American CuisineA&J Catering

Chef Spotlight

Chef Angelia Nettles of A&J Catering: A Legacy of Love, One Plate at a Time

When Angelia walks into the kitchen, she’s not just preparing food—she’s continuing a legacy.

A proud member of the Continental Commissary Kitchen, Angelia is the force behind A&J Catering, a faith-based, family-owned business rooted in generations of care, creativity, and community. Her journey didn’t begin with a culinary school or a business loan. It began at home, in the kitchens of the women who raised her.

“My grandmother,” Angelia says with pride, “was the best cook in our family.” Everything her grandmother made came from scratch, poured from hands that understood sacrifice and nourishment. She never let anyone go hungry. Angelia’s mother inherited that same devotion, ensuring her own children were never without a hot meal or a taste of comfort. That love of food, passed down like a sacred heirloom, found its way into Angelia’s own motherhood. Her children, now grown, often reminisced: “We didn’t want pizza or to go out—we just wanted Mama’s cooking.”

Before launching A&J Catering, Angelia answered a different calling—nursing. She and her husband Jason built a life around caring for others, with Jason working as a travel nurse for years, splitting his time between home and the road. For Angelia, nursing was a ministry of the heart, but as the seasons of life changed, so too did her vocation. Two years ago, she and Jason stepped away from healthcare and into the kitchen—this time, together.

They named their business A&J, after themselves. Now, with their children building their own lives, Angelia and Jason are rediscovering each other in a new phase of life—this time as partners in both love and entrepreneurship. “Being a chef,” she reflects, “that’s my calling now.”

Their business is not just a partnership—it’s a family affair. Angelia’s mother, though still a little feisty when it comes to the great cornbread debate (“Mine is still better.” Angelia laughs), remains a steady presence. Her daughters often join in to help, and even cousins have been brought into the fold, ensuring the next generation is already in the kitchen, learning, seasoning, and stirring.

They began with a six-month membership at The Continental Commissary Kitchen. The response to their food—and their story—was so strong, they quickly upgraded to a full year. “The kitchen made it possible for us to operate our business,” Angelia says. “Having this space has been the foundation to our success.”

Before joining CCK, their previous space limited their ability to grow. The demands of the business were rising, but the capacity to meet them was not. The commissary kitchen offered what they needed: room to breathe, to scale, and to thrive.

Since then, A&J Catering has proudly served the Mobile Chamber of Commerce and local Boy Scouts organizations, building a reputation not only for quality food, but for creating moments people remember. “Food is what brings us together,” Angelia says. “At a wedding, it’s the food that people remember. That’s what we’re doing—creating memories.”

And indeed, they are. That’s why when asked about their cooking, the simple response is:
“TASTE AND SEE — Psalms 34:8”

Angelia and Jason have put in the kitchen hours. Their story is one of grace and the power of reinvention. At The Continental Commissary Kitchen, we are honored to be part of their journey—and proud to support the next generation of chefs, storytellers, and memory-makers like them.