We were lucky to catch up with LeGenevieve Squires recently and have shared our conversation below.

LeGenevieve, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you tell us about an important lesson you learned while working at a prior job?

The most important lesson that I learned from my previous experience at FOLK Detroit that has helped me as a business owner, is being an advocate for food and my community.

Before beginning my culinary journey at FOLK in 2018, I was trying to find out how I could get involved in the Detroit community. I experienced a snippet of it while managing Starbucks from 2016-2018; however, it was not as food focused as I was hoping for. The experience was a great foundational point because I met a lot of the Detroit community leaders at Starbucks. In meeting them I was introduced to Rohani Foulkes and Kiki Louya as owners of the Farmers Hand and soon to open FOLK Detroit.

The experience at FOLK was unparalleled, and during my time there I learned almost every position. The most important lesson was advocacy. I watched them push the needle in terms of not settling for “normal” kitchen/restaurant culture. They changed the expectations of the tip culture, challenged equitable wages, and supported local purveyors/growers.
The most exciting part was meeting/chatting with our vendors as they brought in their freshly made products; tasting the fresh fruits/vegetables from the growers. I learned the most about the local foodways from prepping, cooking, and selling the menu. They empowered their employees to use our voices as it related to pay, culture, the best way to work/adjust in the moment, & how to advocate for a kitchen culture that we wanted to be a part of.

Those valuable lessons prepared me as a business owner to set standards of how I wanted our business to sustain in Detroit, and build relationships. We source locally, support local non-profits by providing their programming with nutritious meals and continuing to build a dynamic culture. “Advocacy is about being personal relationships”, and that’s what I learned and plan to implement as a business owner and community member of Detroit.

LeGenevieve, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I am a bonafide foodie with business sense and a contagious smile. A native Detroiter committed to spreading love through mouthwatering meals, intimate interactions and top notch customer service. My love of food expanded during my undergraduate studies in Food and CPG Marketing at Western Michigan University. From there, it accompanied me to Ohio and Illinois as I served in positions of food leadership at Heinen’s Grocery Stores before studying Culinary Arts at the Illinois Institute of Art-Chicago. In culinary school Vie found comfort in learning the intricacies of food, & sustainable foodways. The joy I feel in the kitchen transcends in my dishes and sharing that with others brings me great pride.

I am currently doing private cooking and catering events through my business; Experience Relish, which I co-own & is a Classroom Facilitator for Detroit Food Academy. I spend some of my time volunteering with Detroit Phoenix Center & PeaceTree Parks.

Brittiany Peeler was born and raised in Detroit, MI. After graduating in 2008
from Michigan Technical Academy in Redford Michigan. Brittiany was determined to
become a Physician, although the path to the goal was not clear. She embarked on
her collegiate journey at Western Michigan University where she aspired to pursue a
degree in Biology with hopes to further her education in a physician assistant
program. While transitioning and focusing on her studies, Brittiany worked as a
certified nursing assistant, starting her training in the medical field. Needing to
survive and not wanting to leave college Brittiany decided to start a career with the
United States Navy Reserve, there she spent 4 years learning culinary skills as a
culinary specialist amongst other tactical trainings. Brittiany is a member of Detroit Food Lab, Detroit osborne Association, Peachtree Parks and Detroit Phoenix Center for Homeless Youth. In her free time Brittiany is learning, gardening, pickling,
fermenting, teaching knife skills, and volunteers her time to many youth organizations in the Michigan
area, such as My Uniques Sister and the Children’s Defense Fund. Brittiany hopes to empower our youth
and adults to take charge of their environments and their wellbeing, starting with the foods we choose
to eat, learning what a balanced and nutritious meal looks like and education behind where food comes

Experience Relish is locally sourced and globally inspired, Relish connects people through the universal language of food.

As two black women of Detroit — Brittiany Peeler and Le’Genevieve Squires — we blend the home-cooked tastes of our roots with the exciting fresh flavors and dishes we discovered through our travel experiences. #indi-soul

We put our heart and soul into introducing flavorful ingredients from our community to our community; increasing awareness of food and health; and supporting one another and feeling connected through food.

You can experience our passion and flavors through private and intimate catering events, pop-up shops, and community engagement activities.

Indi-soul is our creative culinary expression. It speaks to the journey of our experiences as we’ve grown through food, and our travels to Goa, India. It’s our respect for traditions, culture, and the foodways from our learnings.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

I love reading, and have read several books about Management. The Atomic Habits has taught me as a leader to make small impactful consistent habits. The Cooking Gene taught me a lot of African American history through food. They’ve both helped guide my words, thoughts and actions in positive way.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

The best source of new clients have been our current clients. They’ve supported us consistently at pop-ups, booking us for their family gatherings, and referring us! They are the best source of marketing we’ve had so far!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.experiencerelish.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/experience_relish/