A hibiscus-yellow sun sets Hawaii aglow. Matt Rosen, newly retired from the United States Army, vacations in the glow with his family.
Matt’s wife Sara entreats him to enter a bakery. Doing so requires little entreating on her part.
Inside, Matt eats a most miraculous thing: a crispity, buttery, splendiferous thing. He can’t place its flavor at first. But upon deeper investigation, it dawns on him.
It Tastes Like Destiny
Mountains of sugar and flour. Fountains of vanilla extract. Stick upon stick of Dairyland’s best. Upon returning home to Eden Prairie, Matt enlists them all in his self-appointed quest to perfect the nonpareil shortbread.
He succeeds. Then he enterprises. Two neatly cut halves of a ribbon flutter down to either side of Bakerz Dozen (later Sergeant Shortbread) in 2018. The shortbread-loving world rejoices!
Families. Restaurants. Breweries. Churches. Companies in need of actual, appreciatable gifts for their clients and staff. For eight straight years, Matt knocks their socks off with reason-defyingly delicious treatsies.
But suppose shortbreads aren’t Matt’s true calling. Suppose they were only the vet’s entry point to his real raison d'être.
“My greatest passion is now cottage foods, as a whole,” said Matt. “That’s why I recently founded the National Cottage Food Alliance; a chamber of commerce, of sorts, which aids cottage food producers through education, economic support, and advocacy.
“Entrepreneurs who prepare goods in their home kitchens for direct sale to the public have a tough road ahead of them. Our nonprofit organization and its board of directors are here to give them every advantage we can. We offer monthly seminars to our members, and host CottageFoodieCon right here in Eden Prairie so they can learn even more about the business side of their art. We partner with vendors to get members sizable discounts on ingredients and other supplies. We’re also pushing for legislation that will make cottage foods a more lucrative hobby – or full-blown business – nationwide. For example, here in Minnesota, cottage food producers still aren’t allowed to ship their own goods to their customers!”
Does Matt’s new occupation leave too little time for campaigns of mass baking?
It does.
Does that mean life-alteringly tasty shortbreads are no longer part of the picture?
Far from it.
“Sergeant Shortbread wasn’t conceived as a way to cash out,” said Matt. “I knew from the onset that I’d rather shutter it than sell to someone who doesn’t genuinely love shortbread, or share my same steadfast support for our military and veterans. That looked to be the case, until one fateful delivery.”
“God put me in Matt’s path for a reason,” said Merae Meek, kitchen manager for Grace Church. “We got to chatting while he was delivering shortbreads to Grace Cafe. He mentioned he’d been thinking about closing up shop. Almost right away, I asked him: Would you consider selling?
“I appreciate everything about Sergeant Shortbread. The shortbreads – small, light, nice, and filling – are, naturally, the star of the show. I’ve brought more flavors home to share with my husband than I can recall (Blueberry Lemon is my favorite). That I’ll be baking them alongside my 13-year-old granddaughter, who once asked me if I could buy her a bakery someday? Sounds like the right kind of retirement in my book!
“I love Sergeant Shortbread’s support for the military just as much. My son is a former enlisted Marine, and would have joined the Armed Forces myself if not for my health. Matt’s service to Every Third Saturday, which assists Minnesota veterans in finding new purpose, set a wonderful precedent for what I expect to do moving forward.
“I already send letters and care packages to our troops, and have previously welcomed new recruits to stay in my home until one of the Marine Corps’ boot camps was ready for them. I plan to begin sending troops shortbreads as well! And later down the line, I also hope to start baking natural, wholesome dog treats for the German Shepherd rescue I volunteer with. (They’re not veterans, but they are very, very cute.)”
“Merae won’t go it alone,” said Matt. “She’ll have every recipe I spent eight years fine-tuning, and I’ll consult for her until she’s mastered every step of my process. For example, kneading the dough to perfect consistency is an artform that can only be done through skilled touch. I won’t share my trade secrets with Eden Prairie Lifestyle, though. You guys didn’t buy Sergeant Shortbread!”
Now Merae’s at her oven, baking fresh shortbreads in the Rosen tradition. Her granddaughter is at her side; her patriotically decaled Pontiac, in her garage awaiting the next round of deliveries. A pair of German Shepherd noses just outside study the incredible sensation emanating from her house. Sergeant Shortbread marches on.
Holidays are coming, and Sergeant Shortbread has already seamlessly transitioned ownership. Order any number of cookies for any number of people (or all for yourself) today! SergeantShortbread.com