(Alexandra Kauffman/Arts & Life Editor)
With low temperatures, the best way to remedy the cold is with fresh flavors. There is no better place to stop than the Rapid Gourmet stand at the Emory Farmers Market, where you’ll be greeted by owner Andrea George’s welcoming smile and samples of her fresh lemonade.
Students at the Feb. 6 farmers market raved about Rapid Gourmet’s welcoming customer service and amazing products, with tacos being one of the favorites.
“They are super kind and accommodating to your order,” Sarah Arnold (25C) said. “I love the food, shrimp tacos are one of my favorite meals.”
Though George and her business have only participated in the Emory Farmers Market for the past three years, she’s been warming the hearts of many with her homemade jams, lemonades, dry mixes, spices and freshly cooked meals since 2007. Encapsulated by the company’s tagline, “We’re not fast food, we’re good food fast,” George’s goal is to give people access to sustainable food.
George’s father was one of the inspirations behind her flourishing small business. He lived to the age of 101, and George said she believes his diet contributed greatly to his longevity, solidifying her belief that people are what they eat.
“They ate quality foods, clean foods, natural foods from the earth — not a lot of preservatives and additives,” George said.
Rapid Gourmet’s products vary with the season. This spring, one of her most popular items is pumpkin orange spice jam, and an all-time student favorite is her passion fruit lemonade.
Most of her products are a fusion of Caribbean flavors from her childhood in Antigua, such as the Caribbean ginger mango spice rub the restaurant uses to season their meats. Rapid Gourmet also offers cooking classes, meal preps and catering services.
“I just want to continue to innovate and bring new and different things to the marketplace,” George said.
Another student, Joanna Gold (26C), remarked on the flavors and service.
“The food is really yummy and flavorful, the people who serve it are super kind,” Gould said.
The stand’s tacos were a favorite for several students who visited Rapid Gourmet last fall as well.
“I’ve had the shrimp tacos a few times last year and actually over the course of my time at Emory, and I just think they’re really great and flavorful,” Anya Chowdhry (24B) said at the market on Nov. 14.
Because cultural fusion is a significant element of her business, George wants to continue this innovation. She said she is a firm believer that food brings people together to celebrate each other’s cultures, which leads to greater understanding and appreciation.
“For the most part, all around the world, we have similar ingredients,” George said. “We just have different applications to these ingredients.”
George emphasized the commonalities between people and cultures.
“As human beings we have a not so pleasant tendency to focus on the 2% differences, versus appreciating and celebrating the 98% we have in common,” George said.
Even though George runs most of the business operations by herself, she seeks help from a few advisers and mentors, including the Urban League and Score. She said she is always eager to learn from others because everyone has different experiences.
“There is help out there because no man or woman is an island,” George said. “Nobody knows everything.”
Apart from the Emory Farmers Market, George sells her products on her website. The business also participates in numerous festivals and community events within the Atlanta area, such as East Point Farmers Market and the Conyers Fall Festival.
George expressed a deep fondness for Emory’s community.
“Emory is one of my favorite places,” George said. “The people are so appreciative of what we do.”
