Southern Soul: Angel Bailey Brings a Taste of Heaven to Wilkesboro

Spotlight on Angel Bailey, the Talent Behind Southern Soul

Born and raised in Wilkesboro, Angel Bailey remembers fondly the Sunday afternoons at her grandma’s house. “My grandmother had 14 children, and all of them had children, and those Sunday meals were massive as the family gathered to eat dinner and just spend time together,” Angel says.

From picking the vegetables in her grandma’s garden to helping shuck the beans and then standing by her side, watching her work her magic as she stirred and seasoned the food in big pots on the stove, Angel soaked up everything she could of her grandmother’s way of cooking. “She loved food, and she loved to see people eat, just like I do,” Angel says.

After years of working in other people’s restaurants, and even a few years working outside the food industry, Angel is back doing what she loves, and this time she’s the master of her own destiny. In October 2021, Angel started Southern Soul catering, carrying on some of those same traditional recipes her grandma used to make but putting her own spin on them.

Take Angel’s banana pudding, for example. “Everyone loves banana pudding, but I don’t like it really wet and creamy, so I did some experimenting,” Angel says. “My recipe has a firmer texture, so the cookies don’t get soggy, and every bite is as good as the first.”

The Southern Soul menu is full of mouth-watering comfort food, from fried chicken to green beans and potatoes, but one of the fan favorites is Angel’s chicken pie, made with all fresh vegetables.

After about five months spent establishing Southern Soul as a go-to catering business in Wilkesboro, Angel expanded to restaurant service in the location of the old Wyke’s Food Mart. “I just love the history of this place, and the community was really wanting to bring food back to this location,” Angel says.

As an African-American, female business owner, Angel is an inspiration to others looking to make their dreams a reality. “For years my fear of failure had kept me from trying to do this on my own, but when I finally decided to take the risk, it was one of the most stressful but rewarding things I’ve done in my life,” Angel says. “I’m one hundred percent living my dream.”