How a Cancer Diagnosis Helped Create a ‘Cookie Dough Tycoon’

After Loren Castle graduated from college, he was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a rare cancer that affects the body’s lymphatic system. Although Castle is now cancer-free, her diagnosis has changed the way she views food.

Castle began studying nutrition and took cooking classes to learn how to nourish himself with the most nutritious foods possible. It was her sweet tooth that made her realize that there were no packaged baked goods on the market that were truly delicious and made with better ingredients that she enjoyed. So Castel did his own.

In 2009, Castle began cooking in his studio in New York City and sold his products at local farmers’ markets. That’s when Sweet Loren’s was born. After a few years of perfecting the recipe, Castle introduced his product to Whole Foods and quickly distributed it to more and more retailers.

Today, according to the company, it is the No. 1 brand in the natural cookie dough category and No. 3 overall.

“I thought about how we do it using whole grain flowers that still taste amazing and healthier oils, so they’re dairy-free and less inflammatory, and over time, I tweaked the recipe and went through hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of batches.” Castle said in an interview with Food Dive.

The CEO and founder’s goal was to create a cookie that everyone could eat. The recipe is free from the top nine allergens and contains ingredients such as cane sugar, oatmeal made from oat flakes, palm oil, sea salt and fair trade chocolate pieces.

Convenience is still king

Although Castle’s initial priority was to perfect her recipe, in order to get her products on grocery store shelves, she had to meet the needs of retailers.

Castle met the purchasing manager at a Whole Foods in New York who told him that cookies are best when they taste fresh.

“We thought about baking mixes, pre-made cookies, cookie dough – and we landed on pre-made cookie dough to give people the best experience possible,” Castel said. “After studying the food industry, I realized that there were only two major brands that offered pre-made cookie dough and neither of them represented natural ingredients, so there was a huge opportunity.

Ultimately, the American consumer still prioritizes convenience, even when looking for better-for-you products, Castle said, which is why Castle opted for a product that would still feel and taste fresh, but would not require a lengthy cooking and cleaning process.

“It took seven months to figure out the factory, design, packaging and complete the recipe. I sampled it at Whole Foods and then bought it at Publix and Kroger supermarkets when I first met,” Castle said.

Now, Sweet Loren’s are sold in 30,000 stores across the country.

From natural cookie dough to a food brand

Over the past year, Sweet Loren’s has expanded into four new categories: puff pastry, breakfast cookies, pie crust and pizza dough.

As for whether the brand is classified as “better for you” or not, Castle said it can get tricky giving food products such names, but ultimately it has always aimed to ” rid the American food system of all this bullshit.” .”

The company’s first priority is to exclude anything harmful from ingredient lists – artificial colors, colors or flavors, and chemicals linked to cancer.

Sweet Loren’s then seeks to create packaged foods that are convenient and use the highest quality ingredients possible – and that people consider delicious.

“We’re healthier in the sense that we use whole grain flours, for example, and are able to incorporate some fiber into our products. We also use oils that are naturally less inflammatory to the body so our products are healthier. easy for most people to digest,” Castle said.

Ultimately, the company creates decadent products. “These are things that light people up and make them happy — you don’t eat them for breakfast, lunch and dinner,” she said.

Sweet Loren’s entry into new categories is a work in progress. “What people don’t realize is that I can make delicious puff pastry in my kitchen, dairy-free, gluten-free, etc.,” Castle said. “The challenge arises when you try to mass produce what will be sold in thousands and thousands of grocery stores.

It took the company almost seven years to get its portfolio to where it is today.

Castle said his main priorities for the next few years were to double down on brand awareness and look to innovate further.

“We want to double or even triple our consumer base. We have a cult fandom of people who had no other options until we came along, but we want to build loyalty from more everyday consumers who are simply looking to eat better.