On episode 25 of The Buddy Ruski Show, Justin interviews Anna Gibala. 

Anna spent her childhood in Durham after being adopted from South Korea at 3 months old. Her interest in the culinary arts started early in life, watching cooking shows with her father and using food as a centerpiece for good times with her friends. (4:52)

After graduation, Anna enrolled in culinary school at Johnson & Wales before venturing out to the west coast to further explore a career in food and level up her skills at a number of restaurants. (23:33) Clove & Hoof, a whole-animal butcher shop and restaurant in Oakland, left a lasting impression on Anna. It was here that visions for her own business began to materialize.

Eventually, Anna moved back to her hometown to start Moonbelly Meat Company, a woman-owned sausage and charcuterie business serving locally sourced, humanely raised pork products. (38:47) We talked about the distinct branding for Moonbelly, why ethical, local sourcing is so important to the company's values, and the joy Anna gets from experimenting with different recipes, even for things as simple as hot dogs.

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