WellGood gets good reception as Grace Food Festival excites taste buds

On the fast track to becoming a household name, as far as essential cooking ingredients are concerned, WellGood made a tasty debut at the first-ever Grace Food Festival on Saturday afternoon.

Made with love by co-founder and restaurateur, Kamila McDonald, the plant-based, dairy-free foods were perched on a fabulous display in her designated tent at the Hope Botanical Gardens. She greeted many with a vibrant smile to match the day’s radiant sunshine and was excited to introduce the Chz, walnut and lentil meat substitute and yoghurt.

Receiving great feedback, she tells Food, “Grace is such a huge inspiration to me. So I was excited to be a part of this showcase. The reception so far has been great. The yoghurts were literally flying off the shelves and I’m happy that people are opening their palates and gravitating towards wholesome living.”

Her inspiration for creating these tasty products stemmed from her daughter’s food sensitivities. “As a parent, with [a child] who has allergies, I did some research and realised that there are a lot of people who have allergies. So [for] products like cheese and yoghurt, these are great options for you. And I feel proud to offer these products and make the dishes enjoyable, in our kitchen and in yours as well.”

Currently available at the Organic Whole Foods Store in Orchid Plaza in Kingston, food lovers can also experience the rich taste at Kamila’s Kitchen in Marketplace. “I listen to my customers and try to create what people need. So we are continuing to bottle and package what is up in the kitchen. Our pizzas are one of our most popular items on our menu, using vegan cheese. We are looking to branch out into sauces, smoothie packs [and] burgers and we are even looking into doing pizza too. We are also working on a protein powder for those who are into fitness as well.”

Additionally, patrons had the opportunity to savour the flavours of the featured products in an exciting menu lineup of red peas sip, famous loaded nachos, black and ‘boasie’ burgers and jerk mushroom wraps.

Some of the other vendors at the festival included fellow vegan and plant-based restaurant, The Cheffing Don. Shining in the jerk chicken and pork department were Scotchies, Garnett’s Gourmet Catering, Grace Jerk Spot and Fyah Side Jerk and Bar.

Seafood lovers delighted their palates with scrumptious fish, lobster, shrimp and conch dishes from Prendy’s on the Beach. Hot Dog King saw long lines as patrons helped themselves to seconds and thirds.

With popular restaurants like Murray’s on the scenes, mouths watered as they waited patiently for their orders of jerk and curried dishes. Matching the hot sun, Bulbie Soup was sold out in a matter of hours, leaving many either satisfied or disappointed that they missed the sipping opportunity. And Stocolocco had others going crazy for the natural juice products, made fresh to sip and enjoy on the hot summer day.

All in all, the event was a hit among taste buds and families can’t wait for the second staging next year.

krysta.anderson@gleanerjm.com