Feast & Fettle, a company that makes and delivers fully-prepared meals to households throughout the Mid Atlantic area, will open a new production and distribution facility in Howard County.
“Attracting Feast & Fettle to Maryland brings incredible opportunities to the Howard County workforce, the state’s manufacturing and agribusiness sectors, and the surrounding region’s meal delivery service options,” Gov. Wes Moore said in a statement.
The company will lease a 25,000-square-foot facility at 7071 Dorsey Run Road in Elkridge. It expects to add about 250 new full-time jobs over the next three years.
Feast & Fettle’s menu includes options for entrees, sides, breakfast, lunch, and even Friendsgiving. Several dishes are also vegetarian and/or gluten-free, such as a lentil shepherd’s pie, herb-roasted marble potatoes, and lemon pepper carrots.
The company also offers options specifically tailored to kids’ taste buds, like chicken & lemongrass potstickers with sweet soy sauce or a veggie quesadilla with a zesty sauce.
Maggie Mulvena Pearson founded Feast & Fettle in 2016 after years working as a nanny and private chef. She sought to create a service that would allow families to no longer have to choose between quality and convenience when it came to their home meals.
Mulvena Pearson was joined by her friend (and first employee) Nikki Oliveira Nix, and together they grew the company from its Rhode Island roots to reach across the Northeast.
“As we expand into the DMV, our mission stays the same,” Feast & Fettle Chief Executive Officer Carlos Ventura said in a statement. “We’re here to deliver exceptional quality, operate with integrity, and care for our Members the same way we care for our team in Elkridge. Hospitality starts inside the company. When our people grow, our Members feel it. Career development and economic mobility aren’t perks here; they’re part of how we build.”
Moore noted the ongoing need for affordable and nutritious meal options for families, and said Feast & Fettle will help fulfill that goal.
“While the company is focused on providing healthy meals for its customers, it is also dedicated to providing access to free meals through its community partners,” the governor said. “In this great time of need, we’re proud to support Feast & Fettle as it works towards both of these important goals.”
The Maryland Department of Commerce is working to approve a $1 million conditional loan for Feast & Fettle through Advantage Maryland.
“We are excited to welcome the Feast & Fettle team to Maryland, where reaching customers up and down the East Coast can be achieved quickly and conveniently,” Maryland Department of Commerce Secretary Harry Coker Jr. said in a statement. “With some of the biggest names in the food industry located in our state, Feast & Fettle is sure to be in good company and have the utmost success at its new Howard County location.”
The Howard County Economic Development Authority will also provide a repayable loan of up to $500,000 for flexible working capital purposes, plus a $100,000 reimbursable grant to support workforce training.
“We are proud to welcome Feast & Fettle to Howard County’s dynamic business community,” said Howard County Economic Development Authority Chief Executive Officer Jennifer Jones, in a statement. “This new production and distribution facility brings hundreds of quality jobs and reflects the strength of our region as a hub for innovation in food production and logistics.”
Howard County Executive Calvin Ball expressed excitement that Feast & Fettle chose Howard County as the home of its new facility.
“We are thrilled to welcome Feast & Fettle’s meal delivery operations to Elkridge in Howard County,” Ball said in a statement. “The investment by this well-established and growing company will generate hundreds of jobs and highlights the Eastern Howard County Enterprise Zone as a critical tool in attracting businesses to the Route 1 Corridor.”
