Sweetpea Organic Babyfood

Sweetpea is Fresh Organic Baby Food made for Busy Mothers Making Healthy Food Choices for Baby

Mar 6, 2006

Welcome to Mary Luz Meets... your monthly appointment with the famous and soon-to-be-famous from around the world. Today Mary Luz meets Sweetpea Organic Baby Food Makers

Today: Mary Luz Meets Eryn Green and Tamar Wagman. The entrepreneurial women behind Sweetpea organic Baby Food

Vital Stats:

Where were you born?

How old are you?

Where do you currently reside?

Occupation?

Tamar: My background is in hospitality sales and marketing. In Toronto, I have worked for the Oliver & Bonacini group and Gibson & Lyle Event Planning.

Eryn: My background is in Management Consulting. I worked for Cap Gemini Ernst & Young for 5 years where I focused on corporate strategy.

Our job descriptions are very different at Sweetpea. Tamar is responsible for product development and product sourcing. Eryn is responsible for the financial side as well as the business planning. Both Eryn and Tamar do the sales and marketing.

Questions:

You had an 'aha' moment in coming up with Sweetpea Baby Food. Tell us a bit about the post-aha moment. Was it hard work and nerve wracking or did it all flow as smoothly as custard?

It has definitely been hard work and nerve wracking at times. But then every once in a while something very serendipitous happens that makes this whole experience totally worthwhile. It is also so rewarding when we get feedback from consumers (both moms and dads!) who love the product and whose babies are "addicted" to Sweetpea.

Tell us a bit about the concept behind your line of organic baby food.

The concept follows many parents who have been making their own baby food and freezing it in ice cube trays. We just decided to do all the hard work for them. The commercialization of the concept is one that has ever done before. All the recipes were formulated by Sweetpea's chef, Jordan Wagman (who is also Tamar's husband) and Dr. Joey Shulman, a leading paediatric nutritionist. These include: Sweet Potato, Broccoli, Banana Blueberry, Veggies & Chicken, Veggies, Beef & Barley, Lentils & Root Veggies. We will also be introducing three new varieties in the summer of 2006.

How are parents (and babies) responding to your products?

We get constant feedback, especially on our website, Sweetpeababyfood.com and it has been overwhelmingly positive. Parents are very appreciative of what we have developed and have made easily available to them: an organic, healthy, delicious and convenient baby food. It's food that is good enough for them to eat themselves. In fact, we have a lot of adults who make Banana Blueberry smoothies out of our cubes! Comments we have received include: "Just wanted to let you know that I am your biggest fan...have been buying the sweet potato and banana blueberry by the truckload...what a terrific concept, so easy and the little heart on the frozen cube makes me smile every time."

Where are they currently available and will you be expanding your market reach?

Our original business plan projected 50 stores in our first year of business. After 4 months on the market, we are now in 60 stores in Ontario and Quebec (Pusateri's, Whole Foods, Longo's and on-line through Grocery Gateway, selected Dominion stores and health food stores), as well as another 60 stores in Vancouver and Alberta (Capers, Whole Foods, Nature's Fare, IGA and health food stores), making our reach national. This has far exceeded our expectations. We plan to expand to wherever there are parents who will want to buy our products.

On to adult food- what's your all-time favourite food?

Favourite cuisine style?

What's your most irritating food peeve?

Tamar: I HATE jams and jelly in my chocolate cake or in chocolates. I also hate celery.

When you dine out in the city- where do you go and why? (top 3 picks).

What's your favourite out-the-way, "gem" spot to shop for food?

Eryn: Pusateri's because they have everything and it's such great quality. Plus, I can check on Sweetpea in the freezer!

Best place in the city to take kids out to eat with the family in your estimation?

What's your take on the state of kids' school lunches and what they eat today? Unacceptable or just media hype?

To a certain extent it may be hype...but there are parts that are unacceptable. Parents need convenient and healthy options...the problem is that convenience usually means less healthy food and parents these days are strapped for time.

Do you have any tips on getting kids to eat their veggies?

Eryn: Yes, HIDE THEM - buy organic noodles (pasta) made with vegetables or hide them in omelettes.

Tamar: I still use Sweetpea Baby Food with my 2-year-old son. I use the "Veggies and Chicken" or "Veggies, Beef and Barley" as a sauce over pasta or rice. I also put the broccoli cubes in omelettes and put the "Banana Blueberry" as a spread on pancakes or toast. Hiding is the key.

What do you give a kid for dessert (without inducing a sugar high) that isn't straight fruit?

Did you eat all of your veggies when you were little girls?

The copyright of the article Sweetpea Organic Babyfood in Food Trends is owned by Mary Luz Mejia. Permission to republish Sweetpea Organic Babyfood in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.