About two years ago Kay Lynn York had a vision.
Kay said the vision was so vivid it felt as if God Himself was giving her a direct order, one that included her friend Joan Reece.
"It was about starting a food business," Kay Lynn said, "and it had to involve Joan. It was crazy because I knew nothing about the food business, but I was determined to learn."
Joan was, and still is, known as one of the very best cooks in Atlanta, Texas. She started cooking at the age of 12, and years later owned Joan Reece Catering for 30+ years. Some of the earlier years of her business coincided with a full-time job at Hanner Insurance, also in Atlanta.
"My mother, Pat Dupree, was a seamstress," Joan said. "By the time I was in high school, I could handle the cooking, and mom would sew."
Many in town have hired Joan to cater their weddings, reunions, showers and the like. And anyone attending First Baptist Church of Atlanta in the last five decades had the privilege of tasting her original dishes at potlucks and church dinners. You can find her recipes in church and club cookbooks printed throughout the years.
But those of us who were friends with Joan's daughter Andra and son Keith were really the lucky ones because we got the fresh, hot meals and delicious desserts she served when we visited.
Keith Reece has followed in his mother's footsteps and is now the chef at Wadley Regional Medical Center. Both he and big sister, Andra Reece Wisdom, are helping Kay Lynn and Joan in the new business, To The Moon Family Foods. He is known as "Chef Keith" in the culinary world, and some of his recipes are a part of the lineup. His secret-recipe remoulade sauce and his pimento cheese - made with Joan's candied jalapeos - are both big hits. Andra and daughter Brooke Wisdom help at with the trade-show booths and presentations along with Kay Lynn's daughters Abby and Meghan.
After explaining her vision to Joan, it took Kay Lynn several months of researching to learn what they needed to do first.
"One of my childhood friends has a lot of experience in the grocery business, so I asked her a lot of questions," Kay Lynn said. "There really is so much to it. I had no idea!"
Once pointed in the right direction, Kay Lynn and Joan took a couple of their products to H-E-B, a large chain of 400 grocery stores in Texas and Mexico. Each year, the San Antonio-based chain holds "H-E-B's Primo Picks Quest for Texas Best" contest. At the time, it was too late to enter for 2018, so they held off until 2019 to enter the product they knew would be their golden egg - Joan's original Nutty Carrot Spread.
Kay Lynn is the business half of the duo, with experience in pharmaceutical sales that gives her the negotiation and presentation knowledge the small company needs. Having their products accepted by the large grocery chain gives them leverage with smaller chains and also produces the revenue to keep up with production and traveling expenses.
"We are 50/50 partners," Joan said. "I can't do all the things Kay Lynn knows how to do, and she can't do what I do. She's a delight to work with - funny and sweet, just like a daughter."
So far everything has gone smoothly.
"We've had no disagreements," Kay Lynn said. "We're a good team."
Meanwhile Joan's candied jalapeos are doing a nice business in the deli buffet of H-E-B, where they are sold by weight. Some of Keith's items are also there in H-E-B's deli section. There are grocery stores and a restaurant chain in California waiting for the Nutty Carrot Spread to be available.
The spread is the most popular and unique item in their lineup. It is made with carrots, pecans and a secret selection of spices.
"When we were at the Orlando Food Show people kept coming by to taste it and then saying it's the best stuff in the building," Joan said, referring to the Orlando Convention Center that held 400 vendor booths and 12,000 buyers from stores and restaurants all over the country.
In March 2019, the family did enter the spread into the H-E-B contest, which had more than 800 entries from nearly 140 Texas cities. Judges narrowed it down to 20 finalists after two qualifying rounds before choosing the winners on Aug. 8.
"On June 21 we packed up and headed to the H-E-B in Hudson Oaks, thinking we were just there to do another presentation," Kay Lynn said. "But when we walked in, there were balloons, confetti and TV cameras. That's how we learned we were in the top 20 finalists."
On Aug. 8, those final 20 products were judged on customer appeal, value, uniqueness, market potential and differentiation from current products at most H-E-B stores. Out of all those entries, the Nutty Carrot Spread won third-place overall, earning a spot on H-E-B shelves and a check for $10,000.
"We've been working so hard on this for about a year now," Kay Lynn said. "When we made the Top 20 finalists we began working on our final presentation. It was so good, I wasn't worried and we are thrilled to get third place!"
H-E-B is listed as No.6 on Progressive Grocer's 2019 Super 50 list of Top Grocer's in the United States. They have no store in Texarkana, however.
The Nutty Carrot Spread is being mass-produced at Ron's Manufacturing in Houston and will be distributed from there.
Although the spread is not available in Northeast Texas, this dynamic duo is working to change that. Nothing seems beyond reach for a pair who boldly named their company To The Moon without blinking an eye, as if even the most distant goals are within reach.
"I truly believe the Lord led us here," Kay Lynn said. "If I didn't believe, then I would never have started on this path."
(To learn more, visit ToTheMoonFamilyFoods.com )