Betty Burleigh brings new business to the beach

What's for dinner? These are often the first words spoken upon returning home in the evening. Now the answer can be as easy as a trip to the freezer.

Betty Burleigh moved to Lewes in August to bring her business, Dinner is Served, to the beach community.

She goes to her client's kitchen and prepares from 10 to 20 meals and a few side dishes, which she packages in disposable containers and puts in the freezer. When the homeowner returns home, the meals can be microwaved or baked and ready for dinner in 30 minutes or less.

“When I meet the clients, I do a food questionaire with them to find out their diet and food allergies,” Burleigh said. “From there, we decide on the menu.”

Burleigh purchases the items needed, cooks and cleans up. Each microwavable container is labeled with reheating instructions, she said.

Burleigh, a personal chef, founded Dinner is Served in 2000 in Bear. After her husband Trevor retired, the couple decided to move to the Lewes area. The couple chose a home outside Lewes with plenty of room for their three Jaguars and where Burleigh can enjoy gardening and growing herbs to use in her cooking.

“I think this will be a great service for people with beach homes,” she said. “I can prepare the meals, then when the family arrives, there is dinner in the freezer.”

Burleigh is looking for new customers and can also prepare food for parties, girls' nights and events. She can prepare meals for one person or a whole family.

“For some people who come down with 10 family members, it can be hard to go out to eat,” Burleigh said. “It makes it easier to stay at home, especially when there is good food available.”

Burleigh's personal chef service includes a variety of entree options such as enchiladas, chicken parmesan, pasta with goat cheese and vegetables, tilapia with a cinnamon-apricot glaze and pork with roasted peppers and mushrooms. She also can prepare appetizers such as strawberry bruschetta and stuffed wontons, and desserts include peach cobbler and pound cake.

“My motto is, no stress, just enjoy,” Burleigh said. “No shopping, no clipping coupons – just freshly made, customized meals waiting for you in the freezer. And, no tipping involved!”

For more information, call 302-947-9679 or go to dinnerisservedbb.com.