Kate Ames is the Owner and Operator of Baller Foods. Chef Kate grew up foraging, fishing, and camping in Terrace, British Columbia. From a young age, she was drawn more to the arts than the sciences. In high school, she took “easy” academic classes like English and French correspondence during the summer to free up her schedule for the subjects she loved most—foods, choir, band, art, yearbook, and theatre.Kate began cooking at a young age after moving out and getting married at just 18. Her culinary journey started with a dishwasher job at a fishing lodge and evolved through roles at KFC, Pizza Hut, Denny’s, and Mr. Mikes. By the age of 20, she was managing both a Subway and a hotel pub.At 23, Kate moved to Vancouver to study graphic design and marketing at Emily Carr University and BCIT. She went on to freelance for over 15 years with her former business, Ames Design Studio, and held marketing and graphic design positions at the PG Free Press and the Northern Health Authority.When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Kate experienced major life upheavals, including the loss of childcare, employment, her design business, and her late partner. With resilience and passion, she pivoted toward her lifelong dream of owning a food truck. Leveraging her background in marketing and design, she launched Baller Food, a business born of both creativity and necessity.Kate began by making meatballs in the kitchen of Birch and Boar, where she found mentorship and support from chef and owner William Miller. Using guerrilla marketing tactics, she sold meatballs on the streets of downtown Prince George and gradually built a following. Over two years, she vended at community events, music festivals, weddings, and schools, eventually expanding into a full-fledged food truck operation.Since then, it’s been “balls to the wall.” From May to October, Kate focuses on contract events, travels to northern B.C. music festivals—including Valhalla and Riverboat Days in Terrace, Midsummer in Smithers, ArtsWells near Quesnel, and Robson Valley Music Festival in Dunster—and serves outlying communities such as Quesnel, Vanderhoof, and Mackenzie. She also continues to grow retail sales, with products now available at PG Urban Shroomery and soon at Blackwood Gifts.To improve visibility, Kate has partnered with CO-OP and Superstore and has a regular setup at the Chevron Cardlock in the BCR site. She posts her monthly event schedule and weekly updates on Facebook and Instagram, encouraging followers to set alerts so they never miss where she’ll be parked.In the off-season (October to May), Baller Food shifts its focus to hot lunch programs at local schools, event catering, and hot-and-ready meals. This fall, Kate will also launch cooking classes for kids at the South Fort George Family Resource Centre, continuing her mission to nourish and inspire the community through food.