Producer: Global Village Foods
Founder/Owner: Damaris and Mel Hall
Location: Quechee, VT
Found at the Littleton Co-op: Samosas
Website: globalvillagefoods.com
Our modern day food systems were built on the backs of People of Color (POC), particularly the Black community, without making room to acknowledge their important contributions. During the month of February, celebrated as Black History Month, we take intentional moments to celebrate Black entrepreneurs, inventors, and businesses that have shaped the way we eat, drink, and live. Supporting a vibrant and diverse producer network is a yearlong goal of the Littleton Co-op, and we are proud to highlight BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) voices. Read more about Littleton Co-op’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) work here.
The story of Global Village Foods is a story of the blending of two separate cultures through two people who express love through food. One half of the team, Damaris, hails from Kenya, where “farm fresh food was a way of life.” America’s growing trend of “eating with the seasons” was the idea that punctuated her childhood, with fresh ingredients and aromatic spices filling the air for family gatherings and communal celebrations. Her other half is Mel, was born and raised in Memphis, TN, in a culture filled with bold, soulful Southern fare. Together, their journey brought them to Vermont – a breeding ground for the “slow food movement.”
The recipes of Global Village Foods are not just perfect for folks looking for authentic African cuisine, but also for those with food allergies. When Mel and Damaris had a child with severe food allergies, they worked hard to adapt their time-and-true recipes to be allergy-friendly, vegan, and gluten free. Their goal is to make sure everyone can experience flavorful, nutritious, traditional African cuisine.
