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Business & Tech

'Sweet & Simple' Satisfies with Scrumptious Servings

Fairfield Mom turns passion for baking into a thriving local business.

Growing up in California, Michelle Jaffee enjoyed watching her mother and grandmother bake cookies. When she had her own three children, Jaffee liked to spend time in the kitchen with them, too. "We made all kinds of things together, and we still do," the Fairfield mother shared.

However, today Jaffee also owns and operates "Sweet & Simple," a business that sells pre-packaged, specialty cookies and brownies to local businesses. Some of her clients include the Westport Country Playhouse, Easton Village Market (Easton), Pine Creek Deli and Village Bagels (Fairfield), and Spic and Span Market in Southport. For a complete listing, go to www.sweetandsimple.info.

Jaffee said that it was a six-month program in which she enrolled at the French Culinary Institute a few years ago that inspired her to start a baking business. At the time, her children were all in school full-time and she longed to return to the hobby that she loved. Her initial intent was to sell her baked goods to local farmers' markets. However, Jaffee quickly learned that the state's strict health code regulations required that all products must be produced in certified commerical kitchens. "I thought I would just ease into it, but this forced me to commit to finding a kitchen and really starting a business," Jaffee said.

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She now travels back and forth several times a week to a commercial kitchen "Sweet & Simple" leases in Milford, to prep, bake, clean and package the scrumptious treats. "I started out with a large menu but I've had to scale back," Jaffee explained. "I wanted to offer quality rather than quantity and my customers seem to be fine with that." She now focuses mostly on producing mouth-watering cookies, bars and brownies. "It's wonderful to be able to offer a home-baked product for the market," she said. "I'm enjoying this whole process and the community has been very supportive."

Jaffee is also excited to expand her business but, for now, she wants to keep her options open. "I've definitely decided against opening my own coffee shop where I could sell my cookies," she said. "I love the actual baking process and developing of products." She is contemplating hiring a co-packer, who would take her recipes and prepare and package them. This would allow Jaffee to have more time to be in the stores, offering samples of "Sweet & Simple" products and meeting her customers.

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"I love the personal connection that I have with my customers and I would enjoy having more opportunities to get out there, in the community, and hear from them."

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