Meet Anjelique Leslie-Rivas | Self-employed Vegan Caterer and Vegan Health Coach

We had the good fortune of connecting with Anjelique Leslie-Rivas and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Anjelique, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
Really the spark of passion for food began when I was really young. I’ve always found myself concocting what ever I had in my fridge together as experiments, but not always did they come out well! I had actually put my dreams of becoming a chef aside, due to external influences reminding me that it wasn’t as practical of a career. In my early 20’s attending college, I was actually studying to become a teacher in the field of science. That did not work out too long because during my college years I started cooking meals for my peers, and it gained popularity, so then I started cooking for local events to gather my community feedback and then things snowballed from there. During the start of the pandemic I realized that I needed to get back to my childhood dream, so I left college to pursue my business in food. Starting during the pandemic was not necessarily ideal, but it gave me a chance to study what it takes to run my own business. By the time 2021 came around I was back out into the community cooking for local events and farmers markets. When 2022 came around I started to slow down on farmers markets to really develop other areas of my business and enrolled into a school of culinary arts with emphasis on plant based cuisine. As of now, I do contract work with a wonderful school influenced by Steiner education, Mojave Springs School, to prepare plant based lunches and snacks for their students. This journey has been a pleasure for me, and if I had to do it all again, I would do it the same!

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Becoming a plant based chef, has definitely not been easy. I have been plant based myself since I was 13 years old. I think what makes me excited being a chef in the plant based world feels as if I am sometimes pioneering my way through the food industry. The vegan food industry is growing and is expected to grow beyond 40B in the next ten years, so really right now is just the tip of the iceberg for all of the innovative things we will come to see. What sets me apart from others is the community involvement. I really love incorporating local craft into my menus. I absolutely love supporting my community because I feel I get to shine light on their craft just as much as mine, and they bring other ingredients and flavors to the table than just my own. From setting up tents and tables to share my food, to doing contract work with companies has been turbulent. It really takes a lot to run your own business, and frankly I am still learning as much as I can everyday. The best way I was able to overcome this was support from my family, peers, and those close to me that I considered mentors because they knew things about business and people that I did not, or failed to understand having tunnel vision. I think the biggest lesson I have, and am still learning as a solo entrepreneur, is that your support system is everything, and it’s ridiculous to ride the waves alone for ever, a team will get you there. Over the course of the 4 years that I have been molding myself along with my business, the main thing I want people to know about GardenBites is that the goal for our customers is to experience vegan food that is delicious, nutritious, and supports the environment and community.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Oh man, okay, so I love the art scene here in Las Vegas. Anything downtown in the Arts district is a must see. There’s always local events happening (music, comedy, live painting, array of delicious food and wonderful bars). There are shows and events happening almost everyday downtown, so pick your poison. Another great thing to check out is our local farmers markets, there are some every week/weekend happening in Summerlin, downtown 3rd street, Bruce tent park, etc. There are even predominantly vegan events to check out as well like Plant based into the seasons, and Vegan Wonderland. My last, and favorite scene is actually the nature and hiking trails here in Las Vegas. I know most people just think desert and gambling, but places like Red Rock (Calico basin), Mt. Charleston, and Nelson’s Landing, are absolutely beautiful and fun to explore! You can go caving, rock climbing, swimming in hot springs around town, and really just adventure to your hearts desires.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would love to thank Serjio for allowing this experience to unfold, and I would love to thank my soul family in Colorado (Nicky, Melissa, and James). I would love to thank my soul family here in Las Vegas as well! I am also grateful to my mother for helping on my journey to owning my own business, and my brother for his support. I would love to thank Sam and Nate for providing me my first platform to realize these dreams. I would also love to thank the staff at Mojave Springs School, and Yourway Breakfast House for imparting on me so many values and bonds that I will never forget. As well as a thanks thanks to loved ones that are no longer in or apart of my life for helping support me one way or another on my journey.

Website: GardenBiteslv.com

Instagram: GardenBiteslv

Image Credits
Myself and Anthony