We recently connected with Amanda Bailey and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Amanda, thanks for joining us today. So, naming is such a challenge. How did you come up with the name of your brand?

Since I was a child maybe in high school, I always had the dream of naming my restaurant Entice. I loved the way it sounded sexy and also the meaning of tempting by offering something pleasurable like food. I grew up watching Food Network and would spend many nights watching Iron Chef create all these exquisite and beautifully plated dishes. That is the thought that I had in my mind, to entice people with beautifully plated delicious food. When the pandemic hit in 2019 and I stopped traveling for work, it gave me some time to dive into creating a business for myself and creating my own spice blends is where I started. I wrote down a long list of names and none of them were resonating with me that I felt comfortable enough to brand. So one night I was dreaming about my name and I woke up out of my sleep and looked a picture that I painted with my best friend Domoneicqua of a lady and I named in Entice. And right then I said Entice Me Spice Company. The clue that I needed had been right there in my face all along and that is where the story of Entice Me Spice Company began.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My curiosity about food and cooking began at a very early age. I used to spend a lot of time with my Nana and she would be cooking constantly. There were many times that she would cook and I had no idea how she got it done so quickly and with so much flavor. I would sit on the counter and watch her make cakes and pies while she let me lick the spoon and bowl. My mom would cook and bake a lot as well so I got it at home and at Nana’s house. I was exposed to a variety of vegetables and I was no picky eater, I would try anything at least once. Admittedly the only thing that I didn’t like was those canned green peas, I’d still eat them but they weren’t my favorite. LOL I honestly don’t remember when I started cooking, but I actually took to baking more so at first. I even used to sell whole cakes when I was in middle school to my teachers. family and family friends. I used to bake Red Velvet Cake, Carrot Cake, German Chocolate Cake, Pound Cake and Sock It To Me Cake, all from scratch. So as time progressed I began to cook more and bake less. I was an avid Food Network fan so I would print our recipes and look through my Mom’s cookbooks for new recipes to prepare for my family. I loved every minute of it. My family loved anything I cooked so I was always helping in some way in the kitchen. Fast forward to college, I originally majored in Music Education at Claflin University in Orangeburg, SC as I also had a passion for music as well. I soon realized as most students do that this is not a career path that I wanted to pursue full time. So around my junior year, I decided that I would finish my matriculation with a Music Degree and immediately enroll in Culinary Arts school after graduation. So in 2010, I was accepted to Johnson & Wales University – Charlotte and I couldn’t have been happier. I finished with an associate degree in Culinary Arts with honors and began my career in the field. I began my culinary work career with Sodexo and worked my way from an intern, to Executive Chef, to Operation’s Manager, and lastly General Manager over the span of 10 years with the company. It afforded me the opportunity to live and work in various states around the US. While I gained a lot of experience and knowledge in the corporate world, my managerial roles removed me from the kitchen. So in 2022 I decided to step out on my own and push my seasoning blends by selling at local markets and pursue my private chef career. As of late, my focus has been to grow my private chef business by providing an upscale dining experience for my clients in the comfort of their homes. I create custom menus that range from Mediterranean, Asian, Middle Eastern, Mexican in style that is beautifully plated and taste delicious. Hiring a private chef is all about the experience, so I aim to provide my clients with a one of kind meal that caters to their palettes. One of the best things about what I do is I am able to take part in some major celebrations in most people’s lives, ranging from bachelorette parties, birthday, weddings, and anniversaries. I get to make a special occasion even more special by serving my client and their guests. My clients don’t have to worry about anything, as every detail from table decorations, plating, service and clean up is taken care of for them. I also teach people how to season their food and recipe ideas with the seasoning blends that I create. They are all my creations, hand blended and packaged by me. I am very proud of the tremendous life changes that I have made thus far, as I have way more to offer the world of food that I will be debuting in the near future.

We’d really appreciate if you could talk to us about how you figured out the manufacturing process.

As a Chef, I always want to be fully hands with the product from start to finish. When I decided to create my own seasoning blends, I first began to research the regulations on food production at home. Every state is different, but most states have “cottage laws” that govern what can be made in the home. I actually wanted to sell sauces as well, but with that came the need to have PH testing done to ensure that it was safe to produce at home or if a commercial kitchen was needed so I quickly tabled that idea. I didn’t want to invest any additional money for testing a product that I may require me to rent a commercial kitchen. My goal was to create a product out of my house that I could produce at no additional cost. Once I decided my name, I went to FIVERR and had a logo created for my business, founded my LLC with the state. During this process I started to create and test seasoning blends until I found a batch that I liked. I knew that I needed feedback outside of my own, so I packaged small bags and sent them to friends, family and colleagues. Originally I started with 10 seasoning blends and after received the feedback, I decided that four needed more editing but 6 were ready to go with small changes if any. I knew I couldn’t afford to private label so I then went to Amazon to find packaging that I loved and purchased the equipment I needed to pack at home. The labels were created in Canva and I print these at home at well. The entire line is very personal as I take care of each aspect of packing each bag of seasoning.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

I’ve been cooking for a long time and many people know that I am a chef but have not seen my work. I knew that I needed an opportunity to align myself with chefs that are doing what I love to do. I began working with Chef Corey of Sift and Season LLC. He graciously allowed me to tag along with him when he had clients and it gave the opportunity to align my reputation with his along with the courage to stand out on my own. It’s so important to align yourself with people that are doing well in your industry. As my client base grows, it’s important to get reviews from clients not only for my private chef work but also my seasoning brand as well. It’s great to get feedback but also important to showcase your expertise to potential clients.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.enticemespiceco.com
• Instagram: @enticemespiceco @enticemekitchen
• Facebook: @enticemespiceco @enticemekitchen

Image Credits
*Aaron D. Smalls Photography