Soul Kiss
BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT
EVENTS & CATERING
R
icarya Jackson—“Chef Rickie” to her
clients—is the owner of Orlando’s
Soul Kiss Events and Catering.
“I knew I wanted to be a chef when I was
nine. I used to sneak in the kitchen when
my mom wasn’t home and cook the reci-
pes from her Southern Living Cookbook.”
But she’d have to dispose of the evidence
before her mom got home because, “I
wasn’t allowed to use the stove.”
entele includes major corporations like
Walmart and the New York Times.
“Competing against other talented chefs in
their own right, and moving further in the
casting process was not only a challenge,
but a privilege,” she says. It was also a con-
firmation. “I was meant to be a chef!”
In 2017, while working on her master’s de-
gree, she started offering fresh meal deliv-
ery to local businesses. The following year,
she attended a blind audition for the FOX
series "Master Chef," and advanced to the
preliminary finals. Upon returning home Chef Rickie carried
her passion into a full-service catering busi-
ness. Today, she has a hand in every area,
with staff made up of culinary students,
hospitality industry professionals, and even
family who back her brand. Today her cli-
Chef Rickie isn’t content to sit on her suc-
cess. She believes in staying true to her
businesses roots, and continues to offer
meal planning, delivery during the holiday
season, cooking classes and private chef
services for more intimate events and oc-
casions. The Soul Kiss motto is, “A flavor
for every soul”, and that’s apparent in the
various menu offerings—from soul food
and Caribbean cuisine—to vegetarian
and vegan options. Chef Rickie’s diverse
culinary background and experience truly
shines through in the food she prepares, in
her own words, “with love”.
Still, it would be years before Jackson
turned that dream into reality. “I was a pho-
tographer, overnight stocker, waitress,”
she says. But none of those fit. Chef Rickie
would eventually change it up—going to
the University of Central Florida, where she
earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in
Hospitality and Tourism Management.
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