powell began creating recipes for soul and comfort food dishes using vegan and plant-based ingredients. Powell explains her goal in starting GRDN KTCHN was not only to create more food options to make transitioning to a vegan diet easier, but also to show people of color, like herself, that they can enjoy many of the same foods they love, using a plant-based recipe.

Powell launched GRDN KTCHN in April of 2020, with a plan to sell her plant-based soul food inspired dishes at local pop-ups and vendor/catering events. The vegan food company cooked at their first pop-up event in May of 2020 at the Café at Fifty-Five at Hands on Hartford.  

In an effort to reach more vegan customers, or customers interested in trying vegan recipes, Powell grew her social media following on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and TikTok by posting mouthwatering photos and videos of her dishes, and information regarding upcoming pop-up events.

Following the launch of GRDN KTCHN, Powell was contacted by one of her followers encouraging her to apply to reSET’s Food Incubator Program. After considering the aspirations she has for growing her business, Powell decided to follow through with her application and was accepted into the program this year.

Powell elected to apply in order to gain necessary experience and expert guidance. The Hartford-based program is designed to support entrepreneurs with a passion for food, culinary skill and a viable food business idea by connecting them with mentors and resources to create and build a sustainable food business.

Powell explains that her favorite part of owning and operating GRDN KTCHN is the experience of interacting with her customers at pop-up events and hearing their reasons for trying her dishes. With the goal of educating the community on the benefits of a vegan diet for health and environmental reasons, Powell seeks to prove to her customers that a vegan diet does not need to mean sacrificing their favorite foods or tasty flavors.

“It is healthier, more environmentally friendly way of eating that you can still enjoy. All the same foods you love, but vegan. It is better for you, better for the earth,” says Powell on why creating dishes that make transitioning to a vegan diet easier and just as enjoyable is at the heart of her business.

Connecticut residents can look forward to seeing GRDN KTCHN at Spruce Street Market in Manchester, August 4 and 13. A menu for this event will be released soon; for the latest updates on menu’s, locations and recipes follow GRDN KTCHN on social media, or visit their website:  grdnktchn.square.site.

Looking ahead, Powell aspires to continue expanding GRDN KTCHN and reaching more customers, locally and beyond. Her next step is to get a food truck, which would allow her to travel to more places, bring her dishes to customers all over Connecticut and cater to a larger customer base looking to try delicious vegan alternatives to their favorite comfort food dishes 

She is also looking to connect with more people in the food industry, which could bring opportunities to use unoccupied kitchen space, or restaurant owners that would be interested in having her as a pop-up chef for a limited time vegan menu.

Eventually, Powell hopes to secure a physical location for GRDN KTCHN which would allow for an even larger menu and a consistent location for new and existing customers to enjoy her delicious vegan/plant-based dishes.

As reSET’s 12-week program neared its conclusion, Powell’s mission to create vegan/plant-based soul and comfort food dishes to make transitioning to a vegan diet easier ultimately won GRDN KTCHN first place in the 2021 Food Incubator Pitch Event. Powell pitched against 15 other local food start-ups participating in the program and as the winner she received a cash prize of $300, which Powell explains will be put towards equipment and furthering her education about the food industry.

“Winning first place for the Audience Choice Award is validation. It’s validation that I’m on the right track. It feels great to know that so many other people believe in and support me and my vision for GRDN KTCHN,” says Powell.

reSET’s Food Incubator Program collaborates with Hands on Hartford and reSET to help food entrepreneurs be connected with mentors and resources to make their sustainable food business a success. This year’s program focused on what it takes to create a strong, agile business that can adapt to the changing times of the COVID era, according to reSET’s leaders. reSET assists more than 205 entrepreneurs each year through a variety of programs, events and mentoring opportunities. You can learn more about reSET and the Food Incubator Program at www.resetco.org.

This article was reported and written by Lauren Malenchini, a CT by the Numbers intern who attends Quinnipiac University. More of her work can be seen at https://malenchinilauren.wixsite.com/my-site