At 35 years old, former restaurant server Katie “Red” Wimsatt made the decision to go to St. Paul, Minn. to pursue her dream of becoming a chef. One of nine children, with a daughter of her own, Wimsatt felt it best to seize the opportunity while she could.
“It’s the best decision I’ve ever made,” Wimsatt said. “My heart was on fire — I came back guns blazing,” she said of graduating culinary school in 2016 and starting her business Gourmet Meals to Go in 2017.
Wimsatt is now responsible for nourishing some of the strongest and healthiest members of the community. Wimsatt prepares meals for world record holder Julius Maddox, weight lifter Benquil Pierre Marigny and Iron Edge Gym owner Shane Leach.
Standing at 6 feet 3 inches tall and weighing 430 pounds, Maddox works with anywhere from 35,000 – 45,000 pounds in a day, requiring him to consume a substantial amount of calories. But he says he has to be careful in the types of food he eats.
“There’s got to be a healthy balance in there somewhere,” Maddox said. “If I ate garbage all day, I would weigh 600 or 700 pounds. If I ate strictly clean foods, I would wither away to nothing.”
Maddox said Wimsatt supplies about 70 percent of his meals and that the two have a mutual friendship. She helps prepare his necessary meals each week and he recommends her services to other members of the gym community.
“These workouts I do are extensive — you have to have a lot of stamina to do that,” Maddox said. “There are times I need something quick to eat. It’s a lot of food, and the food’s actually good.”
Wimsatt said she has been feeding Maddox for over a year and has enjoyed sharing in his progress.
“I’ve watched him transform into this massive strong man, and he’s so inspirational,” Wimsatt said, “These men are all so inspirational — the way they play with the science of their bodies. They give me the momentum to push through and be better. It’s really a universal relationship.”
She now prepares 200 meals a week for various customers throughout the community including doctors’ offices and healthcare providers.
Gourmet Meals to Go offers healthy, already prepared meals in packages of 10 for ease of preparation and customer convenience.
“I’m just a nurturer — not just with food, but people,” Wimsatt said. “I didn’t go to school to be a business owner, I went to school to be a chef. But Owensboro’s never had a place like this. Wow — did I strike a chord with affordable meals that focus on health and wellness.”
To explore some of the options Gourmet Meals to Go offers or to place an individualized meal order click here.
