When most people pick out new and exciting restaurants, they often choose their preference from menus and reviews they find online. On the other hand, food lovers decide based on their desire to try something new, whether looking for a different taste or unique experience. Kashiem Ingram and Brian Schwall are a couple who share the dream of delivering such an experience with their company, Karen’s Touch of Soul.
Like every couple, Kashiem “Kash” Ingram and Brian Schwall solidified their relationship on their shared passion for food. Their shared passion stemmed from a young age, turning their kitchen into a temple where they cooked and baked, exercising their creativity through experimentation and developing their own recipes. Together for over two decades, Kash and Brian decided to enter the industry they loved.
Introducing the recipes and seasoning blends that they crafted and perfected to the world, Kash and Brian decided to start their own business called Karen’s Touch of Soul. “Karen is Brian’s late mother,” Kash revealed, “Whom we have decided to name the business in her honor.” Based in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Karen’s Touch of Soul has been bringing smiles to people’s faces with its phenomenal soul food and stellar customer service.
Karen’s Touch of Soul is a Black-Owned business that strives to deliver a whole new experience to their customer’s taste buds and leave them craving for more. Many people have praised their cooking, with most of them describing the food as “soul food.” While most would consider food coming from the south as soul food, Kash and Brian have a different take. “I look at it as every ethnicity has some type of soul behind it,” Brian shared, “I love to see people try different soul food from different backgrounds.”
While most chefs and bakers are eager for feedback from their customers, Kash and Brian ask for no praise for their craft. Instead, the couple experience fulfillment when they see their customers enjoy the food they create. “I do not find cooking a job because it’s something I enjoy,” Brian revealed enthusiastically.
With a high regard for culinary arts, Kash and Brian jump at every opportunity to let others understand what they are doing and the importance of cooking. “Food is a part of our everyday life, and we need food to survive, and the amount of love we put into our cooking shows with every bite you take,” said Kash. Since creating Karen’s Touch of Soul, they have been set on a mission to enhance lives one meal at a time. Kash and Brian strive to bring a sense of family values in everything they do. The couple recognizes that their people, food, seasoning, and communication cultivate the ingredients of their success and define Karen’s Touch of Soul Culture.
Having been in the industry for some time, Kash and Brian foresee Karen’s Touch of Soul opening a storefront or food truck, producing quality comfort food to their customers and opening their minds to more than just one type of soul food. Additionally, they hope to become wholesalers of their seasoning blends, distributing to major companies like Amazon, Walmart and ShopRite, among many others.
Learn more about Karen’s Touch of Soul by visiting their official website. You can also reach out to them through Facebook or Instagram.
