Northwoods Gourmet Girl

Tucked away in the sleepy Moosehead Lake region of Maine, Northwoods Gourmet Girl has been producing all-natural, elegant pantry staples since 2005; one jar at a time.

Perhaps inspired by the myriad of artificially-flavored, chemically-altered condiments that line the shelves of supermarkets around the nation, chef Abby Freethy set out in 2005 to create a company that specialized in healthy alternatives to common pantry staples. Northwoods Gourmet Girl started with country ketchup produced in Freethy’s own home kitchen, and has expanded to a product line of over 18 items, including relishes, jams, preserves and desert sauces.

“I grew up in a home where the kitchen was constantly filled with the smell of my Ukranian grandmother’s scratch cooking, sheltered from the processed foods that still remain omnipresent in today’s society,” says Freethy. “Northwoods Gourmet Girl is my attempt to bring quality of life back into the kitchen for families throughout New England.”

Northwoods Gourmet Girl has grown from its humble beginnings to a sustainable business with a heavy focus on community enrichment for both children and adults.

“I started this company when I was pregnant with my son, and soon realized that the basis behind all of it lays in my desire to raise awareness amongst both parents and children about the importance adopting a healthy lifestyle,” says Freethy. “At Northwoods Gourmet Girl, we believe that health starts in the kitchen and with proper nutrition, which is none of our products contain preservatives or other artificial ingredients.”