Today we’d like to introduce you to Lindsay Staton.
Hi Lindsay , so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I’m a former picky eater turned foodie whose love of food eventually led me to entrepreneurship. As a kid, my preferred diet consisted mainly of buttered noodles and the occasional raisin snack pack. According to my parents, getting me to try anything else was a battle they rarely won. Ironically, that experience now shapes how I approach food. I love challenging myself to transform ingredients I wouldn’t typically enjoy into something I love, experimenting with contrasting textures, and creating dishes where every bite delivers on flavor.
In 2024, I stepped away from my role with a local community nonprofit in South Baltimore and began rethinking what I wanted the next chapter of my life to look like. During that transition, I kept returning to something that had always brought me joy: cooking. I spent more time experimenting in the kitchen, developing recipes, and imagining what it might look like to build something of my own around that creativity.
As for my business, it all started with a pun. The name came before the business concept, but it sparked an idea that breathed new life into me. In 2025, I officially launched Speak of the Deviled, a boutique catering company specializing in gourmet deviled eggs. My goal was to take a familiar, approachable appetizer and reimagine what it could be through unexpected flavor combinations, contrasting textures, and beautiful presentation.
Today, I’m growing Speak of the Deviled through personal orders, private events, and catering opportunities throughout the region. What started as a clever play on words has become an opportunity to challenge people’s expectations of something as simple as a deviled egg.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
What’s that saying— “Nothing worth having comes easy”? It’s been something like that. Starting a business in an industry that’s new to you will always come with struggles, especially when you’re a one-woman show. There are so many questions to answer: What certifications do I need? How should I build out the menu? How can I find a good kitchen to work out of? And, of course, the occasional self-confidence check: Am I good enough to make this work?
One of the biggest logistical hurdles was finding a licensed kitchen to operate out of. Because my products require refrigeration and temperature control, they don’t qualify under Maryland’s Cottage Food Law, which allows certain food businesses to operate out of home kitchens. Commercial kitchen space is limited in Howard County, and the options I found throughout the Baltimore and DC areas were either at capacity, outside my budget, or simply unresponsive to my inquiries. Thankfully, I found one in Annapolis Junction that provides the space and equipment I need to operate and grow my business.
Everything about this process has been—and continues to be—a learn-as-you-go experience. I don’t know what I don’t know, but I’m not afraid to ask questions. A quick Google search never hurt anybody! I’m also fortunate to have people in my corner who are generous with their knowledge and experience. My parents, both accomplished attorneys and entrepreneurs in their own right, have been invaluable sources of advice and encouragement, while Baltimore caterer Jimmy Britton has graciously made himself available as a mentor as I find my footing in the industry (and yes, Jimmy, I know I owe you a call!).
Looking back, I think I may have worked a little backward. I earned my certifications, designed and trademarked my logo, and built a website before securing a kitchen or even finalizing a menu. But every step has taught me something, and with each order or event, I continue learning more about the industry, refining my processes, and discovering what I’m capable of.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Speak of the Deviled is a Maryland-based boutique catering company specializing in gourmet deviled eggs. Our philosophy is simple: small bites can leave big impressions. We take a familiar appetizer—one that often gets relegated to the corner of a holiday spread—and put it center stage.
What sets us apart is our focus on a single, often underestimated dish. Rather than offering an expansive catering menu, I’ve chosen to specialize in something specific and explore just how far I can take it. Flavor, texture, and visual appeal are all important parts of that process. Our menu goes beyond the traditional deviled egg, featuring unexpected flavor combinations inspired by familiar dishes and culinary traditions. Offerings range from Taste of Home, topped with jumbo lump crab and Old Bay, to Game Day, a double-decker of BBQ-braised short rib and smoky pickled onion, Duck’s Nest, featuring duck confit and crispy duck skin, and 5 Star, made with butter-poached lobster, crème fraîche, and caviar. One of my favorite parts about doing this is watching someone’s reaction when they try a flavor for the first time, especially those who claim to hate eggs. Each flavor is designed to offer something distinctive while still honoring what makes a deviled egg a staple in the first place.
We offer personal orders, curated party packs, and catering for private gatherings, corporate functions, and special events throughout Maryland and the DC area. Deviled eggs are a crowd favorite, but anyone who’s made them for a gathering knows how tedious the process can be. We take that work off your plate, whether it’s a dozen eggs for a small get-together or a styled display for a larger celebration. The goal is the same: to create something memorable that gets people talking.
Brand-wise, I’m most proud of the identity I’ve built around the concept. Speak of the Deviled is playful and a little cheeky, but there’s a real attention to detail behind the humor. From the name and branding to the menu and presentation, I want every element to feel intentional. Ultimately, I want people to walk away thinking about deviled eggs a little differently than they did before—and hopefully craving another one.
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
My favorite childhood memory is less of a single experience and more of a feeling. Every year, my family hosts a Christmas Eve gumbo fest. What started as a small gathering of close family and friends has now grown into a celebration with nearly 100 guests. Even as a child, I looked forward to it more than Christmas Day itself—although, to be fair, I’d discovered my parents’ hiding spot for Christmas presents by the time I was eight, so I already knew what Santa was bringing.
The excitement started days before the party, when we’d decorate the house. We’d drape tinsel, string Christmas lights, and delicately place golden reindeer along the upstairs banister while Boyz II Men and Mariah Carey’s Christmas hits played in the background. Much to my dad’s dismay, my sibling and I always insisted on getting the tallest tree in the lot. We’d decorate it together, but being young, we had absolutely no concept of weight distribution. One year, I was on my hands and knees hanging an ornament on the bottom of the tree when we heard an ominous clicking sound and looked up to find the whole thing tipping toward us. I was able to scoot out at the last minute, but the combination of wooden floors and my Lion King onesie nearly did me in.
As soon as the sun set on Christmas Eve, I’d sit on our front steps, peering over the plastic candles perched in the windowsills, impatiently awaiting the arrival of the first guest. Once the party got going, all the kids would congregate on the bleacher-style steps that led to our basement, laughing with each other (and at our parents) and eating crab gumbo made by my mom from her grandmother’s recipe.
These days, I’m the one doing the cooking, the bleacher steps are gone, and all the kids are grown up. But the feeling hasn’t changed. It’s still my favorite day of the year.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.speakofthedeviled.com
- Instagram: @_speakofthedeviled_
