Sweet Grown Alabama Blogs

Sweet Grown Alabama is excited to welcome our inaugural group of "Seafood Ambassadors." These influencers will help shine a light on Alabama’s seafood industry, sharing the stories of our coastal communities and the hardworking fishermen behind every catch. We caught up with Chelsea Gieselmann to learn more about her and why she’s passionate about supporting fresh, local seafood.

1) Who is Chelsea Gieselmann? (Where are you located/what are your ties to Alabama/what’s your passion/etc.)

Hey y’all! I am an Alabama gal through and through. I was born and raised in Southeast Alabama and currently live in the small unincorporated town of Wicksburg! My passion is supporting the local food scene and shining a light on local ingredients through my ability to throw down in the kitchen. 

2) How did you begin your social media/influencer journey? 

I started my influencer journey 3 years ago after my short stint with Masterchef. I came home and launched Southrngritskitchen on Facebook and it flourished from there. Around a year later, my platform began to grow even more after defeating Alex Guarnaschelli in a head to head battle on Food Network’s Outchef’d. 

3) What is your all-time favorite meal?

Gulf Shrimp and Grits with a Cajun cream sauce. I’ve been making different variations of it for nearly half a decade. I could never get tired of it. 

4) What drives you to promote your community and local products?

Living in a small town area where big box reigns supreme, I feel the community needs as many voices as possible to raise awareness for local business. The small businesses in our communities work tirelessly to remain afloat and they deserve all of the recognition in the world for it. Plus when it comes to local and fresh, there are so many more benefits health wise to buying local than in some large stores. 

5) Where are your favorite spots in Alabama?

The Dinosaurs in the Woods in Elberta, Lake Eufaula and the Poplar Head Farmers Market during peak season.       

6) If you had to pick one of the following to keep, which would you choose and why? Local grouper, local snapper or local flounder?  

Local grouper 100%. Grouper is easy to elevate. It’s meaty and firm, the flavor is mild so it’s super versatile, and it holds up no matter if you’re grilling, frying, baking or searing.

Follow Southrngritskitchen on Facebook to see her posts promoting locally grown this year!