Today we’d like to introduce you to Drexler B. James.
Hi Drexler, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I consider cooking and my love of food to be a gift from my late father. He instilled a deep love for cooking and trying different foods and flavor profiles when I was in high school and it was my way of connecting with him – trying new restaurants when he came to visit me in Orlando, sharing different recipes I found online, cooking meals that he loved. When he died in mid-2019, I used cooking and food to deal with my grief. At the same time, I was also working to lose weight and found that the biggest key to my weight-loss success was eating healthier. After a 9-month transformation, when people asked what I did, I told them that changing how I ate changed everything. I began to blend my love for food with my interest and a basic understanding of healthier eating together and began cooking more healthy meals. My friends saw my plates and asked if I would cook for them. I soon realized how much I loved cooking for other people, especially healthier meals blew people’s perspectives of “healthy eating.” I began adding healthy twists, flavors and substitutions to create familiar and delicious dishes that would present a healthier option for people. From there, “About The Love of Food” was born.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
Starting a business is never easy. Starting “About The Love of Food” as an official LLC in the midst of a pandemic added an additional set of challenges, with adding public health and safety into the equation. Learning how to conduct a business as an individual (for now) while trying to balance everything else I have on my plate has been a challenging, but growing experience. There are challenges I face some days and some moments, and a lot of growing and learning moments, from marketing to budgeting to business management, but when I see people enjoying my meals and realizing that they can eat good food that’s good for them, that fills me with pride and encourages me to keep going.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
About The Love of Food offers healthy(ish), budget-friendly comfort food. We prepare individual meal prep dishes and family dinners I call it “healthy(ish) food” because it’s familiar, comfort food with small changes, tweaks and adjustments to make it a little bit healthier but still delicious and enjoyable. I want to break the mentality that healthy food is dry and boring. About The Love of Food takes a different approach with our services. Instead of presenting already prepared options, clients can view the rotating menu, which changes every few weeks, and build their own meals as they desire, selecting their entrees, sides, desserts and breakfast options and paying for the meals they build. I am proud to present healthier alternatives to classic meals to people in Central Florida that people would often order from other meal prep companies or restaurants, but also present them at prices that don’t break the bank. We don’t sacrifice flavor or quality, especially when trying to eat healthily!
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
There is such a focus now on eating better. Many people are transitioning to various eating patterns, such as vegan, vegetarian, keto, etc. It’s important for companies to continue to address these changing and shifting healthy eating lifestyle changes (I don’t like the word diet because it sounds restrictive), and open people’s minds to see how they can still enjoy some of their favorite foods in new and healthier ways. I want my company to stand in the gap, providing healthier options, but also give people the power to decide how they approach healthy eating by not feeling restricted and feel like they are losing their favorite meals. I hope to see my company continue to grow and expand and reach a place where I can ship orders statewide (or even nationwide). I’m also working on a cookbook and would love to also to give back to my community by teaching healthy cooking/eating classes.
Contact Info:
- Email: drexler@abouttheloveoffood.com
- Website: https://www.abouttheloveoffood.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_loveoffood/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/abouttheloveoffood
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/loveoffood5
Image Credits
Personal Photo taken by SteadyView Photography
