An MIT Alumni Association Publication

In March, in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, Massachusetts shut down service at restaurants across the state, including Cambridge-based Clover Food Lab, founded by Ayr Muir ’00, SM ’01. Upon closing its 13 locations, Clover quickly cleared out its excess inventory by selling boxes of fresh food to customers. And when those customers began asking for suggestions on what to cook with the ingredients they’d bought, Muir decided to start a live cooking show on YouTube. Often joined by his three kids, Muir focuses each episode of In Ayr’s Kitchen (there are 34 and counting) on cooking simple, wholesome recipes even a novice can prepare.

In early June, Clover launched delivery of boxed ingredients for customers to make some of its menu items at home. On June 22, a handful of Clover restaurants reopened for takeout. Muir says locations will continue to reopen slowly while evaluating ways to make pickups contactless and safe—and that, while his recent attention has been on the Clover at Home box program, the cooking show will not go away.

Watch the video for the full story.