Sophie Schraeter, a coordinator for catering services at Lake & Co. in Yarmouth, adds containers of gumbo to bags for clients. Ben McCanna/Staff Photographer
As fall gets underway and we resume hectic work and school routines, time and motivation to cook can sometimes be in short supply.
This is where prepared meal delivery services can be a godsend. There are plenty of “meal kit” options like Blue Apron, Home Chef and Plated available nationwide, but those meals require a certain amount of cooking.
But fully prepared, heat-and-eat meals offer genuine time savings and convenience to busy professionals, working or new parents, and anyone else unable to cook for themselves regularly. Market researchers put the value of the prepared meal delivery industry at about $8.74 billion in 2022, and they expect it to jump to more than $19 billion by 2029.
Rhode Island-based meal delivery company Feast & Fettle is a prime example of the industry’s growth. The six-year-old company has more than 7,000 customers in four New England states and just entered the Maine market in September, gaining another 150 customers in its first month here.
“We were kind of shocked, we didn’t expect that many folks already,” said Feast & Fettle CEO Carlos Ventura.
We talked with Ventura and the owners of six Maine-based prepared meal companies about the particulars of their operations (all except one offers delivery) to help you find one that matches your particular needs. Whether you’re health-minded, seeking plant-based options, are a senior with a medical condition, or just a busy family that needs some crowd-pleasing comfort food, there’s a service here that can help.
Feast & Fettle’s Classic Chicken Pot Pie. Photo courtesy of Feast & Fettle
FEAST & FETTLE
Online: feastandfettle.com
Based in: East Providence, Rhode Island
Launched: 2016
Number of regular customers: 7,000 in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut and New Hampshire; more than 150 in Maine
Number of entrée options each week: 14 (including three vegetarian/vegan choices). Options rotate weekly, and Feast & Fettle has more than 1,000 main and side dishes in its repertoire.
Price per meal: $15-$25
Top-selling dishes: Sausage, White Bean and Kale Soup; Baked Ziti; Classic Chicken Pot Pie
Accepts modifications: Yes
Gluten-free options available: Yes
Minimum order requirement: $75
How it works: The weekly ordering deadline is Thursday at noon for delivery the following week, Sunday through Thursday (you choose the day). Food is delivered to your home chilled, not frozen, packed in insulated bags with commercial-grade ice packs.
You can order a la carte or choose from a number of different membership plans ranging from two entrées and four sides for one person ($69/week) to four entrées and six sides for four ($239/week). Regular membership has no fee or requirements, while the Select membership ($10) includes perks like unlimited delivery and customizations.
Delivery area: York and Cumberland counties
Delivery fee: $10 for regular members, free for Select members
Whole Roasted Hen from Lake & Co. Courtesy of Lake & Co.
LAKE & CO.
Online: lakeandco.me
Based in: Yarmouth
Launched: March 2020, in response to the pandemic. “When COVID happened, we thought, ‘How can we help our community and also keep our staff employed at the time?'” said owner Hannah Lake White.
Number of regular customers: 30-45
Number of entrée options each week: 12-15
Price per meal: $14-$28
Top-selling dishes: Brined and Roasted Whole Hens, Quiche
Accepts modifications: Yes
Gluten-free options available: Yes
Minimum order requirement: $50 for delivered orders, none for pickup
How it works: Lake & Co. puts out its weekly menu on Friday. Order anytime until Monday at midnight. Food is ready for delivery throughout Maine or pickup at the Yarmouth kitchen by Friday midday. The a la carte menu changes every week, and meals are delivered chilled, though offerings also include flash-frozen staple dishes like lasagna, soups, chicken pot pie and shepherd’s pie.
Lake & Co. also sells various packaged items as well, including specialty sea salt, olive oil, fermented sauerkraut, gourmet pastas and more.
Delivery area: Statewide
Delivery fee: $20 to $60, depending on distance from Yarmouth
Orecchiette with Roasted Tomatoes, Basil and Parmesan-Ricotta from Liz’s Kitchen. Courtesy of Liz’s Kitchen
LIZ’S KITCHEN
Online: lizskitchenme.com
Based in: Portland
Launched: 2014
Number of regular customers: 30-45
Target customer: “Health-minded people, those who don’t have time or interest in cooking,” said chef-owner Liz Warfel. “It’s hard to eat healthy when you’re not cooking yourself.”
Niche: Meatless meals. While Warfel said most of her customers are meat-eaters, her menus skew heavily toward plant-based foods. Liz’s kitchen offers five vegetarian/vegan meal options weekly.
Number of entrée options each week: Six
Price per meal: $14-$15
Top-selling dishes: Orecchiette with Roasted Tomatoes, Basil and Parmesan-Ricotta; Sriracha Chicken with Black Beans and Corn
Accepts modifications: Rarely
Gluten-free options available: Yes
Minimum order requirement: $50
How it works: Liz’s Kitchen posts new menus online at the start of each week. Place orders by midnight Friday; deliveries arrive the following Tuesday. Food arrives chilled, not frozen, in microwave- and dishwasher-safe containers.
