Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Victoria-Lee Lewis. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Victoria-Lee, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?
I found my purpose through God, the desire for a healthier lifestyle and family. Almost 9 years go I suffered from severe migraines that kept me in the emergency room regularly. The medications made me sick and only a temporary fix. One day my wife and I decided to watch a documentary called, “Forks over Knives.” It changed our lives forever. The parts about dairy stood out the most for me. The follow day I decided to give up all dairy products. I began to replace milk with almond milk, use cashews to create cheese, and within a few weeks my migraines went away. I haven’t had a migraine or been to one emergency room about migraines since. I decided after that to take my lifestyle a step further a become plant based. I’ve found cooking enjoyable, but once I started learning to cook from scratch my passion just grew into something I never imagined. My family and friends are the one who truly help me discover this passion. My sister pushed me, in a loving way, to do my first pop up market, my cousin praised each and every dish I’ve had her taste, my mom orders from me on a regular, and my beautiful supportive wife encourages me in so many ways. She is always by my side helping me. I wouldn’t be who I am to do or been able to live in my purpose without her love and support.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
At The Black Vegan Pin-up, we believe in the power of delicious, soulful food to nourish both body and community. As a Black-owned family business, we are dedicated to creating tasty vegan dishes infused with healthy love that not only satisfy your taste buds but also support your well-being. Our finger-licking menu is a celebration of the rich flavors and textures of plant-based cuisine, crafted with care and passion by our talented chefs. From hearty mains to mouth-watering sides and desserts, we offer a diverse range of dishes that cater to all tastes and dietary needs.
But our mission goes beyond just serving great food. We strive to build a community of like-minded individuals who share our love for food and wellness. By promoting veganism as a healthy and compassionate lifestyle choice, we hope to inspire positive change and contribute to a more sustainable future
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Looking back the most impactful decision that contributes to my success was deciding to attend Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts. My infatuation with food and cooking sparked at a early age with influences from all over of the world, but I wanted to build on my skills, confidence, and knowledge of Plant Based cuisine to take my career to the next level. Escoffier gave me a wealth of knowledge with a classical foundation preparing me with tools and techniques I needed to cook with confidence. Encompassed with training in knife skills, Plant Based culinary foundations, approaches to wellness, cultural influences, and the fundamentals of culinary entrepreneurship. I believe that when things are meant to be, paths are made clear and it is easier to follow your dreams. Attending culinary school did just that and was a great learning experience that helped me form professional connections that are invaluable. The perfect balance of discipline and creativity.
I would like to dedicate this to my number one fan, my amazing wife! She is truly a beautiful spirit. She sees the treasure inside me and helps me manifest my dreams. She is by my side when things are rough and she helps me to remember who I am when I doubt myself. She is the reason I cook. She taught me the basis like cooking with the stove light on, lol.
All of my close family and pop up friends for all their encouragement, support and love. To all those individual who have entrusted me to cater their event, bake a cake to celebrate a special moment, etc. I love you with all my heart and pray for your continued support, because the best is yet to come.
My advice is to always follow your first mind and don’t listen to people who don’t understand your vision. It’s yours for a reason. Walk with God and he will take you into rooms you wouldn’t imagine.
Alright, so before we go we want to ask you to take a moment to reflect and share what you think you would do if you somehow knew you only had a decade of life left?
My current challenge is I’m a new chef still finding my niche and how to introduce myself to the Metropolitan. I’m currently known for vegan soul food, but I have two loves and my other love is sushi. I will be focusing on both styles of cooking and finding the best way to fusion them together with my signature flavors.
Contact Info:
- Phone: (469)679-4985
- Instagram: @theveganblackpinup
- Facebook: The Vegan Black Pin-Up
