New Niwot business providing homemade plant-based fare

What started as a way for two friends to give back to the community ended up being the impetus for a new business: Plant Based Boulder.

When the Marshall fire erupted in December 2021, Niwot area residents Amy Cramer and Miche Bacher knew what they could do to help. Both professional chefs and cookbook authors, Cramer said they realized, "Someone needs food. Someone needs us." And with that, the two got to work.

Reaching out to the Boulder Jewish Community Center (JCC), they arranged to use the Center's kitchen to cook for those affected by the fire. "And within a week and a half," Cramer said, "we were up and running."

Cramer and Bacher put together the menu, sourced the food and managed the kitchen while JCC provided the food and supplied and managed the volunteers to make it happen. The duo was cooking once a week, providing approximately 100 pounds of soup or stew and baking cakes or cookies to go along with it. Because both chefs are gluten-free, their meals were all plant-based and gluten-free.

As time went on, the need for cooking once a week wasn't as great, and they reduced their cooking to once a month. What they realized, Cramer said, "was that we really love being in the kitchen together." And with that, Plant Based Boulder was born in November 2022.

"We're both passionate about what we do," Cramer said. "But the deeper you get into commercial cooking (Cramer also has a business that provides plant-based food for grocery stores), the less you get to be hands-on in the kitchen. And we both really missed that."

Each week the couple cooks plant-based and gluten free soups, entrees, breakfasts, cookies and desserts. People can order from their website by Sunday for delivery or pick-up on the following Tuesday.

Bacher handles the sweets and Cramer handles the other parts of meals which Cramer says is fitting. "She's (Bacher) sweet and I'm savory in both personality and cooking style." Cramer said that they are adding new things to the menu weekly to provide plenty of variety. She said people can order as much or as little as they like and as often as they like. "There are no commitments" she stated. "We get to spend a couple of days cooking together" and, as their mission statement says, "feed your heart and soul while simplifying your life."

For more information, visit Plant Based Boulder at https://www.plantbasedboulder.com.