Member Spotlight : Allison Slater
After a 20+ year career in corporate fashion retail, I lost my job, and then with the onset of COVID, everything was up for re-evaluation. I had always thought about owning a food based business, something that would support my community, and with so many uncertainties at that point in time in my life, I just decided to take a leap of faith. Based on my own meal prep routine I launched a healthy lunch delivery business in Aug 2020 (Lunchbox on Main). After 7 months of running solo, I realized I would not be able to do this alone, and it was not actually all that I thought it would be. However, I happened to meet another entrepreneur in the kitchen I was renting, who was running a meal prep company of his own. We quickly realized we could help each other, as we had different strengths and skill sets, and were both struggling in different ways to keep our businesses afloat. So, we decided to collaborate. After a few conversations, we closed our respective businesses and re-branded and re-launched a new company, dish, which is what we have today. www.dishmeals.com.
Dish is an eco-friendly prepared meal company providing healthy meals, made with locally sourced ingredients, packaged sustainably. We do not use refined sugars, we use healthy oils (and not a lot of it!), make all of our stocks and sauces in house so we know what is in them, and can control sodium levels, and we are mostly gluten free.
We are different from other prepared meal companies in that we are not subscription based, and we are committed to sustainable practices in both where we source from and how we package our food.
Customers can order from us weekly, they do not have to sign up for anything or buy a certain number of meals per week. They can simply pre-order online by Thursday at 3:00 and we deliver on Monday. Meals are good up to 5 days in the fridge, all you have to do is reheat and enjoy.
Our packaging is bpi certified compostable and we work with a commercial composter to ensure proper disposal. Upon delivery of new orders, we will retrieve old containers from our customers and compost them.
How can we help? We make mealtime easier and healthier, without all the excess packaging. We are a meal solution for busy weeks, when you don't have time to shop and cook, or if you just need a break. Our meals are perfect for lunch or dinner, and can ensure you have healthy food ready to go when you need it. We also do catering and virtual cooking classes. We also have a network of nutrition and fitness professionals that our customers can connect with if they are looking for guidance on their health and wellness journey.
Nancy Weinstein. She interviewed me for NJ Moms and when I mentioned I wished I had a network to connect with when I lost my job and started on my own, she mentioned you were a great resource. The CO-CO's role for me right now, is to be a community in which I can meet other women from whom I can learn and grow with. I am looking to network, find potential business opportunities, get to know other women entrepreneurs with established businesses or who are just starting out, share from each others learnings, and support one another on our journeys. Being on my own and not in a corporate environment can be isolating sometimes. Having a community and support system of other working professional women will be very helpful as I continue to navigate my life and career at this time.