Delivery area: Portland, South Portland, Cape Elizabeth, Scarborough, Falmouth, Yarmouth, Cumberland and Westbrook
Delivery fee: No
MAGNO TERRA CAFE
Online: magnoterra.com
Based: Yarmouth
Launched: 2021
Number of regular customers: 80
Niche: Chef-owner Toni Magno-Fish said her operation emphasizes variety, offering about 25 total grain bowls, salads, soups, sides, mains and desserts each week for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Magno Terra prepared meals are currently available for pick-up only.
Number of entrée options each week: Three or four
Price per meal: $8-$9
Top-selling dishes: Creamy Roasted Garlic Chicken, Parmesan-Crusted Chicken or Eggplant
Accepts modifications: Yes
Gluten-free options available: Yes
Minimum order requirement: None
How it works: Magno Terra Cafe does not offer delivery (though Magno-Fish said she expects to offer delivery service starting in 2024). The cafe releases its menu between Wednesday and Friday. Place orders by 5 p.m. Sunday for pickup at Magno Terra Cafe the following week.
Braised Beef Chuck in a Cabernet Sauvignon Reduction with Local Mushrooms and Onions from The Maine Meal. Courtesy of The Maine Meal
THE MAINE MEAL
Online: themainemeal.com
Based in: Skowhegan
Launched: 2012
Number of regular customers: About 45
Niche: “Our mission is to help support a healthy and sustainable Maine food system,” said Maine Meal co-owner Kelly LaCasse, which includes paying a fair price for high-quality ingredients, aiding fishermen or farmers who have an excess harvest, and focusing on local sourcing. All The Maine Meal’s proteins are from Maine, and produce in-season comes exclusively from Maine farmers. The operation also uses grains from Maine Grains, along with local honey and syrup.
Number of entrée options each week: Eight to 14
Price per meal: $16-$35, with “bundle deal” discounts available
Top-selling dishes: Braised Beef Chuck in a Cabernet Sauvignon Reduction with Local Mushrooms and Onions, Squash and Apple Bisque, Lobster Alfredo
Accepts modifications: No
Gluten-free options available: Yes
Minimum order requirement: No
How it works: Place your order at least a week ahead of when you’d like it delivered. Meals arrive fully cooked, vacuum-sealed and frozen (fresh pasta arrives chilled, not frozen). Boil in bag to reheat. “My husband (Maine Meal Chef Mark LaCasse) prefers that method because it’s the most gentle way to reheat, as opposed to microwaving, which really depreciates the product.”
Delivery area: Most of Maine, but does not include locations north of Orono. Weekly deliveries are available for customers on The Maine Meal’s Brunswick-Portland route.
Delivery fee: Free in Skowhegan; $10 up to 10 miles from Skowhegan; $15 for more than 10 miles from Skowhegan; $20 for special delivery orders.
MAINE-LY DELIVERED
Online: spectrumgenerations.org/maine-ly-home-delivered-meals
Based in: Augusta
Launched: 2016
Number of regular customers: 50-100
Niche: Maine-ly Delivered is aimed at seniors who don’t qualify for Meals on Wheels or are on a Meals on Wheels waitlist, as well as people recently discharged from the hospital. Many customers have medical conditions.
“We’re not competing with restaurants,” said Spectrum Generations CEO Gerard Queally. “We’re dealing with people who are having difficulty feeding themselves. We’re providing a nutritious meal that helps ease stress off the caregiver and ensures that the customer is eating appropriately.”
Number of entrée options each week: Five
Price per meal: About $10
Favorites dishes: Turkey and ham dinners, pasta dishes
Accepts modifications: Meals can sometimes be tailored to meet particular medical restrictions.
Minimum order requirement: Five meals
How it works: Customers can order any day of the week from Maine-ly Delivered’s online monthly menus, which have been reviewed and approved by a registered dietician to ensure that each meal meets a full third of the customer’s daily nutritional needs. Meals are delivered by volunteers and arrive Tuesday through Friday, depending on location.
Delivery area: Kennebunk, Knox, Lincoln, Sagadahoc, Somerset and Waldo counties, as well as the towns of Brunswick and Harpswell
Delivery fee: None
Chicken Meatballs with rice and green beans from Topset Meals. Courtesy of Topset Meals
TOPSET MEALS
Online: topsetmeals.com
Based in: Scarborough
Launched: 2017
Number of regular customers: About 180
What sets them apart: “Our passion for quality over anything,” said owner Noah Tranten. “To be able to produce incredible quality food that surprises people even when they eat it a week later and exceeds their expectations is what we’re driven by.”
Number of entrée options each week: About three meals, plus bulk protein and carb options
Price per meal: $14.50-$15
Top-selling dishes: Chicken Meatballs; Cheeseburger Bowl featuring ground beef from Pat’s Meat Market
Accepts modifications: Yes
Minimum order requirement: No
How it works: Topset puts out a new menu Fridays at noon, and accepts orders until end of day Sunday or Monday. Deliveries arrive chilled, not frozen, on Tuesday.
Delivery area: Cape Elizabeth, Cumberland, Falmouth, Portland, Scarborough, South Portland, Westbrook and Yarmouth
Delivery fee: $6
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