Story and Photos by Xana Turner-Owens

When it comes to quality and sustainability, Robbie Madfis refuses to compromise. With Hot Dates, he’s proving that ethically sourced, sustainable foods can also be delicious and affordable. Madfis originally developed his stuffed dates as a dessert item for a pop-up dinner event he was hosting. After receiving rave reviews, he decided to pitch them to Nine Miles East, a farm/restaurant in Saratoga Springs, NY, where he was working as an account manager handling Boston-based accounts for their farm-to-office program. He partnered with the farm so his Hot Dates could be featured as a specialty guest product in their boxes; he quickly put together a packaging design and ingredient suppliers and the initial order of 300 sold out within just three days. He knew he was onto something.

Seeing this growing momentum, Madfis began thinking more widely about packaging, production and distribution. Hot Dates has since grown into its own stand-alone business, sold at both specialty grocery stores and online. Madfis still makes them by hand in small batches, maintaining the integrity of the original product even as he responds to increasing demand.

Madfis’ passion for both food and sustainability have led him to question how they can best coexist. He notes that many chefs seem to view the ideas of health, quality and sustainability to be somehow in conflict. His interest lies in how they can optimize—rather than hinder—one another, insisting that “you can have amazing-tasting products with exciting complex flavors that still highlight seasonal, ethically sourced ingredients.” Each ingredient for Hot Dates was chosen consciously with this in mind.

Hot Dates are halved Medjool dates filled with spicy sunbutter, dipped in chocolate and then topped with sea salt. All of his ingredients are intentionally plant-based, shelf-stable and sustainable, allowing his product to be Certified Climate Neutral. This means that the operations and supply of his product offset its carbon emissions. Most dried fruit is energy-intensive, exhausting many resources in the drying process, but dates require zero energy as they dry completely on the tree. Sunbutter, made from sunflower seeds, is similarly energy efficient because unlike most nut butters, it solely relies on rainwater and snowpack for its production. These decisions are fundamental to the values of the business, making Hot Date Kitchen an example in a new wave of businesses challenging the ethos of mass-produced, highly processed foods.

At Hot Date Kitchen, Madfis is committed to creating premium, ethical products that are both accessible and delicious. These stuffed dates are sweet, spicy, highly satisfying and would make a nice addition to any picnic, cheese board or gift basket. From their nutritious plant-based ingredients to Madfis’ ethical business model, these stuffed dates are a treat you can feel good about in more ways than one.

You can find Hot Dates locally at Cambridge Naturals, American Provisions and Pemberton Farms or online at hotdatekitchen.com and at doorstep.market/newengland.

This story appeared in the Fall 2021 issue.