How Marti Wymer turned a daughter’s love Into a company that’s comforted hundreds of thousands of families
When her mother was diagnosed with cancer thousands of miles away, Marti Wymer wished she could send a hug. So she sent soup instead — and built Spoonful of Comfort into a company with over 100,000 five-star reviews and a team that’s more than 70% women.
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There are moments in motherhood — and in life — when the only thing you want to do for someone you love is show up. Bring something warm. Sit beside them. Let them know they’re not alone.
But what happens when you can’t be there? When you’re thousands of miles away and the person who needs you most is going through the hardest thing they’ve ever faced?
For Marti Wymer, the answer was soup. And that answer became Spoonful of Comfort.
A kitchen table, a cancer diagnosis, and a care package
Wymer’s mother was the kind of woman who made everyone feel at home — the one who always had something warming on the stove, who could make a hard day feel lighter just by being in the room. So when her mother was diagnosed with cancer, and Wymer was living thousands of miles away, the distance felt unbearable.
She couldn’t be there to cook. She couldn’t be there to sit with her. But she could send the closest thing to a hug she could think of: a warm bowl of soup, freshly baked rolls, and homemade cookies — packed with a handwritten note and all the love a box could hold.
That was 2008. Wymer packed those first care packages herself, at her own kitchen table. The response was immediate and emotional. Recipients told her the packages made them feel seen, cared for, less alone. Word spread. Orders grew. And what started as one daughter’s act of love became a company that has now delivered comfort to hundreds of thousands of homes across the country.
More than a gift — a way to show up when you can’t be there
If you’ve ever wanted to do something for a friend who just had a baby, a family member recovering from surgery, a neighbor going through a loss, or a new mom who could really use a night off from cooking — Spoonful of Comfort was built for exactly that moment.
Each soup care package arrives with four to six servings of handcrafted soup, six freshly baked rolls, six cookies, a keepsake ladle, and a personalized note. Families can choose from a wide range of soups, add-ons like cozy blankets and self-care items, and options for every dietary need — including fully customizable boxes that let you build something one-of-a-kind.
There’s even an Ultimate New Parent Package designed specifically for families welcoming a baby — because if there’s one thing every new parent needs, it’s a hot meal they didn’t have to think about. As Motherly has written about extensively, meal trains are one of the most powerful ways to support new moms — and Spoonful of Comfort essentially makes it possible to send one from anywhere in the country.
The science (and soul) of comfort food
There’s a reason we reach for soup when someone we love is hurting. Research from the Association for Psychological Science has found that warm foods and beverages can actually trigger feelings of interpersonal warmth and connection — that the physical sensation of warmth and emotional warmth are processed through overlapping neural pathways. In other words, a hot bowl of soup doesn’t just feel comforting. It is comforting, in a way that’s backed by neuroscience.
And as Motherly’s guide to postpartum meals that nourish healing reminds us, food becomes a love language in the fourth trimester. After delivery, meals do more than fill a plate — they steady hormones, fuel milk production, lower stress, and remind a new parent they are held. Sending a Spoonful of Comfort package to a postpartum mom isn’t just feeding her. It’s telling her: somebody thought about you today.
For the moments that are hard to find words for
What sets Spoonful of Comfort apart from a standard gift basket is the emotional intention behind it. The company was born from grief, from love, from the ache of not being able to physically be there. And that origin lives in every package.
Families use Spoonful of Comfort for new babies, surgeries, sympathy, illness, birthdays, and the kind of hard seasons that don’t have a Hallmark card. The sympathy care package is one of the company’s most popular offerings — because when someone you love is grieving, showing up with something warm and nourishing often says what words can’t.
As Motherly explored in 14 ways to really help a new mom, fully cooked meals are one of the most appreciated forms of support — and so is simply showing someone you thought of them. Spoonful of Comfort makes it possible to do both, whether you’re across town or across the country.
A women-led company built on care
The company Wymer has built reflects the values she started with. Spoonful of Comfort is women-owned and its team is over 70% women. From Wymer packing boxes in her garage to co-leading with her husband Steven Wymer and business partner Scott Gustafson, the company has grown into a nationally recognized brand — one that was named to EY’s Entrepreneur of the Year for the Mountain West region.
Today, Spoonful of Comfort has earned more than 100,000 five-star reviews from customers who keep coming back — not because it’s the fanciest gift on the market, but because it’s the most meaningful. It’s the one people remember. The one that arrived when everything felt heavy, and for one warm, quiet meal, things felt a little lighter.
The gift that says what you mean
Motherhood teaches us something powerful about showing up: it doesn’t have to be grand. It doesn’t have to be perfect. It just has to be real. A warm meal on a hard day. A note that says I’m thinking of you. A reminder that someone out there sees you.
That’s what Marti Wymer has bottled — or, more accurately, ladled — into every package Spoonful of Comfort sends. Whether you’re supporting a new parent, comforting a friend, or caring for someone you love from a distance, it’s the kind of gift that does exactly what it promises: it brings comfort, one spoonful at a time.
Because sometimes the most powerful thing you can send someone isn’t flowers or a card. It’s the feeling of being taken care of.
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