Today we’d like to introduce you to Patria Webster.
Hi Patria, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
When I think about my foodie story or where it “began” I have flashbacks, like those you see in movies before people meet their “fate”. Every scene is of me in the kitchen or smiling next to a plate of food.
The flashbacks start with me as an adolescent, I grew up in a single-parent home and was the second oldest of 5 siblings in the 90’s so a lot of responsibilities fell on me and my older brother and cooking were my favorite. I loved creating new meals with the scarce ingredients we had in the cupboards.
Then they flash over to me in my “GG’s” (great grandmother) kitchen and her teaches me the secret ingredients to her homemade barbecue sauce.
But they don’t stop there, I made every ounce of baby food for my daughter from scratch. I used my bridge card to replicate my favorite meals from restaurants when I was too poor to go out to eat. My first, last and every job (at least that lasted) was in the food service industry. In my twenties, I used my food as a way to bring friends together, and a simple backyard BBQ birthed Scratch by Patria by accident.
In short, I didn’t just choose a foodie life, it chose me.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has been a fun road and the best trips have obstacles.
I started SBP in mid-2019 and in January 2020 I was chosen to be a semifinalist for the MasterChef. It was a tough decision to leave behind my baby for such an ambiguous adventure but the weeks spent on set for MC in California cultivated my passion for food and people deeper than I could have ever imagined.
Unfortunately, when I returned home the pandemic had begun and that too caused many unforeseen struggles.
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?
When people ask me what I do for work, I respond “make people happy”. Because everyone and I mean everyone is happy after a delicious meal.
But if you’re one for titles I would describe myself as a momtrepreneur,
I am most known in Grand Rapids for my catering business “Patria’s Kitchen”. In Patria’s Kitchen, we use locally sourced ingredients to make from scratch meals for events of 50 to 2000 people.
Our clients love our unique twists on traditional hors d’oeuvres, southern entrees, and brunches.
I am also known for bringing the community together with foodie events, Grand Rapids loves to come out for our TRAP Brunch parties. What’s a Trap brunch? DJ, Hip Hop, Mimosas, Southern Brunch, and of course tons of vibes.
Throughout COVID another one of my ventures “Elevate ‘a cannabis-infused fine dining dinner experience'” also became popular with its offering of an intimate and unique experience amongst friends and colleagues.
This fall you will also be able to support SBP LLC by means of our products. One is “Goodies” where we are cultivating the palates of the next generation of foodies with our from-scratch, organic baby food comprised of recipes gathered from cultures all over the world.
You can sign up for our Goodie email list on patriaskitchen.com for release information, exclusive discounts, and recipe releases.
We have so much more in store for the community of Grand Rapids.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
I grew up with my older brother and the kids in our community outside. We lived at MLK Parks pool in the summertime or in the front yard playing double dutch.
Contact Info:
- Website: patriaskitchen.com
- Instagram: @patriaskitchengr
- Facebook: Facebook.com/patriaskitchen
Image Credits
Charla Dee Photos
Jasmine Smith Photography
