Katie Smith wants residents of Kelowna to think outside of the box when it comes to meal kits.
The health and fitness professional-turned entrepreneur launched an Urban Jars program out of her Kelowna home about three weeks ago.
Urban Jars is a portioned meal prep program that delivers meatless snacks and meals to customers, with ingredients layered in reusable mason jars. The program was developed by Natalie Gaunt in Ontario in 2015.
Smith explained that she is originally from the same area in Ontario as Gaunt and heard about Urban Jars through old friends. While on maternity leave, Smith contacted Gaunt to see if she was interested in franchising.
Over the last year, the two women worked together sorting out the legal details to make Smith the first Urban Jars franchisee.
Now up and running out of a legal suite that her and her husband turned into a commercial kitchen, Smith said she sends a new menu out to customers every week via a text message.
She said a website is in the works, but she likes using text messages because she gets to have one-on-one interactions with customers.
Customers then customize their order, text it to Smith, and her mother-in-law makes the weekly deliveries.
Smith said the menus include breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks.
91裸聊视频淭hey91裸聊视频檙e all nutrient-dense, meatless, no-sugar-added, no-salt-added meals,91裸聊视频� she said. 91裸聊视频淎nd they91裸聊视频檙e protein plant-based, so they91裸聊视频檙e filling.91裸聊视频�
Examples of breakfast meals include parfaits, egg jars and overnight oats. Lunch meals are salads, and snacks are savoury or naturally sweet 91裸聊视频渂ites.91裸聊视频� Dinner meals are referred to as skillet jars.
91裸聊视频淏asically you dump it in a skillet and heat it up to cook the veggies through and you can add meat to it if you want,91裸聊视频� Smith said.
Meals include jars for kids, too.
91裸聊视频淔or people like myself who have kids who might be picky eaters or are busy and they don91裸聊视频檛 have time to make the meals, there are kids jars, so they91裸聊视频檙e quick and easy,91裸聊视频� she said, adding that she has two young daughters.
Smith said Urban Jars is unique compared to other meal kit delivery services because the ingredients are vegetarian, the items are relatively inexpensive, ranging from $4 to $17, and it91裸聊视频檚 eco-friendly.
91裸聊视频淵ou get the jars, but you don91裸聊视频檛 keep the jar part of it. It91裸聊视频檚 recycled,91裸聊视频� she said. 91裸聊视频淥nce you91裸聊视频檝e eaten your meals and if you order again next week, then we trade. You take the new jars, I take the old ones.91裸聊视频�
For more information about Urban Jars Kelowna, contact Smith on or , or by phone at 250-864-5348.
READ MORE: Vancouver-based meal kit service coming to the Okanagan
karissa.gall@blackpress.ca
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