In 1987, while Rachel was pregnant with Amy and on bed rest, Andy went looking for ready-made meals at their local natural grocery store. When he couldn’t find anything organic and vegetarian that satisfied their taste buds, they decided to make their own.
Born and raised in Petaluma, California.
It’s impossible to separate the birth of Amy’s Kitchen from the birth of Rachel and Andy’s daughter, Amy. Not only is the family business named after her, it’s in her DNA.
The first dish Andy and Rachel created was a pot pie. They made them by hand, sold them locally and Amy’s Kitchen began right out of their home. They thought they would remain a small company simply making pot pies, but pretty soon handwritten letters of thanks started pouring in.
Not long after Amy’s appeared in stores, people began asking for more products like pizzas and soups. So Andy and Rachel went back to the kitchen. As Amy’s Kitchen expanded, people began expressing the difficulty of living with food allergies, asking for gluten free and dairy free options. So, of course, the Berliners went back to the kitchen again.
A lot has changed since 1987. Amy has grown up. She and her husband, Jace, play active roles in the company that shares Amy’s name. And together they’ve started a family of their own.
Amy’s Kitchen has grown beyond the Berliner’s wildest dreams, going from several family members pitching in anywhere they can, to a wonderful group of employees, farmers and suppliers. But no matter how big the company grows, one thing will always remain the same—the family spirit that permeates every decision made inside of Amy’s Kitchen.