Meet Tha Saints Brings New Orleans Flavor To Kitchens Nationwide

PATERSON, N.J. — What started as a love of food, travel, and family recipes has become a thriving brand blending culture, tradition and innovation. Asia Carter and Alliah Smith, wives and co-founders of Meet Tha Saints, are making their mark in the culinary world with their line of handcrafted flavored butters.

The pair, who began as private chefs and caterers, drew inspiration from Carter’s New Orleans roots and their shared passion for bold flavors.

“We love food, we love butter, and we wanted to bring that flavor here,” Carter said. “Instead of chopping and seasoning everything, we thought, why not create butters that make cooking easier without sacrificing taste?”

Meet Tha Saints launched nine years ago, first gifting their butters to catering clients before realizing the business potential. Today, their products ship nationwide and are sold online, including at Walmart.com, and locally at A Better Market, a Black woman–owned grocery store in Paterson.

A Taste of Home in Every Flavor

The company’s butters go beyond garlic and herb, offering varieties like Cajun, jerk, and dessert blends, each designed to bring a “taste of home” to kitchens. “We’re not just selling butter,” Smith said. “We’re bringing family, tradition and culture into every meal.”

Breaking into grocery stores has been one of their toughest challenges. “When you look at thousands of products on the shelves, only a handful are owned by Black people, especially Black women,” Smith said. Without outside investors, they’ve bootstrapped the business from their own paychecks, overcoming capital barriers and shifting supplier diversity programs.

Despite the obstacles, recognition has come. Meet Tha Saints has been featured in Essence and partnered with Coca-Cola, appeared on the Donna Drake Show, and even moved $20,000 worth of product in 24 hours after an appearance on the “Funky Dineva” podcast.

Balancing Business, Partnership and Community

The couple balances business with their personal relationship. They just got married this August. 

“It’s a challenge, but communication and staying in our lanes is key,” Carter said. “We both bring different strengths, and that makes us stronger together.” 

Beyond their butters, Carter and Smith see themselves as mentors and role models for other entrepreneurs. They design their own packaging, handle their own marketing, and now want to pass that knowledge on. 

“We never had food brokers at Career Day,” Smith said. “We want to show kids you can create a product, get it into stores, and build generational wealth.”

Looking Ahead and Building a Legacy

Meet Tha Saints has ambitious goals that include opening flagship “butter bars” in cities like New Orleans, Las Vegas and New York, expanding grocery store distribution nationwide, and collaborating with chefs and restaurants. They are also preparing to release new flavors, including a marsala butter inspired by a conversation with an AT&T representative. 

For Carter and Smith, success means more than sales. 

“We want our legacy to be that we led by example, that we honored our people, our culture, and created space for queer Black women in this industry,” Smith said.

This story is part of NJ Urban News’ Black Business Spotlight, uplifting Black-owned excellence across New Jersey. Know a business we should feature? Email us at editorial@njurbannews.com