“I’ve always liked to serve food that makes you feel good. Food that is comforting; that makes you feel satisfied and grounded. Food that you’re going to enjoy and that’s going to be comforting, but that’s still going to feel good after your plate is empty.” Forrest Masters of The Sprout Kitchen comes by both her love of St. Augustine and her love of food naturally. Her name is immediately recognizable to most of us who live in St. Augustine and St. Johns County. Born and raised here, she belongs to one of the Ancient City’s oldest Menorcan families and comes from a long line of avid cooks. (Her father is the late Timmy Masters, St. Augustine native and founder of Master’s Masonry, and her uncle is Stephen “Beanie” Masters, a highly-regarded cook who, for close to 20 years, worked alongside Ned Pollack at Gypsy Cab Co.)
“My grandfather was actually one of the first people to teach me to cook,” recalls Forrest. “I remember going to his house. They had nine children so there were tons of grandkids and extended family. We all cooked dinner and sat down together. Food was a big part of our family gatherings.” She laughs, saying, “It was definitely Southern-style cooking that I’ve adapted over the years!”
The progression from Southern-style foods – with all the sauces, gravy, and deep-frying – to dishes utilizing whole, raw, unprocessed and living foods came about due to some health issues Forrest experienced during her college years at Flagler. “I had different stomach problems and didn’t understand what was going on, so I decided to research holistic cooking styles,” she says. “One of my first forays into the health world started with my job at Blue Planet co-op. The owners were really informed and opened my eyes to alternative food preparation options. Even though I was an English/Pre-Law major, I realized then that my passion was in the food world.”
Pursuing that passion took Forrest from St. Augustine to major metropolitan and culturally-diverse culinary hubs like Puerto Rico, NYC, and Los Angeles. “I moved to Puerto Rico and worked as a chef for the Ann Wigmore Living Foods Lifestyle School, a two-week retreat where guests would learn about sprouting, fermenting foods, food combining, and raw foods,” explains Forrest. “One client who really enjoyed my food offered me the opportunity to help create a location in Los Angeles. I opened a juice-bar / food setting for Kimberly Snyder, a celebrity nutritionist and best-selling author who became a mentor; she took me under her wing and taught me a lot! I worked for her in NYC and LA. Then it was back to Puerto Rico and, finally, home again.”
Forrest’s original Sprout Kitchen concept was developed about three years ago and is housed in a commercial warehouse owned by her father and located – fittingly – on Masters Drive. It’s a plant-based meal delivery and wellness program that incorporates 100% whole, non-GMO, and, whenever possible, locally-sourced foods. But what does all that mean? Do they, as I first thought, only serve sprouts? (Admit it…some of you thought the very same thing!) But no. Forrest explains, “We are a sprouted kitchen. We sprout all of our greens, nuts, seeds, and beans. It’s all about making things easier to digest. When people have problems with seeds or nuts or grains, it’s usually because those foods are not being handled properly. We take care to ensure that the food we prepare is easily digestible and that you’ll get the most nutrition from it and feel good after eating it.”
Forrest says that the transition from celebrity kitchen to home-town kitchen wasn’t really a difficult one to make. “I feel like St. Augustine has always been a special place,” she says. “The people here have an interesting outlook and progressive approach to life. And my husband and I are both ocean-lovers at heart so we appreciate the unique beauty of St. Augustine.” Although the reverse could have been true, her adventures outside St. Augustine seem to have eased her return from big-city bustle to the slower pace of smaller-town life. “As an avid traveler and a foodie at heart, I love incorporating what I’ve learned. We’re very seasonally-focused, and I use a lot of local farms for my ingredients because I just get a better product. And I feel good knowing that I’m contributing to our community’s economy.”
Although living food is becoming more commonplace, it’s still something of a novelty here in the oldest city. To counterbalance any negative food pre-or mis-conceptions, Forrest adds her own unique twist to some of the more classic, comfort foods. “We always do different soups and we experiment with some cooked food options,” she says. “Cooked, plant-based foods can be really healthy choices. We’ll take a traditional tomato soup and pack it with veggies – spinach, zucchini, carrots, celery – and blend it all together so you’re getting a wide variety of good things. I’ll do plays on macaroni and cheese using a pumpkin sauce, nutritional yeast, and a brown rice or chickpea pasta so it’s nutritionally dense and gluten free. We want you to want to walk away from your plate feeling good; not uncomfortable or tired.”
Because the Sprout Kitchen delivery-based meal service was so well-received, Forrest decided to venture into the brick-and-mortar food business, recently opening a second Sprout Kitchen on Charlotte Street, right in the heart of downtown St. Augustine. The food is freshly-prepared at the Masters Drive location and delivered to Charlotte Street, allowing locals and tourists alike the chance to take advantage of more healthy dining choices in a casual, sit-down setting. Does Forrest think this area can support another business sprouting up (sorry, couldn’t help it) in an already-crowded, downtown space? “I think St. Augustine is ready for greater variety,” she says. “Our food culture has evolved more toward businesses that are trying to raise the bar as far as healthy food, conscious eating and active lifestyles are concerned. There is still real opportunity here for entrepreneurs. We’re excited to share our love of food with everyone here. Downtown seems like the perfect spot!”
The Sprout Kitchen is located at 86 Charlotte Street and at 39 Masters Drive. Visit them online at www.thesproutkitchen.com. Photography by Kate Gardiner.
