Like many entrepreneurs, Montrealer Tracy Goodson-Mackay started a business after she discovered a little hole in the market. After giving birth to her first child, she and her husband had almost no time to prepare healthy meals and ended up eating a lot of take-out food, some of which didn’t agree with the baby (because it got passed on through the breast milk).
With no family living in Montreal, she didn’t have anyone to help out with the cooking. 
“All my relatives sent flowers and I was sitting in my living room hungry with no food in my fridge,” recalls Goodson-Mackay. 

She says flowers are a great way to cheer people up but that food is a much more practical gift for parents who have a new baby. So she decided to start a catering business, called Mamaluv, that would specialize in delivering gift packages of delicious, healthy meals to new parents. 

Mamaluv has a number of gift-giving options that range from the welcome home package for $59 to the seven-day deluxe package for $310 that includes 14 dinner and dessert choices for two people as well as a baby gift. 

The person buying the gift chooses whichever package suits his or her budget and then Mamaluv sends the new parent a gift card with a menu. When she is ready, the recipient of the gift places her order to be delivered at her convenience. 

“I work with a wonderful caterer who was already specializing in healthy cuisine but now also ensures the food is good for moms who are breastfeeding,” Goodson-Mackay says. 
While Mamaluv was conceived as a gift idea for new parents, it has caught on in other areas. Goodson-Mackay says she has sent gifts to people recovering from chemotherapy and hip surgery, as well as to elderly parents whose children live abroad. 

For more information, call (514) 823-9050 or go to www.mamaluv.ca