Get a glimpse into the kitchen with... The Sweet Potato Kitchen
Emmy Feingold loves every aspect of running her food business, The Sweet Potato Kitchen, but it’s possible that delivery day is her favourite. “When I’m packaging up the food, I feel a glow,” she says. “The whole concept is something I put such love into and to be able to share that with people is quite a special feeling. There’s nothing more nourishing and loving that you can do for someone than cook for them.”
A family affair
Emmy worked in two family businesses before launching her own. Her father runs a flower nursery and her sister Rebecca recently bought a pub, Goldy’s Tavern in Collingwood. “I always liked working with my hands,” says Emmy. “When Rebecca bought the pub in lockdown, we set up a takeaway cafe and food store there, and I started making meals to give to people who were experiencing food insecurity. It gave me the confidence in a commercial kitchen and made me realise I want to cook for people.” Making food for those in need springboarded into The Sweet Potato Kitchen, as Emmy realised she could also create a business from her passion.
Food has been a complicated love affair. “I struggled a lot with gut issues which made eating really stressful and turned food into the enemy,” says Emmy. A long-time vegetarian, when sister Rebecca offered bone broth as a tonic to her tummy woes, Emmy was initially reluctant. “But I was desperate.”
"I’ve always loved food and I’ve always loved to cook. In my family it’s how we come together and it’s how we show love. I also love vegetables. My cooking and food journey have been greatly impacted by my gut health over the years and that’s why I choose organic, high quality ingredients in my kitchen. My mission now is to nourish my community by transforming beautiful produce into yummy healing food." - Emmy
Food for health
Slowly, something shifted and Emmy’s health improved. Food became a site of happiness and power once again. “It really showed me how organic, seasonal produce can be healing if it’s treated in the right way,” she says. “Funnily enough, my ill health and restricted diet also made me creative. When I was eating such limited ingredients, I learnt that if the ingredients are great, you don’t have to do a lot to make a beautiful meal.”
Produce is the inspiration for every Sweet Potato dish. “Because I was vegetarian for so long, I am quite precious about how I source meat and treat it,” she says. “I get organic, grass-fed beef, for example, and slow-cook it with spices and vegetables. I do a lot of vegan dishes, such as a carrot pad Thai with noodles made from spiralised carrot. It’s so vibrant and delicious. I do vegan dandan noodles where I make a pork substitute out of shiitake mushrooms and walnuts, and I add my own crispy chilli oil. I like doing all those elements from scratch because I can be sure that what I’m putting into my body - and feeding my community - is the best quality.”
Sri Lankan Beetroot Curry, The Sweet Potato Kitchen
Growing a food business with Cookaborough
Deciding to run a meal business is one thing. Getting organised is another. A query on a Facebook Group led Emmy to Cookaborough. “It’s been great,” she says. “They held my hand every step of the way and dealt with all that back-end stuff: the costings, contacting customers, having a website, the things I didn’t know how to organise and didn’t really want to do. It enables me to spend more time being creative with recipe development and communicating with my customers. I’m having a great experience.”
And why Sweet Potato? “I love sweet potatoes,” says Emmy. “I can’t say the name without smiling. It brings me such joy. In my mind, I’m the sweet potato and I’m so happy to bring people nourishing food. I feel like I’m doing what I should be doing in my life and I’m really grateful to have found it.”
The Sweet Potato Kitchen offers delicious organic meals via a weekly menu powered by Cookaborough. Check out the menu and order yours below.
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