Representative Image of a vibrant farmers market where Stone & Skillet muffins are discovered by Whole Foods representatives (AI Generated Image) Cam Meekins spent his early career as a recording artist signed with Atlantic Records, producing, writing and performing his own music while touring across the US. He later turned those skills towards a very different venture: English muffins. Meekins told Entrepreneur that he and his brothers Kyle and Nick started Stone & Skillet in 2014, pooling $1,000 to buy a mixer and flour and making muffins in Kyle’s Boston apartment. The company’s own website, however, dates the creation of its original recipe to 2013, making the exact founding year unclear across sources. What began as a small side project has since become a family-owned packaged food company with national distribution across more than 3,000 retail locations. Its products are sold through chains including Whole Foods Market, Publix, Wegmans and Fresh Thyme. In a 2025 Entrepreneur interview, Meekins said the business had become an eight-figure company after reaching its first $100,000 month in its second year. A $5 million Series A announced in May 2026 is now funding further expansion.
The English muffins began in a Boston apartment
According to Meekins’ account to Entrepreneur, his brother Kyle had the idea of selling premium English muffins to Boston restaurants known for elaborate Sunday brunch menus. The brothers initially focused on making a higher-quality product while offering restaurants a less expensive alternative to some premium options. They made the muffins themselves in Kyle’s apartment and delivered them by hand. The brothers pooled $1,000 to buy a mixer and flour, with Meekins describing that as the entire initial investment.The company’s early history is not described identically across sources. Stone & Skillet’s current website says the founders created their recipe in their Boston apartment in 2013. Earlier reporting from WBUR in 2015 and 2017 identified Kyle Meekins and chef Dan Crothers as the company’s co-founders, with Kyle saying he and Crothers developed the recipe together after restaurant chefs repeatedly asked for a better English muffin. More recent accounts, including Meekins’ 2025 interview and the company’s 2026 financing announcement, identify Cam, Kyle and Nick Meekins as the founders.The first major retail breakthrough came while the company was selling at a farmers market. Meekins told Entrepreneur that someone from Whole Foods discovered the product, leading the brothers to realise they could compete in retail as well as restaurants. WBUR’s 2017 account similarly records Kyle saying a Whole Foods local forager approached them at the Boston Food Festival, after which the company began entering Whole Foods stores across the region.
Meekins took over as CEO during the Covid pandemic
Meekins became CEO of Stone & Skillet in 2020, during the Covid pandemic, after deciding to apply what he had learned from the music business to growing the food company. He had already spent years as a recording artist, having been signed with Atlantic Records and working in production, songwriting and performance. He said his experience in music gave him lessons that could be applied to building and promoting a consumer brand.The transition also followed a difficult period for the Meekins family. Their father, Russ Meekins, was described by Cam as a trusted adviser and best friend to the business before his death in 2020. Meekins said losing his father motivated him to focus all of his time on Stone & Skillet rather than continuing to divide his attention between music and the company.
The company went from its first $100,000 month to 3,000 retail locations
Stone & Skillet took months to establish consistent revenue. Meekins told Entrepreneur that in the early days, the brothers were happy when they sold through a batch of 20 packages. The company eventually reached its first $100,000 month during its second year, a milestone Meekins said made them realise they had built a real business. He also said the company had sold tens of millions of dollars in products over its history and described it as an eight-figure business.By 2026, the company had expanded to more than 3,000 retail locations across the US. Nutter, which represented Stone & Skillet in its Series A financing, lists Whole Foods Market, Publix, Wegmans and Fresh Thyme among its retail customers. The firm also confirmed that the company is headquartered in Boston and has achieved national distribution. In May 2026, Stone & Skillet announced a $5 million Series A led by BFG Partners, with Beliade Consumer Partners and Supernatural Ventures also participating. The company said the funding would support continued growth and expansion on the US West Coast.
Meekins credits action and relationships for the journey
Meekins’ advice to entrepreneurs centres on taking action, meeting people and remaining open to unexpected opportunities. He told Entrepreneur that founders should get out and build relationships because new connections can create opportunities that would otherwise be missed. He also stressed the value of surrounding yourself with people who know more about areas where you lack experience. His own career illustrates that approach. Rather than abandoning the skills he developed as a musician, Meekins applied lessons from promotion, relationships and audience-building to a consumer food company. Stone & Skillet’s latest financing now gives the business additional capital for its next stage of expansion, including its push into the US West Coast. The company that began with a $1,000 investment and handmade muffins in a Boston apartment has since moved from hand-delivering products to restaurants to distributing through more than 3,000 retail locations across the country.
Dining and Cooking