Meet Karen Barrett of Memphis, TN

Today we’d like to introduce you to Karen Barrett.

Hi Karen, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself
My love for cooking started at the age of 9. I would spend summers at my great grandmother’s house and she used to get commodities. The flour always came with a pancake recipe on the back and I perfected it. My father has been a preacher/pastor majority of my life, and he’s a big friendly guy! He taught myself and my brother and sister to be of service to others. In order to make friends…first show yourself friendly. Every celebration/holiday was full of food, laughter, and fellowship….I loved it. That’s what inspired me to cook. I love to see people, laughing, fellowshipping and enjoying themselves. People have some of the purest reactions when they eat; they sing, hum, get completely silent, get excited, slap you (lol), etc. Day to day life can be heavy on it’s own….if I can give someone just a moment, over a good bite of food….I’ve done my job. This is why the Happy Belly Experience was created. I’ve catered off and on for about 13 years now. I started the Happy Belly Company in 2018, fully self employed and haven’t looked back since. When covid struck the world I had to become a little more creative and exclusive on my offerings. I am currently in the process of opening The Happy Belly Kitchen in October. Meal prep, daily food specials, and catering services will be offered. The bonus is that it’s all online ordering for curbside pickup or delivery. I’m excited about what’s to come!

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has definitely not been an easy road. I’m a single mother of 3 daughters and a full time entrepreneur. It can get very hectic, very fast. I lost my brother in October 2020 and seriously contemplated never cooking again. My family are the ones who encouraged me and spoke positivity into me….and I’m grateful for that, so….here we are.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a private chef and caterer. I offer weekly food specials, meal prep, and intimate private dining experience. This includes, dinner parties, brunch, girls night in, bridal showers, birthday parties, and more! Each service is custom to what my client envisions and I try my best to bring it to life through food.

The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you and any important lessons or epiphanies you can share with us?
What I’ve learned through the Covid-19 process is that people never stopped eating, but it became more difficult to provide services. Venues closed, commercial kitchens closed…events were cancelled and you had to become creative to get your food out there. I literally took a step back and stopped cooking for a while to revamp my business plan. Then I got a call to do an intimate brunch, at my clients home. I cooked on site, set it up, and left them there to enjoy. That was my “AHA” moment.

Contact Info:

• Email: Bookings@happybellyexperience.com
• Website: www.happybellyexperience.com
• Instagram: www.Instagram.com/happybellyexperience
• Facebook: Facebook.com/happybellymemphis

Image Credits
Patrick C Photography AviKing Visuals