Meet Loren Castle | Founder and CEO, Sweet Loren’s

We had the good fortune of connecting with Loren Castle and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Loren, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
Sweet Loren’s started out of a very personal place. After my own cancer journey surviving Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in my early twenties, I realized how important it was to have better-made, simple ingredients in the foods we love. I wanted to nourish my body with great tasting food made of ingredients that I trusted. I have a huge sweet tooth and love to bake – and a warm chocolate chip cookie is my favorite food in the world. When I couldn’t find a cookie that felt indulgent and didn’t compromise on health, I started making recipes for myself.

I never imagined I’d turn baking into a business, but once I got the recipes right – something undeniably delicious but also made of trusted less processed ingredients and great for those with food sensitivities – I knew other people needed this kind of treat too. Starting out, I sold baked cookies at farmers markets from my tiny New York apartment to learn what the crowd favorites were. Eventually, I got the chance to present Sweet Loren’s to a local Whole Foods in NYC. They loved the concept of our cookie dough because it was so different from conventional cookies and cookie dough. Sweet Loren’s cookie dough offered better ingredients and high quality taste while also being free of common allergens and really convenient to make warm, fresh cookies whenever consumers want.

Now, Sweet Loren’s has grown way beyond cookie dough – we’ve added ready-to-bake refrigerated puff pastry, pizza crust, and pie crust. We’ve also created ready-to-eat breakfast biscuits, all made with that same mission to create delicious food that feels good mentally and physically, where you don’t have to compromise. What started as a deeply personal journey to heal and find joy through food has become a way to bring that joy to millions of people that want more from their food too. It’s incredible how something I started for myself turned into a brand that helps so many others enjoy better-for-you, convenient comfort foods. Sweet Loren’s is all about delivering that homemade, delicious feel without any of the guilt, because everyone deserves a treat that’s both tasty and thoughtful. It became more than a business; it was a way to bring joy to millions, change people’s lifestyles, and show that delicious baked goods can be made of clean ingredients.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Early on, I took my baked cookies to farmers markets and really paid attention to what people were saying, especially those who cared about health and wellness or had dietary restrictions and didn’t have many good options before. I heard repeatedly from consumers that they felt excluded by traditional baked goods, finding that they were often made of the same processed ingredients. Their excitement and gratitude for Sweet Loren’s showed me there was a real need out there. Surveying and listening to our core fans, their desire for inclusive, safe, and delicious options was clear. That feedback, combined with market trends showing growth in clean-label and food sensitivies, convinced me that this pivot was not only necessary but an opportunity to find true white space and be incremental to the category.

When I got that first spot in Whole Foods and saw how customers responded, it was clear our cookie dough wasn’t too niche, it could compete on a bigger scale. Basically everyone I met was looking for ways to satisfy their sweet tooth with something they felt good about eating. Getting consistent positive feedback on taste, texture, and our promise for high quality ingredients that accommodated food sensitivities, really confirmed we had created something special and commercially viable. We are now sold in 30,000 supermarkets, including the top chains like Whole Foods, Target, Publix, and Kroger, offering cookie dough, puff pastry, pie crust, pizza, and breakfast biscuits!

Sweet Loren’s stands apart by solving a clear and growing shopper need: delicious, crave-worthy foods made with ingredients consumers can trust. We uniquely serve the next generation of busy bakers with simple, clean ingredients and products that are free of artificial colors and dyes, and are also non-GMO, gluten-free, and dairy-free.

I’m very proud that Sweet Loren’s has been ranked seven times on Inc. 5000’s fastest-growing private companies in the U.S. and has become the No. 1 natural brand in its category. Beyond these accomplishments, I have also been able to mentor other aspiring female entrepreneurs, joining the Board of Directors for the nonprofit Girls With Impact, which empowers young women to pursue their business dreams. Through a partnership with Mattel’s Barbie Dream Gap Project, we have been able to develop Sweet Loren’s Barbie Heart Shapes Sugar Cookie Dough to support the mission of Girls With Impact.

It’s been an incredible growth mindset experience balancing being an entrepreneur and building Sweet Loren’s, while also a wife and a mother of two – with now another on the way! I hope to inspire the next generation to pursue their dreams with so much passion that they’re willing to give it their all.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If I had a friend visting from out of town, I would be sure to take them to my favorite spots. I’d start with the outdoors, like to the beach or on a hike. There is nothing better than connecting with nature. I know I always feel energized and inspired after a good workout at home or at Silver Springs studio or Barry’s. Then I would take us to have a delicious lunch at one of my favorite Westside places like Gjelina, Layla Bagel, Gjusta, or Lodge Bread. I would plan to take my friend to a fun museum, music venue, or comedy show – something that LA can really deliver on. Then we would end the night with a fun and incredible dinner at Funke or RVR. I love having Sunday brunch at Little Beach House in Malibu to have amazing food on the water. I think this would be a well-rounded itinerary that shows how gorgeous, chill, and enjoyable living in LA can be.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to shoutout my mother, my first true mentor, who I attribute a lot of the success of Sweet Loren’s to. She was an entrepreneur and lawyer, and I looked up to her from a very early age. I saw how she juggled business and home life; even though she had a very busy schedule, she was always present as a mom. I suppose I always wanted to follow in her footsteps when I found my passion. She was by my side when I first started testing recipes and selling locally. I first launched Sweet Loren’s out of her kitchen. She passed away from cancer the year I launched Sweet Loren’s, so in many ways I want Sweet Loren’s to be both of our legacies.

Growing up, I remember my mom always tried to make it home for dinner with me and my two siblings. It was important to her that we had time for our family to connect over a sit-down dinner together. She always provided us with fresh, nourishing food options and we were never allowed fast food or even soda in the house. My whole family has always had a sweet tooth, especially for dark chocolate and homemade, great quality desserts, so I think it’s just in my DNA.

When I was little, I would experiment in the kitchen, making chocolate chip pancakes or reheating Chinese food for my siblings and myself. I remember trying to bake a cake and I was terrible at it because I wouldn’t follow a recipe. Despite that, my mom was always supportive, kind, and encouraging. She would say, “oh this just needs a little tweak!” when we all knew it was inedible!

When I was 14, my mom was diagnosed with cancer and was battling it for 12 years. She passed away around the time we were launching Sweet Loren’s into Whole Foods. That’s part of why health and wellness are so important to me and why I want to spread joy and bring people together through Sweet Loren’s products, because it really hits home for me.

Website: https://sweetlorens.com/

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Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sweet-loren’s-llc

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