Natalie Stein has come a long way with her Thyme to Go meal preparation business in the past year, thanks in part to a county program that allows people to sell cooked food in their own homes.
After handling supply chain logistics for a beverage company for six years, Stein decided to turn her affinity for cooking into a full-fledged business. Her specialty is Mediterranean-style dishes.
“I love to cook, it’s one of my passions,” said Stein, 41, of Poway. “I have always done private cooking for private events, and I have a word-of-mouth following. That was a hobby that I’m turning into something a little more.”
In January, Stein obtained her business name and began operating as a limited liability company with Thyme to Go. At first, she was preparing meals for customers in Alpine, some of whom were referred to her by a close friend who owned a spa there, she said.
Some of those clients had health issues related to their stomachs and guts, so Stein was providing them with Mediterranean diet dishes that emphasize healthy fats, whole grains, fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts and seeds.
“I like to use everything as fresh and natural as possible,” she said. “I make everything from scratch and that way the body can absorb nutrients easier. A lot of my clients felt a big improvement in their health since sticking to my meals.”
Natalie Stein prepares this spicy salmon with crispy rice cakes entree that includes marinated salmon, peppers and onions.
(Courtesy Natalie Stein)
After Stein learned about San Diego County’s Microenterprise Home Kitchen Operations, known as MEHKOs, last summer, she was ready to give it a try and expand her business.
MEHKOs were officially authorized by the state in 2018 under Assembly Bill 626, which set statewide rules to legalize their operations.
The county has allowed cooks to run MEHKO home-based food operations for the past two years on a temporary basis, said Ryan Johnson, chief of departmental operations environmental health and quality for the county. During the trial period, staff assessed its impacts and effectiveness in part by surveying MEHKO operators, who shared positive feedback about the program, Johnson said.
As of Nov. 1, there were 67 permitted MEHKOs operating in the county, including three in Poway and one in Ramona, he said.
“We’ve been doing ongoing outreach and having working groups with city jurisdictions, providing updates on MEHKOs and have had meetings to discuss legislative changes,” he said.
With positive feedback on the program, the Board of Supervisors voted last month to make the program temporary, which was set to end in February 2024, permanent. On Dec. 6 they voted unanimously in favor of operating rules that include how many meals can be prepared per day and fees. The ordinance goes into effect 30 days after the vote, or Friday, Jan. 5.
Johnson said potential MEHKO operators must have a startup inspection of their home and operations before receiving a permit that costs $646 to run a MEHKO, then renew their permit every year at a cost of $322. Additionally, the owner or primary manager is required to take a food safety course for $150 or more, he said.
This chicken panaang curry dish includes carrots, bean sprouts, water chestnuts and peppers.
(Courtesy Natalie Stein)
Since Stein’s inspection was approved Sept. 30, she said she has been able to expand with Poway customers. About a dozen of her 20 regular customers are in Poway and they can just pick up their meals at her home, saving her a drive to Alpine. But Stein continues to deliver meals to Alpine on Tuesdays and to Ocean Beach on Wednesdays, she said.
An added convenience is being able to cook with her own equipment and supplies, she said, and the permit allows her to advertise publicly rather than just by word of mouth.
“I’ve gotten some great feedback,” Stein said. “I had a few clients receive a Thanksgiving family style meal and were thrilled with the quality of food.”
Under the program’s expansion approved by the supervisors, permitted home chefs can serve up to 30 meals per day for up to 90 meals per week with gross annual sales of up to $100,000 — doubling the program’s previous revenue limitations.
MEHKOs can also operate from non-motorized food carts or farmer’s markets. These operators can sell up to 80 meals a day totaling 200 per week, with an annual gross income of up to $150,000.
The nonprofit Cook Alliance, which is based in San Diego but operates statewide, supports the legislation that legalizes home cooking operations in California.
Roya Bagheri, executive director of the Cook Alliance, said the pilot program proved to be very successful with no food safety issues locally.
MEHKOs give people such as single moms, caregivers, immigrants and people of color an affordable way to start a business out of their home, Bagheri said. The work-from-home option is cheaper than buying a food truck, renting commercial kitchen space, or opening a brick-and-mortar establishment, she added.
“This is an uplifting program that provides more fresh-made food options,” said Bagheri, adding that it can be a convenient way for people to get meals made from scratch in their own neighborhood. “We’re incredibly grateful to the supervisors for believing in the program, expanding opportunities and supporting food entrepreneurs in San Diego County. It’s been an incredible program for small business development.”
Home cooks offer the additional benefit of providing custom meals, which can help people with allergies, seniors on special diets, and cancer patients going through chemotherapy treatments, Bagheri said.
Rose Bent, a longtime cook in Poway, has owned Bent on Cooking since 1998. For her, signing up to operate a MEHKO as soon as the option became available was a matter of convenience and cutting expenses.
Poway resident Rose Bent of Bent on Cooking likes the convenience of cooking for clients from her own home.
(Julie Gallant)
For a while Bent was paying “premium prices” to rent commercial kitchen space by the hour, which hindered her creativity and fun because she was on a limited time schedule, she said. Besides the impact on her profitability, Bent said she had to bring her supplies and food, and be careful to remember to pack everything.
Bent said she has had a keen interest in cooking all her life, having learned the basics from her mother and aunt, and especially loved feeding people. She decided to change careers mid-life, switching from working as a dockmaster on Shelter Island to becoming a personal chef.
“I wanted to do my own thing,” she said. “Things changed and I wanted my own business. I found I was cooking all the time anyway. I slowly got to the point where I had to quit work and this business took off.”
Rose Bent cooks custom meals for her clients such as this prime rib dinner.
(Courtesy Rose Bent)
Since becoming a MEHKO, Bent said she prepares 10 to 20 meals at a time, focusing on one client each day, and providing them with a week’s worth of food at one time. For most clients, who are generally high-end couples and some families, she said she creates a menu, they approve it and she cooks it. By cooking at home, she has everything at her fingertips and her clients get restaurant quality meals without leaving their homes.
“I have over 100 spices and a collection of vinegars, oils and honey,” Bent said. “I have everything I need if I want a different taste.”
The county’s MEHKO program lets personal chefs such as Rose Bent prepare meals for clients from their own home kitchens.
(Courtesy Rose Bent)