KANSAS CITY, MO — With indulgence and lifestyle attributes top of mind for consumers, established and early-stage companies alike are shifting to meet the demand. For the Baltimore-based emerging brand Sweet Fields, it’s checking all the boxes with just one product.
The Black woman-owned gourmet cinnamon roll company is growing from its origins in festivals and farmers markets into retail and foodservice, making its frozen vegan desserts more accessible to consumers, especially those with dietary restrictions.
According to the American College of Gastroenterology, approximately 85% of adult African Americans are lactose intolerant. This statistic, in addition to USD Analytics figures that indicate the vegan dessert industry is expected to grow at a CAGR of 10.5% through 2030, uncovered a niche for indulgent, better-for-you sweet goods that Ms. Fields, founder and CEO of Sweet Fields, intends to fill.
“We are creating vegan treats that don’t sacrifice taste and answering the evergreen question, ‘What’s for breakfast or dessert?’” Fields said.
The origin of Sweet Fields’ cinnamon roll recipe can be traced back a few generations to Fields’ grandmother’s dinner roll recipe, which was created in the 1930s. Fields’ grandmother, whom she affectionately called Nanny, and great aunt formulated the roll recipe in their early teens while working as a cook and nanny, respectively, in Ottawa, OH.
“This recipe comes from a not beautiful place, but it became something beautiful later,” Fields said. “I’m sure that when my grandmother and her sister were trekking through the cold of Ohio with inadequate winter wear, they had no idea that working for pennies would turn into a product her granddaughter would one day turn into something that creates wealth.”
Over the years, Fields became one of three people to learn the family dinner roll recipe. With a couple of adjustments, she made a vegan version to accommodate her lifestyle. After she used the adjusted recipe to create cinnamon rolls for her family, the seeds were planted to grow a national bakery brand.
“I’m sure that when my grandmother and her sister were trekking through the cold of Ohio with inadequate winter wear, they had no idea that working for pennies would turn into a product her granddaughter would one day turn into something that creates wealth.” — Ms. Fields | founder and CEO | Sweet Fields
Fields started the company in 2019, investing a few thousand dollars and bootstrapping expenses for the first year or so. She began selling Sweet Fields cinnamon rolls at festivals and farmers markets in the months that followed. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Sweet Fields shifted gears, leaning into corporate orders. This was the first large-scale production for the baking company, which at the time operated out of a commercial kitchen in Baltimore.
Sweet Fields’ operations have since expanded to two co-manufacturers, though the brand occasionally operates out of its commercial kitchen to remain cost-efficient on smaller orders. Fields works closely with both co-manufacturers to ensure the artisan quality and product flavors Sweet Fields cinnamon rolls are known for are up to brand standards.
“It’s my name, my reputation,” Fields emphasized. “Sweet Fields has a taste and quality, and I’m not going to produce anything I don’t approve.”
With efficiency, cost and quality in mind, Fields has been conscious of ingredients and processes throughout the company’s growth.
“I think where some businesses struggle is picking processes or ingredients that in a small batch would be fine, but on a mass scale become either too expensive or unrealistic,” Fields said. “I’ve been very cognizant about those things from the start.”
This story has been adapted from the AUGUST | Q3 2024 issue of Commercial Baking. Read the full story in the digital edition here.
