This is Melissa – entrepreneur, mother and founder of the London based food company, SHORT EATS.
You might know SHORT EATS through their Supper-clubs, Meal Kits or Ready Meals (hopefully all three!) and this year Melissa is looking to fulfil her lifelong dream of nurturing the bellies and imaginations of the next generation. Welcome to the future of Kid’s food- Nutritionist approved heritage-inspired exotic meals for every day.
‘My mum is from Trinidad, and my dad is from Sri Lanka, so our store cupboard, fridge and table were in a constant flux of colour, texture and culture. Growing up, our kitchen was the hub of the house; my mum would be turning fresh Rotis on the Tawa, and my dad would be making his famous Sambar passed down from his mother’s recipe.’
‘It was those sights, sounds of aromas of the kitchen that inspired my love of tradition and experimentation. Growing up, I was always acutely aware of how lucky I was to have such a plethora of exotic food around me, but I was also equally aware that access to this type of food was limited. An early goal that I set myself was to one day bring accessibility and convenience to this cuisine.’
Living in London, home to many exciting and innovative food brands, Melissa was surprised to see the lack of diversity in choices for kid’s food on the supermarket shelves. She says, ‘this sector remains trapped in an archaic, dated state. Stagnant use of adventurous ingredients, insipid colours and unimaginative dishes. A parent can either opt for convenience or flavour, but you can’t have both, and you certainly can’t have anything crazier than a Veggie Moussaka.’
The Goal
SHORT EATS mission is simple: ‘BATTLE THE BLAND’ and get people to join the revolution to abolish BLAND, BEIGE AND BORING food from the kid’s aisle and transform the way children think about food, and set them on a path of being ‘Flavour-Seekers’ for life. Their dishes are inspired by their heritage, Sri Lanka.
“Our dishes are those that took over our dinner table at home; Hoppers, Idli, Sambar and even Pineapple Fluff. These are variety-packed, flavour-filled, ‘grown-up’ dishes that have been spiced, tempered, roasted and seasoned.”
This is wholesome, heritage inspireed, nutritionalist approved, allergen free and utterly delicious. Feeding their bellies and imagination with every mouthful.
Head over to their website www.eatmyshorteats.co.uk and place your orders now!