Summer’s Table Provides Fresh Meals During Hard Times
With the stress of the pandemic, many have turned to national meal kit services like Hello Fresh, Blue Apron, or Every Plate -- but did you know Orange County has its own meal delivery service where you can get organic, sustainable, and locally-sourced meals and groceries? Summer’s Table was founded in 2019 by Laguna Beach local Summer Tarango to provide all the convenience of fresh food delivered to your home… without the waste.
“In 2017, I got diagnosed with breast cancer and my boyfriend and I started ordering all these meal kits from different companies,” explains Tarango. “I loved the ease of them and the opportunity to try new things, but at the same time they seemed incredibly wasteful -- and the ingredients weren’t always fresh. I felt like I could do it much better and more sustainably myself.”
A former recipe developer at Z-Pizza, Tarango already had connections with a handful of local produce vendors so she decided to give meal prep a shot. After finishing treatment, she threw a quick post on Instagram offering pre-prepared meals for friends and family -- and from that social media moment, Summer’s Table took off.
As her business rounded out its first year and COVID loomed just around the corner, the entrepreneur rolled with the punches and hasn’t slowed down a bit… in fact, the pandemic helped! “We’ve ended up doubling our business,” explains Tarango. “I was really lucky that during the stay-at-home orders I was already set up to expand. I already had what people needed.”
Indeed, in the initial stages of the pandemic, Tarango worked with her distributors to make herself available as a vital resource for the community. “I made sure I could get the things people were having a hard time getting,” she remembers.
“when the stores were completely wiped out, I was able to get the essentials.”
Working with a variety of local partners, Summer has been able to create the ultimate grocery delivery experience. “We sold out of the meal kits in just a few short weeks,” Tarango says with a grateful smile. “From there we’ve really developed a loyal following.”
In addition to their fresh, locally-sourced ingredients, everything is sustainably packaged with recyclable, compostable, or reusable materials. “The bulk of ingredients come on a reusable sheet pan with a clear plastic lid,” clarifies the business owner. “Everything is laid out really nicely and it’s easy to store in the refrigerator.”
For most recipes, all the ingredients are ready to toss in the oven directly on the pan, with a quick 15-minute cook time. Each week new recipes are created and an updated menu is emailed to customers every Wednesday. Orders are placed before Saturday and meals are delivered the following Monday, ready to enjoy throughout the week. When you’re finished with your meal, you can either keep the pan and other containers to use in your kitchen or simply set it out on the porch before the next delivery to be picked up.
With delicious options like Chipotle Chicken Fajita Bowls, Mahi-Mahi Florentine, and even family-sized Avocado Toast Kits (in addition to everyday pantry items like flour, sugar, milk, and coffee), customers are coming back for more, week after week.
Tarango has made it a priority to support her fellow small business entrepreneurs by partnering with other Laguna businesses like Bread Artisan Bakery, French Buckets, Honey Girl Grows, and Jedidiah Coffee.
“For instance,” she reflects, “People can now order French Buckets’ flower arrangements through our website, and with each new order, we like to give a mini-bouquet -- because when you’re stuck at home it’s so nice to have something fresh and fun.”
Summer’s Table became a locus for other female entrepreneurs to lift each other up during trying times. “That’s the struggle of being a solo entrepreneur. It can be really lonely sometimes,” admits Tarango. “I don’t have a management team or a partner in this... it’s just me, so it’s nice to have this community of other female entrepreneurs to support each other.”
To learn more about Summer’s Table and sign up for your first meal kit, visit the website at Summerstable.com.
Carlisle Huntington was born and raised in Dana Point California. She received her B.A. in English and Creative Writing from The University of Puget Sound and has been featured in business and lifestyle publications such as South Sound Magazine, 425 Magazine, South Sound Business, and 425 Business Magazine.
Photos by Mari Verdugo.