What is your business called and what does it do?

We are The Kids’ Table – a kids’ meal preparation and delivery company in downtown Toronto. Busy parents go online to order 6, 9 or 12 meals at a time, plus snacks for home delivery. We are not a subscription service – parents use us as they need us. Our meals are created and crafted by Chef Shen Ousmand and the culinary team at McEwan Fine Foods exclusively for The Kids’ Table.

What made you want to do this work?

One of the partners, Ian Flemming, had the original idea of starting a kids’ lunch company because he had an interest in food and its preparation, and he could see that there was nothing out there that offered children really good, healthy lunches that they would actually want to eat.

He and his mother, Nicolette Flemming started throwing ideas around, and brought in another person, Joan Butler. Soon, all three of us were deep in research to figure out what was on offer in Toronto and where the gaps were. We ended up going beyond “lunches” to “meals” as we wanted to offer a solution for the one giant gap that was obviously there: there was no kids-specific meal preparation and delivery service in Toronto. Or Ontario or Canada, for that matter.

What problem does this solve?

More than anything, parental stress. Also, getting kids interested in eating healthy food.

We started forming The Kids’ Table before COVID hit, and we were already focusing on how we could relieve parent stress. Since COVID, we think more than ever, busy, stressed-out parents can use a break every now and then and order a week’s worth of meals for their kids.

Who are your clientele/demographics?

Busy, stressed out parents with children between the ages of 4 and 12. At the moment, living in central Toronto, but we will be broadening our scope.

How does your business make money? How does it work?

Just like any other food service company but again, we aren’t a subscription service. Parents can order meals from us on a weekly basis.

Where in Toronto can we find your profession?

The Kids’ Table is a unique service in Toronto. There are other companies that prepare kids’ food. But no-one else delivers individually-prepared, chef-crafted kids’ meals to customer’s homes.

What is the best question a prospective customer could ask a member of your profession when comparing services?

What makes you different, better, special?

The Kids’ Table is a unique service in Toronto.

There are other companies that prepare kids’ food, but no-one else delivers individually-prepared, chef-crafted kids’ meals direct to customer’s homes.

All our meals and snacks are created and prepared by McEwan Fine Foods – specifically crafted for ultimate “kid appeal”. ­Our meals are made from fresh, quality ingredients – nutritious and oh-so-delicious! Kids love them as well as the fun names: Gobble Gobble Meatballs, Spaghetti Cupcakes and Winner Winner Chicken Dinner are a few faves.

We pride ourselves on fast, efficient delivery on Sundays. And to top everything off, our customer service is top-notch, immediately responding to customer concerns with the attitude “Got an issue? Let’s make it right!”

What is the best part about what you do? What is the worst part?

The best part is being able to help parents out, especially during these difficult times. We’re parents ourselves and we know firsthand how hard the day-to-day grind can be and we don’t hesitate to welcome anything that can help relieve one of the many things on our to-do.

There honestly hasn’t been a worst part yet as so far it’s all been working toward our launch and now that we’re working toward expanding our services, we haven’t had time to dwell on anything negative.

What is your favourite joke about your own profession?

Q: How can you tell if someone is an entrepreneur?
A: Don’t worry, they’ll tell you.

What is another Toronto business that you love?

Park & Province men’s clothing store

The post Homegrown Business: Kid’s Meal Prep and Delivery from The Kids’ Table appeared first on Toronto Guardian.

Gobble Gobble Meatballs

Makes 3-4 servings, depending on how hungry your little ones are!

Ingredients
– 1L Marinara sauce
– 1.5 Lbs McEwan’s Own turkey meat balls (see recipe below!)
– 450 grams dried spaghetti pasta
– 1 cup good quality grated parmesan cheese
– 1 tsp olive oil
– 1 tsp Kosher salt

Turkey Meatball Ingredients
– 1.5 Lbs Ground turkey
– 125 grams Spanish onions – finely diced
– 1 tsp garlic – minced
– 2 tbsp chopped parsley
– ½ tsp dried basil
– ½ tsp dried oregano
– ¼ tsp chili flakes
– ½ cup panko
– ½ cup full-fat milk
– 2 whole eggs
– 1 tbsp kosher salt
– Pinch of black pepper

Directions

1. In a large bowl combine all the ingredients for your Gobble Gobble Meatballs. Using a spatula – or even your hands! – mix the meat and spices well.

2. Next, shape the mixture into 1-inch balls. TIP: If you are not using all the meat balls at the same time, you can easily transfer this dish to a freezer-safe container and store for up to one month.

3. Once you have the meat balls ready, pre-heat your oven to 350F. Place meatballs on a non-stick baking tray and cook for 10 to 12 minutes until golden and cooked through.

4. While the meatballs are in the oven, fill water (approximately 6 litres) in a pot to cook the pasta. Add a ¼ teaspoon of salt and a teaspoon of olive oil.

5. Bring the water to boil and cook the pasta for about 8 minutes and stir occasionally so the pasta does not stick. The pasta should be cooked to al dente. Once the meatballs are fully cooked, remove from heat at let rest for approximately 5 minutes.

6. In the meantime, bring the marinara sauce to a boil in a sauce pan and transfer half of the meatballs to the sauce and cook for about 3 minutes until well incorporated.

7. Strain the pasta using a colander and transfer to a mixing bowl. Mix the cooked pasta and meatball sauce together.

8. Transfer the pasta & meatballs in to a serving bowl. Sprinkle parmesan cheese on top and serve immediately.

This recipe can serve three to four kids. You can also store the remaining meatballs in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, or in the freezer for a longer shelf life.

The post Gobble Gobble Meatballs recipe from The Kids’ Table meal delivery appeared first on Toronto Guardian.