THE VISIONARY

Baronese Stokes

Baronese is the visionary behind Shugg's Southern Foods. The name "Shugg" is a family name given to her grandmother, Mrs. Sallie Mae Burke by her mother Mrs. Lula Stoval. "Shugg" is short for sugar. It is a term of endearment shared among the women in her family for generations. With family roots planted in Greenwood, Mississippi, her inspiration is her grandmother who served as a school cafeteria manager for nearly 40 years. With a heart full of hospitality she served her community and family by sharing her love through food.

Baronese shares this same passion for Fine Southern Food and hospitality. It is her goal to take these treasured Southern recipes and make them available for families everywhere to enjoy!

Baronese is also passionate about economic empowerment and small business development. She is an astute businesswoman who attended Clark Atlanta University in Atlanta, GA. where she received a Bachelor's degree in Finance.  She is also a graduate of the University of Iowa Henry B. Tippie School of Business where she received a Master's of Business Administration in Finance and Entrepreneurship. Her professional career includes a portfolio of real estate, small business, and community economic development projects.  With an aptitude for raising capital, she is a natural entrepreneur and is dedicated to strengthening small and women owned businesses.  She enjoys serving her family and the local church and makes her home in the Memphis area along with her husband and three children.

Our Mission

Shugg’s Southern Foods is a collection of iconic southern style foods that bring back the love and joy of down home cooking. The brands’ signature product is our hand crafted Butter Pound Cake available with Butter or Lemon glaze. Stay tuned, many more products are soon to come!

Our Tribute

Shugg’s is a celebration of the magnificent culinary contribution of Black Southern Women.
This is an intentional exhibition to honor the women who served as cafeteria workers, line cooks, food assembly laborers, dishwashers
and so much more. May we present to you an edible expression of Our Hearts, Our Hands, and Our History.

Here's To You

To our mothers’ mothers who began this great work, hoping, praying and striving for a better future.
A future they would not see, but believed would some day be.
A future that would be better for you and better for me.

Here’s to You Ladies.

A Harvest for your Seed.
Your Great Work.
Your Legacy.