Today we’d like to introduce you to Loren Castle.
Hi Loren, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I grew up in a family of entrepreneurs in New York City, and in my early twenties, was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma. After finding out I was cancer-free in 2007, I decided to cut out most dairy, artificial, and highly processed ingredients from my diet, as the impact of whole, real food was crucial to the way I felt. But I have a major sweet tooth and deep love for a warm cookie. I couldn’t find any recipes made with whole, clean ingredients that also satisfied my sweet tooth, so I began making my own. After hundreds and hundreds of recipe iterations, Sweet Loren’s was born.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
As with most entrepreneurial ventures and businesses in general, it has definitely not always been a smooth road. During Sweet Loren’s early days, I navigated the business entirely on my own. My mom passed away the same time I launched Sweet Loren’s into Whole Foods, and I bootstrapped the business at the beginning by doing everything myself, including baking in my tiny NYC studio with a toaster oven, raising my bed to store the bulk ingredients underneath, traveling with a toaster oven on the subway to demo the product in-stores, and being as scrappy as possible. Once we began to expand into additional retailers, I grew my team, and the rest is history.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next, you can tell us a bit more about your business.
As the leading better-for-you baked goods brand, Sweet Loren’s offerings span across a range of grocery classics, including pre-cut cookie dough, edible cookie dough, and breakfast biscuits, with exciting innovation in the pipeline. All of our products maintain the same commitment to quality and are made from the highest standard non-GMO ingredients, and each product is entirely gluten-free, plant-based, and free of the top 14 allergens – enabling everyone to discover the joy of delectable cookies without compromising delicious taste. We have grown to become the #1 natural cookie dough brand in the U.S. and the only major brand driving both dollar sales and units in the category.
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
I think that most people may not realize that the first iteration of Sweet Loren’s did not have the fully allergen-friendly label it does now. The first iteration of the cookies were made with whole-grain, dairy-free ingredients, but were not fully allergen-free. After receiving countless customer requests for allergy-friendly accommodations (ranging from celiac disease to peanut allergies), I had the realization to make a product collection free from all allergens. Despite this intensive feat, I set out to make Sweet Loren’s a “cookie for all” while ensuring that taste remained the #1 priority. Once I instituted this formulation change, the business completely transformed, and we’ve been thrilled to become the go-to, inclusive option for everyone at the table.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://sweetlorens.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sweetlorens/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SweetLorens/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sweet-loren’s-llc/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/SweetLorens
Image Credits
Sweet Loren’s
