Here's the thinking and backstory behind our name: Team Kitchen.
I’ve lived in New York for the last 10 years, but I grew up in New Zealand.
I’m the eldest of 5 kids. Growing up, between us we did competitive swimming, waterpolo, rugby, soccer, cricket, hockey (field hockey that is), track and field, softball, badminton, tennis, squash, skiing, mountain biking, ballet, and surf lifesaving. We represented our province, and even our country in some of these sports.
It takes a lot of food to fuel activity like that, and our parents made sure we had plenty of it. There was always a meal or snack to keep us going for the next training or event or game. They were always delicious and home made.
When we hit our teens, the amount of food we’d go through was staggering. It must’ve been like feeding an army.
Design exploration for the Team Kitchen logo.
One go-to for my dad was mac and cheese. He’d make batches so big that he’d have to mix them with his hands in the kitchen sink. Then he’d cook it, cut it into proportions and freeze it. As well as keeping us fed, this was also a hit with our teammates when they stopped by.
Our teammates’ parents often fed us when we hung out at their places, too. Over time, a support network of families grew around our teams and activities. They made sure we were always fueled and ready for the next thing.
In most sports, for athletes who go on to compete at a high level, a similar support network exists. Teams bring in experts to fill the same role that parents did for us, but with more focus on performance. Tour de France teams will have a chef and/or nutritionist on staff, same goes for NBA teams and many other pro sports teams.
Food is the fuel for every sport, at every level, and every athlete that’s part of it.
And for each athlete, there’s a whole army of people supporting them, keeping them fed, helping them bring their best.
When we started our company, we wanted to help support athletes in the same way.
We thought that, as a name, “Team Kitchen” captured the thought nicely.
We're like a kitchen for a pro sports team that’s open to everyone. We start with the best natural ingredients, then work with sports nutritionists and chefs to make snacks for athletes that taste great. We call it natural performance food.