For many people, a health scare is a catalyst for change. They may quit smoking, lose weight, or just take better care of themselves ... or they may switch careers.
Highlands native Sandy Pike moved to the Bay Area in the late ‘60s, where she raised her family and trained as a chef. Upon returning to Louisville in the early ‘80s, she continued her restaurant work, owning Jack Fry’s, among other eateries. But in 2005, when a family member faced a diabetes diagnosis, Sandy turned her talents to helping an ailing relative. Home Cuisine, a healthy meal delivery service, evolved out of that effort.
Sandy’s daughter, Mae Pike, Home Cuisine’s vice president, explains that their relative couldn’t cook and was making herself sick by not following her doctor’s instructions. “She didn’t have the knowledge,” says Mae. “So my mom ended up cooking meals and dropping them off.”
Nine years later, Home Cuisine’s clientele has grown beyond its core base of diabetics to become a kind of “meals on wheels” for people looking to create or maintain good health. With twice-weekly deliveries of menu plans – ranging from dinners only to full family diets, including Paleo, vegan and everything in between - Home Cuisine’s meals can be found on the tables of everyone from students to politicians. Subscribers can even save delivery costs by picking up their orders at Rainbow Blossom, with which Home Cuisine has a partnership.
“We’re pretty flexible,” says Mae. “Some people are just too busy to cook anything. Some people want to eat healthy during the week and go out on the weekends. Some people have health issues and need to eat this very specific diet. People who aren’t feeling good throw their hands up in the air and it can be detrimental.”