We had the good fortune of connecting with Chef Phillipa K.M. “Philly” Jackson and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Chef Phillipa K.M. “Philly”, what do you want your legacy to be?
What do I want My Legacy to be?
I would Love for my Lioness Catering Legacy to be one that excites or inspires the next little brown boy or girl who has the same fire and passion that burns deep down inside of them for the catering world as I.
I want them to take off with their dreams of one day owning their own catering company and allowing the world to know their name and taste wonderful creations…
I want my Legacy to be one that if anything were to happen to me my business would still run smoothly as if I were there running the day to day operations.
By that I mean providing the same GREAT customer service AWESOME food that’s still able to touch your soul from just one bite.
I want to be remembered for the GREAT customer service AWESOME food and colorful fruit tables.
The PASSION that was put into each and every dish the colorful array of my creations even down to the last drop of Punch.
My love will flow into every bite as if I were feeding them myself long after I am gone that’s how I want Lioness Catering and myself to be remembered full of LOVE…..
Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
What sets me apart from others in The Culinary world is I cook with love passion and have a taste for greatness. I cook with an array of colors that makes the eye pop which in turn gets the mouth watering you will want to taste something that looks so beautiful that’s what sets me apart from others.
A hundred people can cook the same dish as me but out of those hundred my dish will stand out.
That’s what I solely based my company on is a signature look dish and taste.
I’m very excited when I cook my food and also more excited when I see the reaction of my customers from the first bite to the arrangement of my fruit tables.
I got to where I am today by not giving up no matter how hard things got many countless nights crying episodes many sacrifices and failure from believing and others. All that did was make me go even harder push myself to the Limit because failure was not an option. What I’ve learned along the way is that your dream is your dream don’t count on others to understand your dream, just count on them for the support and help that they can give but always always go hard but what you want. I want the world to know that this little brown girl who was told numerous occasions that it would never happen. If I didn’t believe in myself it wouldn’t have happened so to those that didn’t believe in me just know I believed in myself more than you will ever know. My brand was built on the core values that was instilled in me as a child put your all into what ever you do and be the best at what you do.
Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
First, we would eat at all the local spots mingle with all the locals enjoy the rich history Savannah has to offer. I would take them to Narobias Grits and Gravy for some good ole down home southern cooking with the best liver and onions in the city.
That will be the breakfast portion for lunch we will stop on historic MLK Jr. Blvd for a hot tasty Shabazz fish sandwich hands down best in the city.
Then on too the Ralph Mark Gilbert civil rights museum to look at how the African American people shaped the culture and water ways in the downtown area.
We will tour the squares learning how different cultures came together to call this place home from the food, to the music and tall historic beautiful buildings that block out the sun.
Watching the boats come in and out on the famous Savannah River is an amazing site because its money coming into the city.
There are alot of things to do in a city filled with amazing rich southern history. We can just sit on the grass of the famous Forsyth Park that sits smack dab in the Heart of the city separating the east from the west. If they have never been to a beach i will take them to tybee island so they can see the Atlantic ocean and feel warm sand between their toes.Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
First, I would love to give Thanks to the Most High because without him Blessing me with my Gift I don’t think I would be able to perform. My Family especially my Great Granny Pirley and my Grandma Josephine along with many others. Those two women were/still the backbone of the family because Josephine is still carrying the Torch. Watching how family disputes were settled with food I knew then that Love was poured into each dish. I would love to also give thanks to my cousin Natasha Garvin for inspiring me to step up to the challenge.
My wonderful best friend Yanica no matter what is right there by my side going just as hard for Lioness Catering as me. Also my cousin/sister Erica who at times can be very head strong but no matter how short of a notice if she can she is ready no matter what she’s going to come thru. Last but not least my Co worker Nina from Chicago lol I can have so many things I can say about her but Loyal is what stands out the most and for that she will always be by my side. A special Thank you to my Uncle Lt. Torrance Garvin because he has made Lioness Catering a household name in the Savannah-Chatham Police Department. My business manager Mrs.Rochelle Ferguson you believe in me and believe that I have yet to fully embrace my journey and keep pushing me to go after greater. The most important my customers for spreading the good news about GREAT FOOD that Lioness Catering provides so that others can taste. If I miss some do not take it personal their are so many who have helped along the journey of making my dream a reality and I am forever Humble.
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