Photo by Ruta Smith

Mind, Body, Soul

Fairy Fresh Food founder Shaquille Fontenot is gearing up for the launch of a new plant-based product line, part of the meal service company’s shift from weekly deliveries to a more broad focus on holistic wellness. 

“I’m constantly switching it up — my model, my menu, my life. You have to adapt,” Fontenot told the City Paper last year, shortly after the launch of her plant-based meal prep service that she hoped would make healthy eating fun and accessible. 

This business strategy came in handy at the onset of the pandemic when Fontenot realized it would be challenging to safely continue making weekly deliveries. 

“We stopped doing deliveries March 13, but we still have some of our clients doing private dining,” Fontenot said. “We will have private dining, catering and our product line starting next month.” 

Fontenot said the new line will help customers recreate Fairy Fresh Food meals at home, with vegan products like green chili mac and “cheez” mix, seasoning blends, tea and infused herbal olive oils. Items will be available a la carte or you can opt for a subscription box that will be filled with a variety of all-vegan snacks and ingredients that’s delivered to your doorstep. 

Fairy Fresh Foods’ shift falls in line with a new approach that aims to help individuals curate their own experience and “be the hero of their own story,” Fontenot said. 

“We are trying to take a wider wellness lense and wanted to engage people on a deeper level,” she said. “Mind, body, spirit — not just food.” 

Fairy Fresh Foods is delivering on this mission through a mini-interview series that launched in September. Chefs, physical therapists and mental health experts have shared their stories and insights with Fontenot, who posts them on the Fairy Fresh Foods Instagram. 

Past interviews have been with guests like Blake Banner, who specializes in reiki, a Japanese form of energy healing, and Tasha Robinson, a certified raw vegan chef and vegan nutrition specialist. The most recent interview was with Dream on Youth founder Sydney Irby, who focused on intersectional feminism, inclusivity and alleviating the mental health stigma. Fairy Fresh followers are encouraged to read the short format interviews before visiting each guest’s website or blog for more information. 

The interviews are short and sweet, but that’s by design. Fontenot hopes they inspire people to take an active role in their wellness journey and will continue to do the interviews for the foreseeable future.  

“This is a way to bring the resources to the community more directly, and it also fosters additional collaboration,” Fontenot said. “Our goal is to help people see examples of people unlocking the body’s fullest potential.”  

Fairy Fresh Foods product line and new website will launch before the end of 2020. For more information, follow @fairyfreshfoods on Instagram or send an email to info@fairyfreshfoods.com. 


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