Dish Kitchen is Turning 1!

Dish Kitchen is turning 1! 

On April 26, 2021, Dish Kitchen launched its first weekly menu, and May 3 was our first delivery day.  Upon our anniversary, I reflect on the year and what being SUSTAINABLE truly means.

As you may know, I had a different meal business prior to Dish Kitchen, Lunchbox on Main.  The first 6 months were completely crazy, filled with energy, optimism, rigor, excitement and countless sleepless hours -  but I loved every minute of it!  Until I didn’t.

There came a point where I was standing in the kitchen with hundreds of dishes to make, feeling completely overwhelmed, and although it was a good thing for business, it was not a good thing for me.  I realized that what I was doing, and how I was doing it, was not SUSTAINABLE.  Business, branding, finances, kitchen ops, logistics, menus - and cooking!  What did I get myself into?

Just as I was deciding to take yet a different path, fate stepped in, and I met Chef Will.

Chef Will had his own business, Artisanal Taste Meals.  With his career history at restaurants, country clubs and schools, Chef Will had extensive knowledge, skill and talent for large scale food production.  And, like me, he was doing it alone, and faced the same challenges of balancing “all things kitchen” with “all things business”.   As we got acquainted, we realized that by working together we could build a better, stronger business.  A SUSTAINABLE business.  And from there, Dish Kitchen was born.

We speak of SUSTAINABILITY often, as it is our founding principle.  We chose this foundation not only because we want to be eco-friendly, but also because we want to help others live more SUSTAINABLY as humans in their daily lives.  Balancing work, family, activities, school, etc., takes up a lot of time in the day.  When you finally get a break, is shopping and cooking what you really want to do- every night?  Do you have time to sit down for a complete, nutritious meal? Or are you snacking here and there and skipping meals completely?  We built Dish Kitchen to fill these gaps, by providing you with fresh, delicious, nutritious meals that are ready for you when you need them -  to help you SUSTAIN your lifestyle. 

Did you know there are actually 4 pillars of SUSTAINABILITY?  Human, Economic, Social, and Environmental.  Collectively, these are often referred to as “profit, people and planet”.

Yes, sustainability means meeting our present needs without compromising the future generations to meet theirs. 

And in business, it refers to operating without negatively impacting the environment and community.

But as humans, investing in health and nutrition, and promoting the wellbeing of communities, is also part of the formula, and often overlooked in the "SUSTAINABILITY conversation".

At Dish Kitchen, we practice all of these pillars on a daily basis, by sourcing fresh, seasonal ingredients from local NJ farms, using plant based compostable packaging, composting food scraps and containers, providing you with high quality meals, and sharing resources with our community to help them make choices today that will have a positive impact on tomorrow.

We are incredibly grateful to all of you for your support and loyalty over this last year, and for those of you who have been with us since Artisanal and Lunchbox, thank you for evolving with us!  We cook with a love and passion that is unmatched, and we care for our customers, their families, and for the planet. 

We are honored to be invited into your home weekly, and want you to consider Dish Kitchen, your kitchen. 

In 2022, we will continue to build our circular business model through new partnerships and reusable packaging, so be on the lookout for updates!

Dish Kitchen.  Good for people and planet.

Learn more about the Pillars of Sustainability!