NEWBERRY — When Shonda Caldwell first started preparing meals for people, she will tell you herself she started from the bottom. Now, what was once a dream that first started in her own kitchen has become a reality as she officially opened the doors to Blessed by the Best Soul Food, located at 1108 McKibben Street, during a ribbon cutting celebration on June 27.
Caldwell’s son Jamaree has played a special role in the business. He was one of his mom’s chefs and as a football player in college would often help his mom prepare meals for people during his time off.
“My mom always cooked and served for other people. She started to turn it up a notch and started a business out of her house, then turned it into DoorDash and right now it’s just been on an upward hill so it’s been a blessing,” Jamaree said.
Jamaree was recently selected by the LA Chargers in the 2025 NFL Draft. He said it’s a love/hate relationship when it comes to his mom’s food, since as a professional football player it’s important to stay in top shape.
“When you play football you can’t really indulge all the time and you come home and always want to indulge, especially when she cooks so I miss it, but I don’t miss it too much. She taught me how to cook and if I don’t know how to cook something I’ll call her,” he said.
He added that before his mom took the next step to officially opening Blessed by the Best Soul Food, their house was often a spot for many to hang out.
“Every time the guys came to the house, if they wanted a plate they could have one. You could say it was the house everyone wanted to get something to eat from,” he said.
As his mom takes this next step with her business, he gave her one piece of advice: “Stay humble and keep working – you always have to feel like you haven’t made it. Don’t get too big-headed, keep your head down and stay grateful and keep serving.”
For her part, Shonda was speechless with the amount of support her business has received.
“When you say we started from the bottom, we really started from the bottom. I tell people with Jamaree, he is so humble – even with his football career. He always comes back to me and says ‘what are you doing with the food?’ trying to give me a visual and a plan. He was one of my chefs and now that we have this building here it’s like a dream come true – everything was prayed for,” she said.
Caldwell said she understands her son now has to cut out of some the foods he would normally indulge in.
“To see him going to the NFL and rejecting stuff, I know that he’s tuned in. I’m still going to cook though…,” she said.
For anyone wanting to get a taste of what Caldwell has to offer, she said all of her food is good because “I cook everything with love” but customers have taken a liking to her collards and macaroni. On the flip side, she jokingly said she doesn’t exactly enjoying making deviled eggs due to the amount of hand work that come along with making them.