BY FRAN ENDICOTT MILLER

A life-threading cancer diagnosis in 2008 convinced Kristen Thibeault to embrace her childhood dreams of becoming a chef. The dream more than achieved, Thibeault opened Kombu in 2012 at San Francisco’s Four Seasons Hotel, the brand’s first plant-focused restaurant. In 2013, she earned San Pellegrino’s 'Almost Famous Chef' award and went on to judge the competition in 2015 and 2016. She traces her food fascination to the small farming community outside of Minneapolis in which she grew up. “I was trussing chickens and canning pickles while the other kids played hide-n-seek,” says Thibeault who credits a plant-focused diet for her speedy recovery from treatment. 

Chef Kristen Thibeault

She went on to earn a culinary degree from Le Cordon Bleu, earned certification in sports nutrition, and took on additional training in Ayurvedic, paleo, and macrobiotic cooking before founding with her husband Keven Thibeault her premium, high performance catering company Nybll. Nybll fuels mind, body, and soul with chef-prepared, plant-forward meals that satisfy cravings, increase energy, and promote a culture of health. Her clients range from companies such as Amazon and Salesforce, to championship sports teams including the Houston Astros and San Francisco Giants.

And now, in response to new living and working conditions as a result of COVID-19, Thibeault has created an offshoot of her corporate catering business and launched Nybll HOME, a healthy home meal delivery service for individuals and businesses. Nybll HOME provides flexible plans and rotating weekly meals that are plant-forward and designed to fuel. Meals are inspired by Thibeault’s world travels; each is bold, flavorful, nutritious, and beautifully presented. She utilizes sustainably sourced ingredients, free of refined sugar, dairy, and gluten, and she adheres to zero-waste initiatives.

A week’s sample menu (starting at $59 for single servings) includes:

Entree 1: Roasted Salmon + Turmeric Quinoa + Roasted Vegetables

Vegan option: Candied Tempeh

Entree 2: Grilled Lemon Chicken + Mujadara Lentils and Rice + Dukkah Carrots

Vegan option: Falafel

Entree 3: Garlic Roasted Chicken + Ratatouille Vert and Roasted Cauliflower

Vegan Option: Stuffed Mushrooms

Entree 4: Smoked BBQ Brisket + Confetti Potato Salad + Jalapeno Corn and Green Beans

Vegan Option: BBQ Jackfruit

Entree 5: Basil Shrimp + Lemon Orzo with Spring Peas

Vegan Option: Lemon Garlic Tofu Steaks

Thibeault is also elevating grocery delivery with Nybll Grocery, weekly or one-time delivery of: 

Produce Box ($42) – carrots, cherry tomatoes, Tuscan Kale, mixed greens, bagged spinach, English cucumber, head of broccoli, onion, lemons, avocados, garlic.

Fruit & Vegetable Box ($49) – apples, oranges, bananas, romaine lettuce, mixed greens, red onion, roma tomatoes, English cucumber, baby potatoes, celery, red pepper, zucchini, bunch of kale, carrots, lemons.

Ultimate Pantry Box ($79) – extra virgin olive oil, eggs, butter, milk, half & half, parmesan cheese, aged cheddar, penne pasta, marinara sauce, rice, quinoa, ground coffee, sugar, sea salt, peanut butter, whole grain bread loaf, chicken or vegetable stock, granola, dried fruits & nuts.

Customers can also participate in donating a Love Box ($30), a pay-it-forward initiative for families in need. Donate a box to a San Francisco, Oakland, or Los Angeles based family at risk. This box includes three healthy chilled family meals, apples, oranges, milk, bread, butter, pasta, rice, beans, carrots, onion, greens, and your special message of love.

Nybll HOME and Nybll Grocery delivery zones: San Francisco, Daly City, Oakland, Berkeley, Emeryville, Alameda, Orinda, Lafayette, Walnut Creek