Meet Craig Ward | Plant based Chef and Owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Craig Ward and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Craig, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I wanted to create something that aligned with me morally and ethically as well as an opportunity for me to create change within my community, my family, and network of friends. As a person who always aspired for change and to impact others positively I realized my passion and interests put me in a unique space to help other heals and empower themselves. As a beginner vegan it was extremely difficult for me find foods that fit my dietary preferences, and even when I did find suitable meals they weren’t always the best tasting or most appealing. Being in the industry for over a decade and having been raised in a kitchen my entire life I knew I could do better. I started to learn to innovate with plant based alternatives and eventually began to create my own from scratch to ensure the highest quality ingredients with minimal processing. I felt that in doing this for myself I could also help others on their journey. I wanted to be apart of changing our health, environment, and relations with animal life for the better.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Our business is based out of Harrisburg, PA in the central Pennsylvania region and as a whole food plant based vegan restaurant we focus on fresh, organic, made from scratch items that are both delicious and nourishing. We create alternatives to traditional American comfort foods mindfully considering the needs of the body and its impact on our health. What sets us apart is our commitment to using food products with the highest integrity, using minimally processed methods of cooking and fabricating our food. We believe in eating from every plant based food group to combat and reverse the negative affects and disease prevalence that the Standard American Diet offers. This started as an idea to meal prep for friends and family that quickly transformed into something more. I began serving meal prep and dishes from my home as a secondary income in May of 2019. In December 2019 we had our first official catering event for The Bridge and the Chris Handles Franklin foundation. Soon after the pandemic I was driven to utilize my then side business as a primary source of income. I would offer catering, meal prep, and daily specials to appeal to new customers and those interested in plant based/vegan food which at this moment was trending and on the rise due to an increased demand for health conscious products that customers felt would improve their immune function and reduce overall risk of disease or ultimately contraction of COVID-19. Some early challenges we faced revolved around food education, in our area the general knowledge or familiarity with this type of cuisine was severely lacking. We had a brief struggle with establishing ourselves as a legitimate business, so in June of 2020 we endeavored to participate in integral community pop up events that grew our customer base and helped gain vital information about our consumers. Throughout this trial and error phase we gained knowledge of what worked with our local consumer and what did not. As a logical next step we pursued a stand alone location in our local Broad Street Market, with only 3 days of operation we knew this would be the next phase of our evolving into a more established business model. In October 2020, we signed the lease for our space and have been in operation ever since. Currently, we are beginning the process for an expansion into a brick and mortar location and hope to open before Summer begins.

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.
I would take them to all of the places I like to enjoy such as the nature trails, city island, the riverfront, maybe downtown midtown for some food and drinks. I love the vibe at HMAC it’s a chill atmosphere for any age of adults, perhaps enjoy some Hookah at Isabel’s. During the warmer months I would love to visit HersheyPark and allow my child self the exhilaration of roller coasters and park games. The most exciting things to check out would be the breweries we have or perhaps taking a kayaking trip down the Susquehanna river. Overall my favorite things to do involve nature and the simplicity of it.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I want to shout out my circle of friends who know who they are and have supported me since day 1 of this. Mazon my right hand who helped me in every step of the way to create this idea into a business. I am forever grateful for everything you’ve taught and assisted with, I would not be here without you. To Leslie for introducing me to the Law of Attraction, it was in that moment I took responsibility and charge of my life to create my present reality. To Lhayana Thank you for encouraging me, uplifting me and supporting me at the toughest times. To Ms. Samuels Thank you for belief in me I will not forget your contributions in making this dream come true.

Website: www.wardofhealth.com

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