November 3, 2005 — In 2002, when Nuestra Comunidad Development Corporation launched Nuestra Culinary Ventures, a 5,000-sq. ft. commercial kitchen to be rented at affordable prices on an hourly basis by aspiring food-service professionals, it was in the hopes that many of the entrepreneurs would use the space as an incubator into the greater Boston food industry. 

Although NCV has seen its graduates open their own restaurants or accept positions in the food-service sector, the case of Cornelia Hoskin, who opened Well, Well, Well, Inc. in late September is quite unique: Hoskin opened her own store but continues to rely upon NCV’s services as she blazes her path to becoming an independent business woman.

Cornelia Hoskin (left), owner of  Well, Well, Well, Inc., and her employee Jacqueline Pendleton label barley soup  at Nuestra Culinary Ventures.

“I’m staying at NCV until the capacity isn’t there anymore,” Hoskin says. “NCV obviously cut down on the capital investment and has been an invaluable tool for me and Well, Well, Well, Inc.  We could not have started without the leg-up that a turn-key kitchen on an hourly basis has provided. I hope there can be more places like NCV.  I hope it can be of use to a lot of people who don’t know about it.”   

Well, Well, Well, Inc. with the motto “Eat Well, Live Well, Keep a Well-Stocked Freezer” is a store for all-natural, gourmet, blast-frozen meals that Hoskin has prepared at NCV since 2004.  Now those same meals will continue to be prepared at NCV to be sold to customers at the store or through home deliveries. “Between 5:30 and 8 p.m., it’s a parade of hungry people picking up something on their way home from work.”

In addition, the store adopts a concept similar to NCV’s by providing a venue for other small food producers to sell their wares, bypassing exorbitant slotting fees typically charged by larger supermarket chains.  For example, Hoskin also sells authentic Italian meals for Somerville-based Capone Foods and baked goods from the Haley House.  “There’s a small community that we can support this way.  It’s a nice little bonus,” says Hoskin.

Cary Wheaton, director of Nuestra Culinary Ventures, says, “It has been so rewarding to see Cornelia's dream blossom into a reality. She started with well-defined and researched goals, and with hard work, talent and perseverance, she is succeeding! Nuestra Culinary Ventures exists to give start-up food entrepreneurs a leg up in a highly competitive industry. It is so personally satisfying to observe Cornelia's success, but she is also an inspiration to the 54 other small businesses using our kitchen.  In fact, she's so busy that some of our other chefs are cooking for her new shop.  Way to go, Cornelia!”

Learn more about Nuestra Culinary Ventures

Nuestra Comunidad Development Corporation is devoted to building the wealth and enhancing the physical, economic and social well-being of Roxbury and other underserved populations in greater Boston, through a community driven process that promotes self-sufficiency and neighborhood revitalization.

Learn more about Nuestra Comunidad Development Corporation.