Food has always been more than fuel. Across Black communities, it is a way to preserve culture, pass down history, build community, and create opportunity. For Black History Month, celebrating Black-owned food brands and creators offers a meaningful way to recognize how tradition, innovation, and entrepreneurship come together—often beginning with family recipes, regional ingredients, and deeply rooted cultural knowledge.
These brands don’t just make food. They carry stories, protect heritage, and help shape a more inclusive food industry.
Food as Cultural Preservation and Entrepreneurship
Black food entrepreneurship in the United States has deep historical roots. Enslaved Africans brought agricultural knowledge, cooking techniques, and food traditions that profoundly shaped American cuisine. Over time, food also became a pathway to economic independence and community resilience—especially when access to traditional industries was limited.
According to the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, foodways — the ways people grow, prepare, and share food — are key parts of African American culture and history, with exhibits at the museum showing how culinary traditions have shaped community and identity over time.
Modern Black-owned food brands build on this legacy, honoring tradition while adapting to contemporary tastes, dietary needs, and lifestyles.
Modern Snack and Beverage Brands with Deep Cultural Roots
Partake Foods
Founded by Denise Woodard, Partake Foods offers allergen-friendly snacks inspired by classic childhood treats. Woodard launched the brand after struggling to find safe snacks for her daughter with multiple food allergies. Today, Partake Foods is nationally distributed and widely recognized for its commitment to inclusion, access, and community.
Partake demonstrates how modern snack brands can combine cultural familiarity with innovation—making food both comforting and inclusive.
BLK & Bold
BLK & Bold is a Black-owned coffee and tea company founded by Pernell Cezar and Rod Johnson. Along with producing specialty beverages, the brand pledges to donate 5% of its profits to support at-risk youth through workforce development programs and community initiatives.
BLK & Bold shows how food and beverage brands can serve as platforms for cultural pride and social impact.
McBride Sisters Wine Company
Founded by sisters Robin and Andréa McBride, McBride Sisters Wine Company is the largest Black-owned wine company in the United States. Their collections—including the Black Girl Magic wines—center storytelling, representation, and shared experiences around food and drink.
The brand highlights how entrepreneurship and cultural storytelling can thrive even in industries where Black ownership has historically been limited.
Creators Carrying Culture Forward
Beyond packaged foods, Black chefs, authors, and food storytellers play a critical role in preserving culinary traditions. Cookbooks, digital platforms, and food media ensure that techniques, recipes, and regional knowledge are documented and passed on rather than lost.
The Library of Congress recognizes cookbooks and food writing as important cultural records, reflecting how communities evolve while maintaining identity through food.
Why Supporting Black-Owned Food Brands Matters
Supporting Black-owned food brands during Black History Month—and throughout the year—helps sustain businesses built on lived experience, cultural knowledge, and innovation. It also encourages a more inclusive food landscape where the stories behind the flavors are valued as much as the products themselves.
Food becomes a bridge between past and present, tradition and innovation, culture and community.
The Takeaway
Black-owned food brands and creators are preserving culture through flavor—honoring history while shaping the future of food. From snacks and staples to beverages and storytelling, these businesses remind us that every bite carries a story worth sharing.
Celebrating them isn’t just about what’s on the table. It’s about recognizing the people, traditions, and communities behind it.
