Today we’d like to introduce you to Allysohn Beasley.
Hi Allysohn, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I’ve loved cooking since my mom bought my first cookbook when I was 10. The first thing I made was pigs in a blanket lol. By the time I was in high school, my friends came over after school to eat leftovers Id made. I’ve always found cooking to be therapeutic and a way to express myself. In 2018, I decided to take my passion more seriously. While working at a local hospital as a pharmacy coordinator, I realized how many people were taking medications for things like high blood pressure. I had also just found out that my mom was diagnosed with the illness. I decided to make a salt-free spice blend to help with her diet restrictions. I also used the blend in most of the dishes that I made. Friends and family offered to buy the blend from me and my business Ally ‘a la Carte Gourmet Spice Co was born. I launched my website at the top of last year and now my company sells eight salt-free spice blends that we ship anywhere across the United States. As a bonus, my mom’s blood pressure medication was lowered.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Well, it wouldn’t be a journey without the twists and turns, right? I started out selling the very first blend in glass bottles with no seal. After shipping to my first out-of-state customer, I received a horrible review via email. The two glass bottles had broken during shipping and the customer complained about the absence of a seal on the bottle and ingredients. I took the feedback as a blessing which prompted me to take a hiatus to research how to perfect my packaging. It took 8 months to find a packaging company who could meet the needs of my business and my customers. We now offer plastic, safety sealed bottles with a list of ingredients. We strive to provide the best customer service and experience.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Ally ‘a la Carte Gourmet Spice Co.?
For me, cooking and creating delicious recipes are a part of my family history. As with most Black families, it is a right of passage and has always been a way to bond with, learn from, and create with our elders and ancestors. What I grew to recognize was the need to connect those traditional and flavorful foods with a more balanced dietary lifestyle. I recognized that many people struggle with finding ways to enjoy flavorful food that is also “good” for them. That’s where my passion meets my skillset. I’ve created salt-free spice blends that your tastebuds never knew they needed but will certainly thank you for.
Of course, there are other brands who offer the same types of products. What sets Ally ‘a la Carte apart from others is simply flavor. All of our products are not only hand blended with love but they’re packed with hella flavor. We have something for everyone. We have spicy, sweet, savory, you name it. Our signature “G.HERB.OH Everything Spice Blend” is the all-purpose blend that you can literally put on everything and is a customer favorite. And as you can probably tell by its name, we love to pay homage to our ancestors and our hometown (Chicago!!) with our salt-free, Chicago-themed, spice blend brand.
Our mission is to be a resource to help cultivate a balanced dietary lifestyle and educate the community through culinary arts.
I think I’m most proud of the fact that the products that I’ve created is used to create also create wonderful meals for families while they are making their own memories. When customers email or dm me to tell me how much their families enjoyed the meals they made and they send pictures of their creations, that’s when I realize that I’m actually living out my dreams.
How do you think about happiness?
I think I kind of just touched on this lol but having people tell me how much they love my products makes me sooo happy. Sometimes when you’re doing the hard work…. staying up or sacrificing some social events, coming up with the recipes, the perfect description, the labeling… it’s hard to even know if there will actually be a reward for all of that. Like, if people will even enjoy what you are creating. It really just takes one person to reach out or make a post about your products. For me, that translates into them saying ” Ally, your idea isn’t just an idea, it’s real life now and yes we love it”. It’s all about Food.Flavor.Love
Pricing:
- G.HERB.OH Everything Blend $10
- Summa X Chi Blend $10
- Who Made the Greens? Blend $10
- Stony Island Seafood Blend $10
- Backyard Party BBQ Rub $10
Contact Info:
- Website: allyalacarte.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/allyalacarte
- Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/people/Ally-A-La-Carte-Gourmet-Spice-Co/100063701586099/
