Today we’d like to introduce you to Matt Rosen.
Hi Matt, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Sergeant Shortbread was never supposed to be a business, it started simply as a passion for baking after a family vacation to Hawaii. It was the day before we were due to fly back home from vacation and we went into a store that specializes in shortbread cookies. It was here that I completely fell in love with shortbread cookies. Not wanting to pay shipping and handling to get these cookies shipped from Honolulu to Minneapolis, I informed my wife that I was going to just bake my own.
This came as a complete shock to her considering I had never baked anything ever in my life. This also came as a complete shock to everyone else who knew me well, considering I spent the first 23 years of my life in the military (retiring in 2015). So, I baked my very first shortbread cookie ever in December of 2017 and proceeded to share my newfound passion with friends, family, and co-workers. I began to get requests for cookies for family reunions, birthday parties, and other life events, which in turn led to the formation of an official business in 2018.
I began my baking career as a registered MN Cottage Food Producer (which I continue today) and in July 2020 took my business to the next level, I became a licensed Wholesale Food Manufacturer. I continue to do local events such as farmers’ markets, city festivals, fairs, etc., along with baking cookies for local breweries, distilleries, and coffee shops.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has not been a smooth road. The first “bump” in the road was getting up the courage to leave my comfortable 9-5 corporate job for the uncertainty of the world of entrepreneurship.
My biggest struggle has been achieving name recognition, just getting people to know that I even exist.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
I would describe Sergeant Shortbread as a veteran-owned gourmet shortbread cookie company based in Eden Prairie. I pride myself in creating my recipes through trial and error. I am completely self-taught and nearly all of my recipes are of my creation.
What I’m most proud of brand-wise is that I’ve been able to incorporate my military background with my current passion for baking shortbread cookies. I specialize in cookie flavors that you wouldn’t normally find in a local grocery store, such as; Blueberry Lemon, Cherry Almond, Dark Chocolate Sea Salt, Sea Salt Caramel, and many more.
Serving individual orders for your cookie jar or a corporate gifting idea for your clients or employees, Sergeant Shortbread is “Reporting For Cookie Duty”.
What matters most to you? Why?
What matters most to me is that I continually bring joy and happiness to anyone who eats my cookies. If I can bring just a little happiness, even for just a few minutes, to anyone who tries my cookies, I consider that my greatest success!
Pricing:
- $3/pack of 3 cookies
- $4/pack of 3 cookies
- $11/dozen
- $13/dozen
Contact Info:
- Website: www.sergeantshortbread.com
- Instagram: @sergeantshortbread
- Facebook: @sergeantshortbread
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattrosen1/
