Re-imagining traditional African favorites with Global Village Foods
Global Village Foods has turned their traditional African restaurant menu into allergy-friendly, vegan ready-to-eat-meals. Learn how an investment from the Fair Food Fund and Flexible Capital Fund is helping the Vermont company bring more culturally relevant, locally sourced food options into the marketplace.
Husband-and-wife team Damaris and Melvin Hall transformed Global Village Foods, once a community African restaurant, into a growing producer of ready-to-eat meals.
Damaris grew up in Kenya, where simple fresh ingredients and rich aromatic spices created vibrant traditional dishes for family gatherings and communal celebrations.
A world away, Mel, from Memphis, cherished Sunday dinners with three generations of family around a table full of bold, soulful Southern fare.
The two met in Kenya and settled in Vermont, a state well known for its slow food movement and strong community. They began a food business, Global Village Foods, based on their favorite recipes. Out of local food festivals, farmers markets, and a restaurant, they built up an enthusiastic following for African-inspired foods.
As parents of a child who had severe food allergies, they realized how challenging it was to find flavorful, nutritious, good food options. They believed everyone deserved to have a great-tasting meal that fit their needs, and so they re-imagined traditional African favorites as allergy-friendly, vegan, and gluten-free meal options.
To share the warmth and comfort of fresh-made dishes with the ease and convenience of ready-to-eat frozen meals, Demaris and Mel created Global Village Cuisine. As demand for their products grew, especially at universities, Demaris and Melvin needed a loan to build inventory and hire additional staff. They turned to Fair Food Fund for assistance.
In 2022, Fair Food Fund provided a participation loan to Global Village Foods in partnership with Vermont-based Flexible Capital Fund. With this collaborative investment, Mel and Demaris were able to grow their business at a key time. We were excited to provide a loan to support a plant-based food business, bringing culturally relevant, locally sourced food options into the marketplace.
Want more good food stories?
Explore our impact report to see the positive change nutritious food and the people who make it can have on our communities.
Stay Fresh
Sign up for our updates to stay informed about our latest programs, read inspiring stories of impact, and how you can become an important part of the movement. See what’s possible when we start with food.
By signing up you will receive occasional emails from Fair Food Network. We never share your information. You can unsubscribe anytime.