Savory Fare

Nourishing You With Meals That Delight

By Brian J. Lowney

When the dedicated staff at Savory Fare turns off the lights for the day in their kitchen at Hope & Main, they can rest assured that the nutritious delicious food they have provided has made a positive impact and put a bright smile on the faces of a growing number of satisfied clients throughout many Ocean State communities.

Founder Mary Wise Hughes started the food delivery service five years ago that features fresh, quality ingredients in prepared meals delivered to residences and anyone looking for a delicious food experience.

In a recent interview at the Warren facility, Hughes shared that she had been toying with the idea of starting a meal service for seniors for years, but it took two programs — the Hope & Main food incubator in Warren and the Social Enterprise Greenhouse, a business accelerator in Providence — to ignite the fire.

The Greenhouse, a nonprofit that partners with Brown University, offers coaching to social enterprises. Hughes enrolled in a 12-week program that helps clients refine their business plans, raise money, and perfect their pitches.

Hughes, who served as a public health nutritionist at the Providence Health Center, and later as the State of Rhode Island WIC (Women, Infants, Children) nutritionist, is a 1968 graduate of Hood College in Maryland.

“I started as a math major,” she recalls, adding that she quickly became interested in food and nutrition and never lost her passion for serving appetizing and nutritious cuisine. After adopting her son in 1992, Hughes became a stay-athome mother and then became a personal chef in 2007, when she cooked for a few family members and friends. “I love making delicious food for other people,” she tells, adding that she developed the idea for the service after hearing that many individuals need some sort of food assistance to be able to remain in their home.

“Our mission is to deliver nutritious food to older adults and those less mobile,” Hughes emphasizes, noting that clients also include individuals who are recuperating, new parents, and other people who enjoy a good meal or who just might be tired of cooking.

“A service like ours is unique and one that our clients love and appreciate,” the entrepreneur emphasizes.

Most of the single-serving meals are frozen and can be thawed and reheated in the microwave or oven.

“We utilize recipes that do well when frozen,” Hughes continues. “We focus on traditional foods that people enjoy and will remember. These meals include pot pie, macaroni and cheese, shepherd’s pie, chicken piccata, meatloaf, meatballs, crispy fish filets, and several casseroles.

“We also always have a sweet treat on the menu,” she adds.

Joining the staff at Savory Fare is Shelby Doggett, a Providence resident and graduate of the University of Vermont, with an extensive background in sustainable farming and food systems.

“This is a much-needed service and it’s a mission-driven enterprise,” says Doggett. “That’s what attracted me to the company. I saw that there’s a lot of potential for growth and lots of places throughout the region that can use our services.”

She shares that unlike other food delivery companies, Savory Fare has no set subscription cost for services, and clients have a lot of flexibility in how much and how often to order food.

“We always use high quality ingredients made from scratch, with no additives,” Hughes informs. “We cook three days per week at Hope & Main, and our delivery area extends from East Bay to Newport, Providence and south to East Greenwich, as well as North and South Kingstown.

The meals are also available on www.sourcewhatsgood. com, and they deliver throughout the Ocean State and parts of Massachusetts.

“Savory Fare offers a simple solution for adult children who are worried about older family members who need healthy food,” Hughes adds. “This is particularly true for individuals outside of the area, whose older family members are aging and have difficulty accessing quality nutritious food, but who want to remain at home as long as possible.”

Accordingly, Savory Fare is aligned with several programs that allow the meals to be sold affordably with many choices.

“Our individual servings of frozen meals fit well with the “Nourish Our Neighbor Program,” sponsored by Hope & Main, and prepared for hundreds of individuals, weekly, throughout the East Bay,” Hughes shares. “We also provide nutritious meals for seniors at the King Edward House in Newport, as part of our commitment to our community elders.”

Hughes shares that she and her nine-member staff are proudly celebrating Savory Fare’s fifth anniversary and she adds that the hard-working all-female collaborative team are passionate about their work.

“We want everyone on our team to do well and to succeed,” she concludes. “I think that makes us a richer business.”

For more information about Savory Fare, visit their web site www.savoryfareinc.com, or contact Mary Hughes at: (401) 454-4955 or mary@savoryfareinc.com