We were lucky to catch up with Meridith Ford recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Meridith thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s kick things off with a hypothetical question – if it were up to you, what would you change about the school or education system to better prepare students for a more fulfilling life and career?

I think we focus too much on a college degree. We need more focus on vocational education. The pandemic proved that we don’t have enough plumbers, carpenters, engineers, etc. The system in Europe is a good model.

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 bio: Meridith Ford is a nationally acclaimed food writer and stylist, chef, consultant, teacher, photographer and marketing and communications professional in Atlanta, Georgia. She is the chef-owner of Cremalosa, a gelateria in Decatur, Ga., where she creates small-batch, gelato artigianale amid an array of shakes, wine and frozen cocktails, as well as select baked goods. With the expertise of Italian technique learned from her many years as a pastry chef, and at the elbow of Italian masters at Carpiagiani, Advanced Gourmet and Montebianco, she brings a bold, modern touch to age-old Italian methods, creating sweet frozen treats of powerful American flavors inspired by the cakes, cookies and candy bars with which she grew up.

Prior to Cremalosa’s opening in 2020, Meridith was best known in the Atlanta food community as the former dining critic and chief food writer for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, where she served from 2004 to 2010. Previously, she was the dining critic and chief food writer for the Providence Journal in Providence, Rhode Island, for five years. After leaving the newspaper industry in 2010, she served as the Atlanta and Savannah editor for dining, retail and nightlife for the renowned Zagat guide. She managed Estrella in Atlanta, and played a key role with the restaurant’s parent group, Atlanta Hospitality Ventures, to open Estrella, The Brasserie at Bazati and Bazati. Prior, she worked as the executive pastry chef/gelataia for Novo Cucina, where she directed the restaurant’s creative gelato artigianale program. She also writes food articles for the AJC and other publications.

Meridith attended Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, as a theater major, and worked professionally in the theater until 1986, when she began her training as a chef. In her hometown, Atlanta, she worked as a professional cook and chef before leaving to further her culinary education at Johnson & Wales University in Providence, where in 1990 she received an Associate in Occupational Science degree in baking and pastry arts, and in 1991 a Bachelor’s Degree in food marketing. After graduating summa cum laude, she began her culinary career as a baking and pastry chef-instructor at the University, where she taught for six years.

Meridith has written and developed content for numerous magazines and publications, including Atlanta magazine, Chef magazine, The National Culinary Review, Pastry Art & Design, Kitchen Gardener, Fine Cooking, Modern Baking, Chocolatier and Fancy Food. A seasoned food stylist and photographer, she has styled food shots for Food & Wine, the Daily Meal, Modern Luxury magazines, Chef, the National Culinary Review, Pastry Art & Design, Modern Baking, the Rhode Islander Magazine and for countless food pages of the Providence Journal and the AJC.

She has taught and spoken at many events, including the keynote closing address at 2011 BlogHer Food (with Molly O’Neill and Tanya Steel), and has appeared extensively as a guest on radio and television. Her blog at the AJC, Table Talk, was a popular feature in Atlanta social media, and one of the first blogs at the AJC. In 2006, her food criticism was nominated for a coveted James Beard Award, the highest honor given to food writers, food personalities and chefs. In 2008, her writing was on the semi-finalist list of nominations by the Atlanta Press Club’s columnist of the year.

She is actively involved in supporting sustainable food pathways and is a member of Georgia Organics, the Southern Foodways Alliance and Slow Food USA. Meridith lives in Atlanta, Georgia, with actor David de Vries and her child, Truett.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

I opened my business in February 2020, four weeks before the global pandemic shutdown. I pivoted fast, moving to online ordering and pickup instore of pints only. Ordering was through social media and my website, and I built interest by announcing the flavors ever Monday. The sales kept me afloat until I was able to reopen partially a few months later, and then fully about 6 months after that. I’ve kept my chin up through all of this. My first year, Cremalosa was named “best of Atlanta” by Atlanta magazine. Last year, Cremalosa was named “best ice cream in Georgia” by Food and Wine magazine – a huge honor. It made all the hardship worth it.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

Three things:

The best product I can possibly produce, locally sourced whenever possible and made in house from scratch – artigianale
Super friendly staff and fantastic customer service – really.
Super clean facility.

When you have these things, word get around.

Contact Info:

• Website: cremalosa.com
• Instagram: cremalosa_gelato
• Facebook: Cremalosa Gelato
• Linkedin: Meridith Ford
• TikTok: @cremalosa

Image Credits
Meridith Ford Heidi Geldhauser Bita Honarvar