WILLIAMSBURG — In a busy, fast-paced world, home meal preparation can often be one of those tasks that falls through the cracks, sending hungry people out in search of a quick or easy bite to eat. While fast foods can be convenient, they are typically not the healthiest choice to make.
That is where Betsy Hennemann, 47, of Chesterfield comes in. Hennemann is the proprietor of Your Family Chef, a weekly meal delivery service based in Chesterfield, and is opening a new business in Williamsburg called Good to Go.
Hennemann prepares her food in a professional commercial kitchen that she runs out of her home. She has 275 subscribers that get her weekly menu and does about 40 delivers every week in the Hilltowns and surrounding communities.
“This will be an extension of my current business,” she said. “People won’t have to place orders; it is a grab-and-go shop where folks can stop in and buy a healthy meal to take to work or home.”
Located at 45 Main St., the shop will provide healthy, home-cooked meals that include things like gluten free and low carbohydrate menu options.
“I will always have a soup, salad, a couple of sandwich options, flatbread pizzas and two or three single, double, and family-size entrees,” she said, adding that her specific options will change weekly.
Hennemann said that she decided to open the healthy take-out shop after her business in Chesterfield was so well received.
“I have been very busy, and I reached a point where I was at max capacity for myself,” she said. “But people just kept asking for more and I kept getting more customers, so this seemed like a logical step as I am already cooking the food.”
Hennemann said that she is hiring two part-time employees to work in the kitchen and several part-time people for the Williamsburg store.
She will also be setting up a website as soon as she gets settled in.
“Williamsburg is a bustling town and it seems like a perfect place to do this,” she said.
Good to Go is set to open during the week between Christmas and New Years.
During the month of January, residents from Chesterfield, Plainfield, Worthington and Cummington are invited to help review and offer feedback on their town’s individual community development strategy.
Sponsored by the Hilltown Community Development Corporation and the Select Board in each town, the meetings will be an opportunity to examine the goals, priorities and accomplishments of each community, as well as a chance to gather new ideas for future town projects.
Topics may include affordable housing, transportation, land use, natural resources, energy efficiency, health and human services and more.
Meetings are scheduled at the following town offices:
Chesterfield: Monday, Jan. 8, 4:45 p.m.
Plainfield: Tuesday, Jan. 9, time to be determined — contact Hilltown CDC.
Worthington: Tuesday, Jan. 9, 6:40 p.m.
Cummington: Thursday, Jan. 11, 7:15 p.m.
For more information contact Bea von Hagke at beavh@hilltowncdc.org or 296-4536, ext. 115.
NORTHAMPTON — Smith Agricultural and Vocational High School seniors from the cosmetology department are inviting seniors from the Hilltown communities to “Spa Days” at the school, located at 80 Locust St. in Northampton.
Open to men and women, services include shampoo, cuts and styling for $5, manicures for $4, pedicures for $8 and basic facials for $8.
These services are offered on Jan. 12, Feb. 9, March 16, April 13 and May 18.
Appointments are required and can be made by calling 296-4007. Each appointment takes about an hour and they are scheduled for 9 a.m. and 10 a.m. time periods.
Ideas for this column on life in the Hilltowns can be sent to Fran Ryan at fryan.gazette@gmail.com.