I met Verchona in 2015 when her daughter and I became friends the summer after our freshman year of high school. Shortly thereafter, I was introduced to her cooking and fell in love with it immediately. As a picky eater, I never found it hard to find a good meal at Verchona's house. I remember coming over after walking home from school to the smell of something good on the stove. I once spent an entire summer at her house and man, did I eat well.

Verchona is a mother of six (seven if you include me, lol), so cooking was always a thing in her house. You could always find her in the kitchen, trying new recipes that she created in her head and letting us steal a piece of food every now and then if our hands were clean. Food was the heartbeat of that household, bringing everyone together. You knew that if they were hosting an event, there was going to be some good food.

Our partnership began when her daughter (my best friend) and I were tasked with creating a woods-themed birthday party décor for her little brother's birthday. We later worked on other projects together, and I worked my way up to where I am now. What started as a simple favor of revamping her website with my fresh eyes turned into me becoming a co-founder. But this isn't about me, lol—it's about Verchona. Her food tells her story.

You might be wondering if Hedonist Foodie was founded in 2018, why are we just hearing about it in 2024? Like her food, she takes the time to truly perfect her craft. Sure, she can cook and is really good at it, but she excels at understanding her audience and creating something that hasn't been done before. She is truly remarkable, and working with her has been nothing short of an incredible journey.

Hedonist Foodie is her passion project turned business, run by an amazing woman who has dedicated so much of her time and energy to building it for the world to enjoy. I couldn't ask for a better person to work with."

Siyanna Mahan

Co-Founder of Hedonist Foodie