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Our Story

It all started with Nana.

In 1946, Hazel Ellis Hancock started a lobster restaurant in Ogunquit, Maine. Nana's mission statement (although she would never have used that term) was to deliver the finest Maine lobster, the finest customer service and the best "Maine" experience to her customers. For 25 years, Nana ran that restaurant with her two sisters, Fannie and Mina, and they taught their children and grandchildren (Cal among them) well. The restaurant is still in the Hancock family, and is still serving the finest Maine lobster available to its many customers.

Generations of Cal's family have spent many years teaching people "from away" how to solve the mystery of eating Maine lobster. Cal spent 21 years "away" from Maine as a senior executive in several private and public companies focusing on customer service and quality control in the medical information management industry.

Combining Cal's business experience and her love of good cooking, Cal created her company in December of 2000 with a mission statement similar to Nana's, to bring great Maine lobster to customers around the country using long held family recipes that combine ease of preparation with the highest standards of quality and customer service.

In just a few short years, Hancock Gourmet Lobster Company has become the market leader in high value, gourmet lobster products. Winner of the prestigious National Association for Specialty Food Trade (NASFT) award for "Best Seafood" in 2003, the company's products are available at upscale retail outlets in 20 states, through many fine catalog companies and directly from the company.

Cal and her team work out of a test kitchen (also known as home) in Cundy's Harbor, Maine's oldest commercial lobstering community, and a production and fulfillment facility located in nearby Topsham, Maine. Cundy's Harbor is a lobstering village of 500 people on Casco Bay.

As Nana taught, Cal only uses the freshest, all-natural ingredients. None of Cal's products have preservatives, and all of Cal's products use an abundance of fresh Maine lobster meat. All products are made in small batches preserving the integrity of the long-held recipes and are prepared fresh each day. All products arrive at the customer's door by overnight delivery, frozen, ready to thaw, heat and enjoy or store in the freezer for future use.