We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Stephanie White. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Stephanie below.

Hi Stephanie, thanks for joining us today. Alright, so you had your idea and then what happened? Can you walk us through the story of how you went from just an idea to executing on the idea

I have loved cooking and baking for as long as I can remember. I grew up in a family passionate about food, where something new was always being created in the kitchen. While my early career focused on teaching young children, and working in emergency animal medicine, I couldn’t shake the dream of owning my own bakery someday.

After the birth of our son in 2017, I decided to pursue baking professionally. We were living in Chicago at the time, and with a newborn in our lives, the steps started small. I began testing any baked good that sparked my interest, researching new techniques, and reading anything about starting your own business that I could get my hands on. Friends, family and community members were my taste testers and guidance providers.

When we moved to Grand Rapids, MI in the Spring of 2019, I began formulating a plan on how to get a new business up and running. I visited local farmers markets, connected with other small business owners, and began researching a community kitchen to operate out of. I was excited to meet Ryan Bolhuis, Culinary Operations Manager and Small Food Business Mentor, at the Downtown Market Grand Rapids. Ryan was incredibly helpful as I applied to work out of the Downtown Market’s Incubator Kitchen, and assisted with any (and all!) of the questions I had to get my baking business launched. Learning how to register my business name, becoming an LLC, and purchasing business insurance were all new to me. I am always being challenged and learning something new – which is both a blessing and a curse to someone who is both anxious and (mostly) introverted!

After passing my ServSafe Manager Exam and completing my inspection to obtain my Food License, I was ready to launch ‘A Little Sugar Co.’! The stretch of time in-between courses, family life, and the pandemic was filled with branding and website design, packaging research, and ingredient wholesalers. The entire process hasn’t been easy, but definitely worth it. This business tests me every single day, but I am grateful for everything that I have learned, and am incredibly proud of all that I have accomplished.

I launched my baking business in the Summer of 2021, and it has since been an ever changing experience. I am currently practicing under Michigan’s Cottage Food Law, and love participating in pop-up events, local pick-ups, weddings and any event where sugar is needed!

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Stephanie White, and I am the owner and head baker of ‘A Little Sugar Co. LLC.’ I have enjoyed baking for as long as I can remember, but started practicing professionally in June of 2021. I operate under Michigan’s Cottage Food Law, and participate in local pick-ups, pop-up events, weddings, and any event that needs a little sugar! We offer a variety of cookies, scones, muffins and cookie cakes in both classic and inventive flavors. We have also added both Gluten Free and Vegan Cookies to our menu! Our Salted Chocolate Chip Cookies are our most popular item, followed by our Cherry Lemon Scones and Cranberry Orange Muffins. The Gingerbread Cookies are a hit anytime of the year – we go for a soft and chewy version, and the Carrot Cake Cookies put a fun twist on a classic dessert!

I take pride in the level of quality and attention to detail given to each step of the development and production process. Communication is very important to me, and I will be there to answer any questions you have about your order, or the preparation for your event. I can’t wait to share my product with you!

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

I am a perfectionist to my core. I want the care and detail put into each product, the set up for an event, or the wording for an email, to be perfect. As nothing is perfect, trying to be so wreaks havoc on your mental health. Over the past couple of years, I have begun to accept that I can still produce a high quality product, work at a new event, or communicate with my clients, without stressing over each and every detail of the process. I believe that you are your harshest critic, and if you see yourself how others do, you’ll find that you’re already doing great things.

We’d really appreciate if you could talk to us about how you figured out the manufacturing process.

I manufacture all of my baked goods from scratch. I have been baking for years, so I’m familiar with the basic science behind the process, but have learned a lot of new techniques along the way. I typically begin a new recipe by writing down the knowns – different ingredients are used in larger quantities than others. Then I proceed to test the remaining ingredients based on previous experience and how well they work with one another. A lot of testing goes into the final product. We also moved multiple times before I launched my business – every oven is truly a different puzzle when it comes to baking! Time and patience are the most important lessons I’ve learned from manufacturing your own product – and having a lot of taste testers!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.alittlesugarco.com
• Instagram: @alittlesugarco
• Facebook: a little sugar co.

Image Credits
Stephanie White