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Seattle Solidarity Boxes showcase food items from black-owned businesses

The boxes are curated and delivered by Savor Seattle. #k5evening

SEATTLE — Supporting nearly a dozen local black-owned businesses is just a click away.

Savor Seattle, a food tour company that pivoted to curating food boxes from Pike Place Market, is now offering a box containing pantry and fresh food items made exclusively by black-owned vendors.

Owner Angela Shen said she was inspired to help the Black Lives Matter movement.

"Current events really struck home for me and I couldn't sleep that first night of protests, and ultimately the looting that happened,” she said.

Shen wanted to support other small businesses and reached out to her network of foodie friends to find vendors for what she calls the “Seattle Solidarity Box.” Everything came together in record time.

"Literally from inception to launch was 36 hours,” Shen said.

Each box contains 12 different items from 11 black-owned businesses, and Savor Seattle donated 100% of the first 200 boxes sold and 5% of every subsequent box to BLM.

Featured items include Steel Drum Plantains from Marjorie on Capitol Hill, Southern-style granola and marmalade from award-winning Seattle chef Eduardo Jordan, and coffee beans sourced from Africa and roasted at Boon Boona in Renton.

Boon Boona owner Efrem Fasaha had to close the in-person side of his business in March, including weekly East African coffee ceremonies designed to inspire conversation.

"It's all about community and really providing a space for that and we miss it dearly," he said. "We had to put a lot of our team on standby, which was really one of the toughest things to do."

Boon Boona has stayed afloat through to-go items and online sales.

The inclusion in the Solidarity Box proved to be a good boost. After just one week, 900 boxes were sold – contributing more than $65,000 for the partnering small businesses.

“It was bonker balls,” Shen said, laughing. "We sold out 2 times over in the first 48 hours."

The boxes also raised nearly $9,000 dollars in donations for BLM.

"All of these individuals are just doing phenomenal work and it's just great to be in the mix with them,” Fasaha said.

The Seattle Solidarity Box costs $150 and can be ordered online.

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