The Stone Soup Kitchen
Nils McKenney, Alumnus - Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts and Social Entrepreneur - founded Nils’ Magic Kimchi and the Stone Soup Collaborative with his wife, Rosie.
Nils is proof that Santa exists and that he doesn't have a long white beard or just work one day a year. The truth is, magic takes a lot of work and it's anything but easy. That's the wonder of it. Like Tom Hanks says in a League of Their Own, "The hard is what makes it great."
Despite the impossibility of building up a small business from the ground up that also contributes parts of its proceeds to a collaborative that feeds the homeless, Nils proves that he is more than up to the rigors of doing the hard, and doing it every day. Not just for the sake of it being hard, but for it being what's kind.
Not too long ago Nils himself was a homeless, addicted, neurodivergent veteran who needed something to lift him up. It was a desire to return the kindness shown to him that is the secret recipe in his product.
The Stone Soup Kitchen Collaborative was named after an old folktale about community collaboration. There are many versions but essentially there is an old homeless woman in a village who knocks on every door asking for some food. There is a depression going on and none of the villagers can spare food without risking their own children and families going hungry. The woman walks to the town center, starts a small fire, puts some stones and water in a pot and starts stirring it.
People stopped to ask her what she was making.
“Stone soup she’d reply. But I think it would be better with an onion, or a carrot, or some celery.”
After hearing this, the villagers run to their respective homes and one brings an onion, the other a carrot, and the other some celery and pretty soon there are more and more ingredients in the pot that they can all share from.
It’s the story of survival and the strength of a community. We truly are stronger together.
Every purchase of Nils’ Magic Kimchi not only nourishes your gut, but helps fill up someone elses. It’s also vegan so even if you don’t eat animal products, you can benefit from this kimchi. Please learn more about Nils and his collaborative on his website.
