14 Small Businesses That Offer Food And Drink Delivery To Your Home
The coronavirus pandemic has placed extra stress on grocery stores, which are struggling to respond to an increasingly complex situation. Many supermarkets and delivery services aren’t able to keep up with demand, and many customers aren’t able to go out in public to pick up their own food.
But there’s good news: Many small businesses have stepped up to offer doorstep delivery for the foods and beverages they produce. And it’s been mutually beneficial for both their business and for consumers.
On March 15, for example, Pig of the Month BBQ founder Lea Richards let her customers know that her business would be offering free shipping on orders in all 48 contiguous states, with no minimum required. The response yielded greater sales numbers than Black Friday.
“We were just sitting there, shocked,” Richards recalled. “It feels like a lifetime ago.” Seeing a real need, she quickly contacted her suppliers — local farmers, all located within two hours of Dayton, Ohio — to ask for bulk raw meat to help meet the new demand.
Across the country, other online food retailers are working to keep Americans safe, well-fed and entertained. It turns out to be a potentially win-win situation: Eager customers can support small businesses and get some of the most drool-worthy products delivered to their doorstep in return.
Wondering where to begin? HuffPost has put together a helpful list of some of our favorites.
Online Retailers That Deliver Food To Your Door
Cannonborough Craft Soda, co-founded by a trio of self-proclaimed “jerks” —the soda kind — in Charleston, South Carolina, boasts the kinds of flavors you’d expect to find in a fairytale. But according to locals, these are some seriously delicious carbonated soft drinks — the ginger beer, strawberry jalapeño and honey basil come particularly highly recommended. They ship to all 48 contiguous states and offer a flat $5 shipping fee, free shipping for orders over $50 and a 15% discount to customers who use the code STAYHOME at checkout when ordering online.
Cowgirl Creamery, based in Northern California and maker of award-winning cheeses like Mt. Tam, Red Hawk, Wagon Wheel and Fromage Blanc, is more than just a cheesemaker; it’s a trusted source for some of the best artisanal cheese and charcuterie in the world. In addition to offering free overnight shipping on many of their online collections, $10 from each order of their Good Neighbors Collection is donated to Chef José Andrés’ World Central Kitchen to provide emergency food relief to communities affected by COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.
4Sisters is a women-owned family venture based in Louisiana. It recently launched an online store to bring their U.S. Department of Agriculture-Certified Organic, non-GMO, gluten-free, Kosher and sustainably grown long-grain white and brown rice to your doorstep via two-day express delivery (shipping included). Check their website and Instagram feed for inspiring and easy recipes, like baked rice pudding, Keto lamb fried rice, cheesy chicken broccoli bake and creamy chicken and rice soup.
Goldbelly purveys some of the biggest names in the food biz. We’re talking Shake Shack, Magnolia Cupcakes, Texas Tamale Company, Pike Place Fish Market, H&H Bagels, Zabar’s, Regina Pizzeria and Jacques Torres Chocolate. While their flash sales on items like Philly cheesesteaks and Hawaiian Wahoo are definitely worth checking out, they are donating 100% of the net proceeds from all city subscription purchases toward delivering Goldbelly boxes to health care workers and first responders.
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The Herbivorous Butcher, helmed by siblings Aubry and Kale Walch in Minneapolis, is a vegan butcher shop that ships to all 50 states and Puerto Rico. Their vegan and vegetarian offerings — including Korean BBQ ribs, capicola ham, dill havarti cheese, porterhouse steak, sriracha brats, teriyaki jerky and vegan queso — are enticing enough to tempt any omnivore’s palate into taking a break from animal protein. In addition to offering regular specials and curbside pickup to locals, you can also save $5 off purchases of $40 or more with the code HUFF5.
Jeni’s Ice Cream is an indulgence at $12 a pint, but — trust us — it’s worth it. While there’s a four-pint minimum online ordering requirement, they’ll waive the delivery fee for those lucky enough to live within five miles of a scoop shop. For those who aren’t so lucky, check out their snazzy collections for social distancing, which allow you to sample some of their top sellers and save a few bucks in the process.
