Shauna Hinkson was once a loved chef, entrepreneur, and neighborhood chief who touched the lives of many of us along with her pastime for meals and culture. She co-founded a successful catering business that served original Nigerian cuisine to locals and celebrities alike. She also mentored young aspiring cooks and supported more than a few social reasons.
Sadly, she passed away impulsively on December 13, 2023, on the age of 42. Her demise has left a void in the hearts of her family, buddies, and consumers, who take note her as a heat, generous, and galvanizing individual.
Who was once Shauna Hinkson? From Home Cook to Business Owner
Shauna Hinkson was once born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, to a Nigerian father and an American mother. She grew up in a multicultural family, the place she discovered to appreciate other cuisines and cultures. She evolved a love for cooking from a young age, helping her mom prepare foods for the circle of relatives. She also learned to make conventional Nigerian dishes from her father, who taught her the secrets of his local delicacies.
After graduating from highschool, Shauna enrolled in a culinary school, the place she honed her abilities and creativity. She dreamed of opening her own restaurant someday, however she faced many challenges and stumbling blocks alongside the way. She worked as a waitress, a cook dinner, and a supervisor in more than a few restaurants, however she by no means felt glad or fulfilled. She wanted to share her passion for Nigerian meals with the sector, however she felt that there used to be now not sufficient demand or appreciation for it.
She determined to take issues into her personal arms and get started her own catering business from her rental. She teamed up together with her husband, David Hinkson, who supported her imaginative and prescient and helped her with the logistics and advertising and marketing. They named their business “Naija Bites”, because of this “Nigerian Bites” in pidgin English. They started by promoting home made Nigerian meals to their neighbors, pals, and co-workers, the use of social media and word-of-mouth to unfold the observe. They quickly won a loyal following and a name for turning in scrumptious, unique, and inexpensive meals.
A Taste of Nigeria in New York
In 2010, Shauna and David opened their first storefront and major kitchen on Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn. They expanded their menu and their personnel, hiring younger aspiring chefs from the area people. They additionally invested in equipment and elements, making sure that they maintained the quality and freshness in their meals. They presented a variety of dishes, corresponding to jollof rice, egusi soup, suya, puff-puff, and plantain, as well as vegetarian and vegan options. They also catered for events, akin to weddings, birthdays, company functions, and gala's, serving up to 500 people at a time.
Shauna’s meals was no longer best tasty, but in addition instructional. She sought after to introduce folks to the wealthy and various tradition of Nigeria, which is ceaselessly misunderstood or stereotyped. She used her meals as a medium to inform tales, proportion traditions, and have a good time range. She additionally included components of alternative African and Caribbean cuisines, growing fusion dishes that mirrored her own id and heritage. She used to be proud of her roots and sought after to honor them through her meals.
Shauna’s food also attracted the attention of celebrities, corresponding to Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Rihanna, and Oprah Winfrey, who became fanatics and consumers of Naija Bites. Shauna was once featured in different magazines, newspapers, and TV presentations, akin to The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Vogue, Food Network, and CNN. She was identified as some of the influential and a hit cooks and marketers in New York. She also won a number of awards and honors, such as the James Beard Award, the Eater Award, and the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce Award.
A Legacy of Love and Service
Shauna Hinkson was once now not only a business owner, but also a community leader. She was passionate about giving back and making a distinction. She mentored younger aspiring chefs, especially ladies and minorities, who sought after to pursue their dreams in the culinary industry. She additionally supported various social causes, comparable to starvation relief, education, well being, and women’s empowerment. She donated meals, cash, and time to various organizations, comparable to Feeding America, UNICEF, Girls Who Code, and Planned Parenthood. She additionally arranged and participated in fundraisers, occasions, and campaigns, such because the Black Lives Matter movement, the Me Too movement, and the COVID-19 reduction efforts.
Shauna was a task fashion and an inspiration to many people, particularly to her family. She was once a loving wife, mom, daughter, sister, and good friend. She had two youngsters, a son and a daughter, who inherited her pastime for meals and culture. She also had a big extended family, who supported and admired her. She was once identified for her kindness, generosity, humor, and spirit. She all the time had a smile on her face and a favorable angle. She loved to commute, learn, concentrate to track, and dance. She enjoyed life and lived it to the fullest.
Shauna Hinkson’s demise was once a surprise and a tragedy to everybody who knew her. She died of a heart assault on December 13, 2023, while preparing for a catering match. She was rushed to the sanatorium, but it surely used to be too late to save her. She left in the back of a legacy of affection and repair, as well as a thriving business that continues to perform beneath the control of her husband and workforce. Her family, buddies, and customers mourn her loss and rejoice her existence. They keep in mind her as a loved business owner from Brooklyn NY, who introduced a taste of Nigeria to New York.
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