About us
… who we are
My Croft Kitchen is a personal chef service specializing in sourcing ingredients from local farmers and merchants in our community that offer sustainably grown and processed produce & meats. Our primary goal is to provide you tailored meals that are fresh, delicious, and ready to go at your convenience while, simultaneously, supporting our local food chains.
In recent years, we find that people are becoming more conscious about where their food comes from and it has prompted them to, increasingly, want to shop local. If anything, 2020 has certainly highlighted just how fragile our supply chains actually are. Our focus now needs to shift to support LOCAL when we can. This is not a new concept, but it is definitely a trend that continues to gain wide-spread momentum in our community.
That said, let’s face it, supporting local is time consuming. There is no convenient, one-stop shopping when it comes to supporting our local food chains. It requires going to multiple farmers markets, adapting meals to reflect what is being harvested, and a commitment to pay fair prices for our farmers. THAT IS WHERE WE FIT IN… we do the leg work and you enjoy the delicious results!
We are the conduit you need for accessing good, locally sourced foods… My Croft Kitchen is YOUR curated food supply.
FAQ: What is a Croft?
In short, a small farm. Stemming back to ~1715 in the Highlands of Scotland, a croft is a unit of agricultural land that a crofter rents from a landowner while living & working on the land. In its most basic form, a croft is a small plot of land adjacent to a home that is cultivated as a kitchen garden large enough to feed a family or have commercial value.
Why did we choose Croft as part of our namesake? Small local farms are exactly who we want to support and promote by directly connecting the fruits of their labor to our clients in the community. True, many of our local farms do not “rent” the fields they cultivate in the traditional sense that defines a croft. However, the day-to-day work to sustainably propagate the lands that they live on IS the embodiment of the local farming network that we need to help thrive… PLUS, it’s just a catchy name!
Stephanie… the Chef behind My Croft Kitchen
Stephanie Markunas is a native of Chapel Hill who has been working in the Triangle’s busy restaurant and hospitality industry for the past 21 years. She has had the opportunity to work alongside many talented chefs and entrepreneurs in the area, and is always looking to learn new skills that challenge and push her creativity. In one of her most recent posts, she led the kitchen team at the popular Durham restaurant, Foster’s Market. There, her mentor Sara Foster significantly influenced her love of simple food, fresh ingredients, and the importance of supporting local farmers. Paired with her prior experience as the Catering Director at Hope Valley Catering Company, Stephanie has planned, created, and executed meals and events of all types. She has always dreamed of having her own restaurant where she can share her love for good food with the community. In her pursuit of that goal, she is excited to share her culinary skills and passion by introducing you to step one… My Croft Kitchen.