Before Katelyn Esty was Callie Bredice’s business partner, she was a regular at the coffee shop Bredice worked at. 

Over time, the two found themselves in the same friend group where they learned they had similar interests. The two born-and-raised New Englanders took similar paths to get to Colorado, shared a love for cooking and both nannied for local families. 

These similarities brought them back to the coffee shop one day, where Esty pitched Bredice a business idea she felt catered to the active and busy lifestyles of many Summit County locals: a meal prep and childcare service. 

The two launched Nourish and Nurture Co., with the tagline “providing wholesome recipes and lullabies,” in December. 

Esty said her time working as a nanny locally helped her get acquainted with many young families who were constantly dealing with child care struggles. She knew the need was there if they were to introduce another childcare option. Bredice was also aware of families’ childcare struggles from her own nannying experience and from her roommate, who worked at Mountain Top Explorium and met local parents who reported struggles finding available child care options. 

“We thought, ‘Well, let’s insert ourselves here and help,” Bredice said. “This county is filled with entrepreneurs, and it’s all people who have found the hole where there’s something missing and they just execute and make it happen.” 

The other half of the concept, which can be combined with the nannying side of the business, is comprehensive meal services including grocery shopping, meal prep and clean-up. 

Esty said their meal prep services are flexible and can be molded to their clients’ goals, and while meal prep is thought of by most as making one big meal and eating the same thing throughout the week, that doesn’t have to be the case. 

“I like to have a variety of food. I cannot eat the same thing over and over. … I enjoy having different options that are flavorful and I get excited about, so I like to provide for others,” Esty said. 

Her approach to ensuring variety involves combining staples like chicken with different flavors and side dishes to pair with it throughout the week. 

Their website has a menu with ready-made meals customers can choose from like a chicken sweet potato rice bowl and an enchilada casserole. They also can make meals to work with dietary restrictions and choices like gluten-free or vegan options. 

Bredice said they look to prioritize meals which freeze well, and this further boosts the opportunity to include variety in their clients’ diets. She said they created this business with busy, active parents in mind who might not have the time to cook every night of the week but still want to provide healthy options for their families. 

“A huge part of what we do is providing that convenience. It’s taking the stress away from both tourists and local clients,” Esty said. “It is taking all of the work away (so people) can do the things that bring them joy, whether it’s skiing or going to work and coming home without having to navigate the grocery stores, because when it’s busy season that’s a nightmare.”

Bredice said Nourish and Nurture Co. places emphasis on sustainability and affordability when it comes to shopping for clients’ groceries. She said the company takes home scraps and aims to compost everything. She said in the summer they will look to shop locally from farmer’s markets as much as possible. 

Currently the company serves Summit County communities, but they hope to expand and have multiple branches in other counties. 

Babysitting services through Nourish and Nurture Co. start at $37 an hour. Multi-day meal prep offerings start at $125. More information can be found at NourishAndNurtureCo.com.