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BELMONT, N.C. — A local chef is bringing local and organic meals to people living in Gaston County.

Anthony Soriano started Feel Good Meals before the pandemic and got even busier during Covid.

"They would have our meals delivered to them because they could still receive that quality of food and quality of meals just at their house," Soriano said. "People that couldn't go out, that were susceptible or more prone to Covid, had the meals brought to them."

On any given weekend at Ant's Kitchen in Belmont, Chef "Ant" and his cooks do the final preparations for the week. Soriano said what's good about his business is that they have only one deadline.

"Monday at 10 o'clock is when we start our deliveries," Soriano told WCNC.

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Single-serving items are ordered a la carte and served in disposable containers. 

"You decide how many items you want for the week," Soriano said. "You just check out like at Amazon and we deliver it to you on Monday. I stay away from the meal plans because I don't want anybody to feel obligated to a certain thing."

With 20 years of experience as a chef, Soriano moved to Belmont in 2014. 

"It was very kid friendly. It was very outdoorsy. You can walk anywhere," Soriano remembered. "I fell in love with the community as soon as we stepped foot in it and bought a house."

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Working as a chef in Charlotte meant long commutes and longer days.

Soriano said, "I decided to stop working 60 to 70 hours a week in a restaurant, start my own business, and then meal prep for people in my community."

Menus are broken down into gluten-free, dairy-free, and items 400 calories or less.

"But our most popular items are always the ones that are comfortable: Meatloaf. Lasagna. We do bison lasagna which sells out all the time," Soriano said. 

His upbringing also influenced his cooking.

"I have a Filipino background. My parents are both from the Philippines. So you'll see that, especially in certain dishes certain flavor profiles that we do here," the chef said. "Growing up in her kitchen, being the eldest of four and both parents working, gave me a lot of time to cook for a family."

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It is because of his own children, Soriano said he wanted more flexibility in his livelihood.

"Our mission statement here is: Making life easier. Making life easier means balancing between your work and what's most important is your family and friends."

Prices range from $10-$11 per meal up to $15. Delivery is available in Belmont, Gastonia, Lake Wylie, Huntersville, and South Charlotte with plans to expand.

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