Maine Lobster Now — on sale, at that — may sound too good to be true, but in this case, it’s not. In addition to reduced prices on lobster, lobster tails and fish fillets, this online retailer even offers essentials like chicken breast, ground beef and pork chops. While their products typically arrive overnight, there are occasional shipping delays (nothing longer than two days), and they keep their customers apprised accordingly. It seems like a good time to get crackin’ on some New England seafood.
MoonPie General Store, based in Chatanooga, Tennessee, provides that perfect combination of comfort and nostalgia many of us are craving these days. In addition to their namesake product, sold as singles or doubles in chocolate, vanilla, mint, strawberry, coconut, banana and salted caramel flavors, you can also find collectable kitchenware, retro toys and T-shirts for order online. Follow their instagram feed for special sale alerts and fun recipe ideas.
New Belgium Brewing Company is probably most-known for its award-winning beers, like Fat Tire Amber Ale, but did you know it’s also a socially conscious benefit corporation (i.e. B corp)? So it’s no surprise they’ve already raised over $200,000 through the recently created New Belgium Brewing Bar & Restaurant Relief Fund and awarded over $175,000 in grants to benefit their hometown food and beverage communities in Fort Collins, Colorado, and Asheville, North Carolina. They also donated beer to be distilled into hand sanitizer by Leopold Brothers in Colorado, and are collaborating with local breweries in Asheville on a special beer to benefit the relief fund. In addition to ordering online through both Drizly and Minibar (use code NEWBELGIUM for a first-order delivery discount), you can also shop their curated collections for direct delivery in Nevada, Vermont, Nebraska and Washington, D.C.
Pacific Pickle Works, based in Santa Barbara, California, is prepared to lift the nation’s spirits in more ways than one. In addition to pickled veggies, like their award-winning Asparagusto! (pickled asparagus), Fenn Shui (pickled fennel) and Pickles Under the Ginfluence, they also make award-winning drink mixers, such as their Michelada Shrub and Bloody Mary Elixir. If you shop direct, they offer free shipping on orders over $50 to all 48 contiguous states. You can also find their products on Amazon and Mouth, which ship nationwide.
Pig of the Month Club BBQ, as previously mentioned, offers free shipping on all orders with no minimum required — just use code EATATHOME at checkout. In addition to barbecue favorites, sauces and sides, you can order a range of bulk raw meats, from organic ground beef brisket to organic bourbon peppercorn pork tenderloin. Check their Instagram feed for recipes and cooking tips.
Pots & Co, a London-based dessert company, makes hand-crafted chocolate fudge lava cakes that bake in just 12 minutes in the oven or 40 seconds in the microwave. The best part? They come in reusable ceramic pots that can easily be turned into a candle, a planter or a dish for your favorite dip. Available in a range of flavors that will satisfy any chocolate lover’s craving, including sticky toffee and salted caramel & chocolate, the products are available for delivery nationwide through Instacart and FreshDirect.
Real Good Fish is a mission-driven organization based in Northern California run by husband-and-wife team Alan and Jenn Lovewell. Last month, they introduced a home delivery service that features fresh, sustainable seafood and pasture-raised meat from independent California fishermen, farmers and ranchers. Delivery is available weekly, biweekly or monthly in the states of California, Washington, Oregon, Utah, Arizona and Nevada. Check the company’s website and Instagram feed for recipes and cooking tips.
Sweet Lydia’s, based in Lowell, Massachusetts, offers handcrafted confections with a unique spin. In addition to their seasonal marshmallow flavors and gourmet s’mores, you’ll find a cocktail-inspired candy bar and caramels in a range of salty-sweet flavors. The company is offering 10% off all orders during the Massachusetts shelter-in-place order, which as of now goes through May 4.
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