As a healthcare worker climbing the ladder at Premier Health, Kourtney Terry realized she had no passion for her work. Caught in a depression, having just given birth to her third child, Terry found herself wanting to spend more time with and caring for her family.
An attempt to save money while creating a healthy food option for her new baby brought Terry to find a new passion turned business venture.
Taste-T-Love Baby Food fills a community need to provide a healthier, fresh baby food option to mothers who might want to make their own without the time, patience or know-how.
“I’m kind of the first to do it in Ohio and you have to gain your audience," she said. "It’s not like there are other businesses out there and you’re just one of many to choose from. This is me introducing a concept and a business to a community where it’s never been done before.”
With advice from similar brands in other parts of the country, Terry launched Taste-T-Love in 2019. Standing apart from her national peers, Terry is providing food to a local childcare center chain and venturing into the hospital market with a recently signed contract.
In December 2021, Taste-T-Love began its partnership with Dayton Children’s Hospital, offering her products on their menu for parents with children that need food. The brand is currently within its testing period, but Terry is already eyeing the children's hospitals in Cincinnati and Columbus for future expansion.
The brand also partnered with Mini University’s Sinclair location with plans to offer products at an additional location.
For 2022, Terry is focusing her efforts on two local grocer partnerships as she continues to move her brand toward retail.
“This is just the start,” she said. “People want the healthiest option for their kids and frozen baby food is the healthiest option. You can either leave the train or be on the last car, that was part of my pitch.”
Taste-T-Love’s main product line of baby food uses no unnecessary preservatives or additives and instead creates a freezable product which can be stored up to four months. Only products containing banana include a lemon preservative.
The main line features a convenient squeezable packaging which Terry said has attracted additional clientele from toddlers and teens to adults and the elderly.
Surprisingly, Terry said the packaging is not intended for babies since most mothers value the hand-to-mouth experience and connection with their child. Older babies will typically then move to feeding themselves with utensils rather than sucking on the packaging.
The brand also offers a select number of toddler meals and a lactation snack for moms. Both ventures stray from Terry’s focus and are intended to remain small as attraction efforts.
Terry said she has no plans for a brick-and-mortar location and will instead continue to pursue local retail options. Eventually, she hopes the brand will have its own manufacturing location outside of the current commercial kitchen where she conducts operations.
Taste-T-Love Baby Food
Founded: 2019
Owner: Kourtney Terry
Employees: 1, plans to hire two in 2022
Website: https://tastetlove.com/
Service: Baby food provider
