From taco bars to wedding cakes, local caterer was inspired by her grandmother.
Sitting on a stool in her Granny Essie’s kitchen, eyeing every move her grandmother made, was how the owner and chef of Mama Kim’s Kitchen, Kimberly McClure, fell in love with the concept of cooking.
“My Granny Essie grew up on a farm in a very small town near Little Rock, Arkansas, where she learned to make everything from scratch,” she said.
A native Arizonan, McClure was born in Phoenix in 1959. Through the years, she lived with her Granny Essie and would help her in the kitchen with small chores such as washing snap peas. “I always looked forward to seeing her and helping her cook. I thought that cooking was magical. Granny Essie did make it clear that it was her kitchen.”
As Granny Essie got older and her health declined, McClure took over the responsibility of making Sunday dinners. “One day after dinner she pulled me aside and said, you really have a gift, and my prayer is that you do something with it.”
As a young single mom of three children, McClure felt could not attend college while her children were young. However, when they got older, she worked full time as a paralegal during the day and attended the Art Institute of Phoenix in the evenings. This is where she earned her bachelor’s degree in culinary management. “I knew I could cook but I wanted the education as well. Cooking was and is my passion and education has always been important to me.”
McClure is happy that Granny Essie lived to see her start school in April 2015.
Moving to Flagstaff in 2020, McClure started her business two years later. The name Mama Kim’s Kitchen developed when young adults at her church began calling her Mama Kim. “When we started planning the business, my husband suggested I use that name. So, I did.”
As a full-service caterer, McClure says she does it all. “We’ve done everything from Mac N Cheese bars, pulled pork and chicken, taco bars with all the fixings, enchiladas, risotto, pasta, steaks, and even wedding cakes and desserts. You name it, we can cook or bake it,” she said, adding that she loves cooking from scratch because everything tastes better.
One of their popular displays is the Grazing Table, which includes a charcuterie board and a wide variety of food selections. “I like to call it a charcuterie board on steroids,” who added she loves cooking from scratch because everything tastes better.
One of her customers is Arlette Pender, founder of the non-profit organization, My Hair is Beautiful. “We held a self-esteem workshop for young girls and their parents. Kim set up a Grazing Table for us and it was beautiful and catered to all food preferences. Though Kim is very kindhearted, she means business. She was on time and very professional. We were so happy to have her. People are still talking about the food.”
“I don’t just cook food; I create an experience and I cook from the heart. We have no preset menus,” said McClure. “My strategy is to interview my client and see what they like and customize an experience for them. Sometimes it’s hard to express how I feel. Cooking is a passion for me, and it is not something I feel I have to do. I never want anyone to say that I just cooked food for them, but I’d like them to know how much love went into the food I prepared.”
McClure’s husband, Ben, is a blacksmith who owns Remnant Forge. “Ben helps with equipment and organization. He doesn’t cook but I call him my sous chef because he will clean and chop veggies and fruit and overall prep. He also assists with stocking up the Grazing Tables and helps clean up the commissary. I couldn’t do it without him, he is definitely my right hand.”
“Kim is awesome,” said Viola’s Weddings and Events Lead Coordinator Stevie Calvo. “It is so neat to see her grow over the last couple years, and she is so great to work with. What she does with her cool Grazing Tables is amazing; they are so fun and overflow with lots of colors. They are my personal favorite. We like working with other family businesses here in Flagstaff and Mama Kim’s Kitchen is on our list.” FBN
By V. Ronnie Tierney, FBN
To contact Mama Kim’s Kitchen, call 480-707-2462.
Photos by V. Ronnie Tierney, Fresh Focuses Photography: Chef Kimberly McClure, owner of Mama Kim’s Kitchen, creates her popular Grazing Table.