About Us
Origin Story
The Black Food Project is a holistic food system initiative integrating community, culture, and cuisine into a single, cohesive platform. It represents the distillation of decades of work within the food system — the understanding that this work cannot be done in isolation, and can only succeed as a comprehensive, collective effort bringing together catering, culture, education, functional food, and community-driven impact.
At the heart of The Black Food Project is a deep reverence for Black culinary traditions from Africa, the Caribbean, South America, Mexico, and African American communities. We preserve and promote these traditions while developing functional food, following sustainable practices, and prioritizing healthy meal preparation — building a model that is culturally empowering and financially viable for the communities it serves.
The kitchen is the movement.
Background in Industry
Chef Phil Jones brings more than 17 years of experience in Detroit’s food policy and community food access work, including a long tenure with the Detroit Food Policy Council (2009–2025). That work — rooted in food justice, grocery access, and community-driven change — is the foundation The Black Food Project is built on.
Meet the Team
Chef Phil Jones
Founder & Chef
Chef, cultural advocate, and community food specialist rooted in Detroit’s food justice and grocery access work. Leads culinary direction, programming, and community partnerships for The Black Food Project.
[More team and collaborator profiles will be added here as The Black Food Project grows.]