Meet Chris Childs | Co-Founder, Co-Owner, Head of R&D

We had the good fortune of connecting with Chris Childs and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Chris, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
Each of us already having experience owning our own businesses, starting up Kaioken was a no brainer. Our collective experience in the fine dining industry coupled with the desire to utilize zero-waste practices and leverage the opportunity to work with local farms functioned as the driving force to create this platform for highlighting our culinary talents and sustainability values. We saw the need for a hub for fermentation here in Charlotte and went for it!

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Our commitment to sustainable practices, our passion for producing new and innovative products and our relationships with local businesses. We cater to all kinds of dietary preferences and restrictions and love interacting with the community. Working with local restaurants and continuing to do more events and dinners is a big push for us and we’re excited to keep creating unique recipes using local flavors as the seasons come and go.

Originally from Lexington NC, Chris Childs graduated from UNCC with a BA in Business Management and runs Childs Cleaning Service when not concocting and perfecting his craft in the kitchen. Chris has been enthusiastically involved in cooking and food for over a decade, as well as being obsessed with fermentation and foraging for several years.

Madison Ransom on the other hand hails all the way from Los Angeles CA where he first drew inspiration from the culinary journeys of his father and resulting in him owning and running a restaurant featuring health-conscious cuisine. After moving to NC Madison continued dabbling with food, fine dining, and business ownership; enterprising upon several entrepreneurial ventures and enriching his community in numerous ways.

Both Chris and Madison have their wild mushroom foraging licenses and enjoy reinforcing the food in nature connection, highlighting the importance of sustainable practices.

We’ve had our share of challenges, such as navigating fermentation in the regulatory space on a small batch scale, unwilling to compromise on certain values and practices often sacrificed in the pursuits of creating larger scale operations. Our number one take-away would be to never give up. Stay consistent and true to your values and you never know who you will inspire or may inspire you in return!

Don’t be afraid to get curious about fermentation, seeking out local foods, and supporting sustainable practices. Question the ingredients labeled on the food you eat and the processes that created them. Dare to venture out to local farmers markets, buy seasonally and consciously.

Come see us at the Charlotte Regional Farmers Market every Saturday and Sunday, you can also find us at the Charlotte Uptown Farmers Market and Belmont Farmers Market. Catch us at the First Friday Market by Rosie’s Coffee and Wine (McGill Rose Garden) each month for a taste of some of our favorite products and food featured via a variety of cuisine. You may also find us at one of the many pop-up events around Charlotte and the surrounding areas.

Follow us @Kaiokenlabs and sign up for our email list at www.Kaiokenlabs.com.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Decisions, decisions, okay here’s what we think:

Walk around NoDa to eat and shop, stop by Bisou Nail Boutique for the best mani/pedi around and grab a fermented beverage (aka beer) up the street at Divine Barrel Brewing.

Meander over to Plaza Midwood and grab a drink or three at Jack’s, Eden or the Thirsty Beaver (all with very different vibes!) If you like live jazz and amazing cocktails check out Eighty Eights, for more great cocktails check out The Punch Room inside the Ritz Carlton Uptown.

Venture Uptown and check out some of our museums like the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art or the Mint Museum, maybe catch a performance at the Blumenthal or the newly unveiled Carolina Theater.

Catch a game at the Bank of America Stadium, Truist Field or Spectrum Center. Catch a comedy show at The Comedy Zone, or a concert at the Milestone.

Weather permitting hit up Crowders Mountain for a quick hike and view, or the White Water Center for some quality outdoor activities and events.

Dine at a few of our favorite places such as:

 Fahrenheit – superb contemporary American cuisine and amazing views of the city

 Counter – full sensory story driven tasting menu

 Restaurant Constance – incredible dishes featuring locally sourced ingredients

 Coquette – the best French cuisine in town

 Custom Shop – cozy rustic vibe with a tasty menu focused on American cuisine with European accents

Saturday be sure to hit up the Charlotte Regional Farmers Market or Charlotte Uptown Farmers Market and be surprised by what you find 😊

Sunday brunch hours, take a trip through time with a one of kind experience featuring live phonographed tunes and unique commentary via DJ Nostalgia at Rhino Market and Deli Wesley Heights. Tell him Kaioken sent you!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
The short answer is yes, yes and yes!
Clark Barlowe, a remarkable local chef who initially inspired many of our core values. Well known for his innovative use of seasonal flavors featuring hyper local ingredients, showcased by playful, ever-changing menus. He also pioneered the use of foraged edible mushrooms in restaurants via his restaurant Heirloom where we initially met.

Greatly inspired by figures like Jeremy Umansky, Rich Shih, Rene Redzepi, David Zilber, and Sandor Katz – all veritable heavy hitters in the world of fermentation; if we had to pick our top three books they would be:

 Koji Alchemy: Rediscovering the Magic of Mold-Based Fermentation (2020) by Jeremy Umansky & Rich Shih
 The Noma Guide to Fermentation (2018) by David Zilber & Rene Redzepi
 The Art of Fermentation (2012) by Sandor Katz

Organizations such as the Carolina Farm Trust founded by Zack Wyatt and the Piedmont Culinary Guild under the stewardship of Kris Reid have done an amazing job at helping connect farms to businesses to source local ingredients and foster communities with access to unique quality culinary experiences.

Website: https://www.kaiokenlabs.com

Instagram: Kaiokenlabs

Facebook: Kaioken Labs

Image Credits
Cat Eye Photography & Video for professional photos of products
Instagram: @cat_eyeh
Photographer: Instagram: @carrie_catph

“Brainstorm”, “Fermented Fury” labels and Kaioken Labs banner/table cloths
Carolina Stickers
Instagram: @carolina_stickers