We sat with the founder to discuss the birth of The Teff Cookie Company, her challenges so far and the ethos that she lives by.
Peeking into the history of Jessica Rogers is by no means your average growing-up story. Whether it be catching the attention of Anna Wintour at just 14 years old with her own fashion magazine or gaining experience at ten high-profile companies by the time she was 18, Rogers has consistently pushed the boundaries of her capabilities. Fervent in her ambitions, Rogers has branched her innate entrepreneurial skills far beyond a specific sector, developing literacy campaigns while working for Swarovski and then, becoming a successful founder within one of the zeitgeist’s most competitive industries.
How was this achieved? For Rogers, it began on a trip to visit her friend at the UN in Ethiopia, who along her travels discovered the grain, teff. Sparking an exploration into the realms of nutrition and sustainable development, she created a product that not only encouraged companionship and community (with its two-in-a-pack design) but also provided ample benefits through nutrition and flavour — a product that would birth The Teff Cookie Company. Creating conscious and clean cookies, Rogers harnesses the many health benefits of teff to provide a product to everyone that will make them feel good on the inside and out.
Having undergone two funding rounds and three years of development, we sat with Rogers to find out what it takes to build an empire that disrupts the fashion, food and fitness spaces alike. Head below for the full interview now…
Hey Jessica, how are you doing today? Where are we speaking to you from today?
Hi! Really well, thank you. Excited to be chatting with Wonderland today! I am currently speaking to you from my office in London.
What did you eat for breakfast this morning?
A filter coffee, cinnamon sultana teff cookie with crunchy peanut butter spread on top and a vanilla protein shake with banana. It’s my go-to breakfast- it’s quick, delicious, and will power me through all my meetings in the day.
How did you first start your journey into food? I know you started off in fashion, but what inspired you to make the transition over to food?
I’ve always been a foodie! Ever since I was little, I was fascinated by flavours, combinations and always trying new things. When I was 4 years old, I suddenly stopped eating one of my favourite foods – my family were so concerned they rang up the company to check if they had changed anything in the recipe. It turns out they had changed one ingredient! So I guess I’ve always been very aware of what I’m eating and paid attention to food. Over the years, I developed an interest in nutrition. When I visited Ethiopia several years ago, I stayed with local families and learnt about teff – for generations, teff, one of the oldest and smallest grains in the world, has been a staple ingredient that Ethiopians use in their meals and has been credited for supporting long-distance endurance athletes. When I returned home, I couldn’t stop raving about teff as I had experienced a difference from adding it into my diet and couldn’t believe the research I had read. The idea for the company came from baking teff cookies with my dad at home. I was in the kitchen with my dad baking together and he suggested adding the grain into the mix. After creating the original teff cookie in our kitchen, he decided we ‘weren’t going to make this all the time’ and went on Amazon to buy some ready-made teff cookies. He couldn’t find anything there and turned to me and said you should start-up ‘The Teff Cookie Company’ – and that is where the idea began. When I started looking deeper into the idea, I couldn’t believe how many products were advertising health claims, when actually they were full of refined sugar, unnecessary additives and issues with food substitution. I realised that there was a huge gap in the market for a snack that was actually good for you and wanted to create the ultimate permissible indulgence. I then spent years studying nutrition and learning about food development. I wanted to create something that was always my dream – a cookie that was actually good for you and served a functional nutritional purpose!
Let’s talk teff! Can you describe the exciting grain to our readers? What are its health benefits?
Where do I begin – when you start looking into teff, you won’t believe how many benefits there are. Teff is catching the eye of fitness enthusiasts all over the world thanks to its gluten-free nature, mineral content, low glycaemic index, high crude fibre content and being a one-of-a-kind cereal that is rich in Vitamin C. It is abundant in essential amino acids, with an amino acid composition comparable to that of eggs and rich in glutamine and lysine. Teff is also high in fibre, minerals (particularly calcium and iron) and phytochemicals (polyphenols and phytates). Based on the mineral and vitamin composition of Teff, simply 100g of Teff per day can improve metabolism, contribute to a more robust immune system, and help build and maintain a healthier neurological system. It provides energy for better performance – gives an energy boost comparable to coffee, but without that caffeine crash. It can increase your physical endurance levels by 25% and is extremely beneficial in replacing iron stores lost during exercise (particularly important for women). It’s the best grain source of prebiotic fibre, which is essential for maintaining gut health. There have also been studies showing significant effects of teff on improving sports performance. Cornell University also found that teff significantly helps the stomach microbiome and enhances the nutritional value of iron and zinc. Several important bacterial metabolic pathways were enriched by the teff extract. I can keep going but we will be here for hours!
And, teff is the core element in the cookies that you sell under your company, The Teff Cookie Company, part of The Teff Creations Company, which you founded at the age of 23! What was it like launching a company at such a young age?
I was 23 when I founded the company and I had no idea about the journey ahead. It took nearly 4 years of development/strategy work and 2 funding rounds to bring the concept only this year to market. It has been an incredible journey thus far and every day is a learning process. No day is the same. I have encountered some challenges, like turning up to meetings and being overlooked as the business owner – instead being assumed to be a company intern. Also, I have been to meetings where it has been assumed that I will not do my due diligence or be aware of costs – I have received a couple of outrageous proposals in the past that were also factually incorrect. It has been a journey that has taught me resilience, perseverance as well as belief.
You also have some very fun packaging which can best be described as a plethora of cheeky slogans! What inspired this?
Why not make healthy food fun and engaging! I wanted to create a brand that made people smile. Something that not only tasted good but made you feel good physically and mentally too. That’s actually why there are two cookies in a box, I wanted to create something which encouraged sharing but also spread warmth and laughter.
The company ethos is based around disrupting the fashion, food and fitness spheres simultaneously! How do you think these three spheres connect?
There is an intersection between these spheres. They are all their own art form and the way we express ourselves and our individuality every day. I really believe that life is a series of moments and fashion, food and fitness are all ways that we can build moments of personal and shared joy into our lives. Fashion, food and fitness all provide glimpses of our lifestyles and culture, they are our daily means of self-expression and how we craft our own image. There is also a high level of diligence that is needed when pursuing high-quality nutrient-dense food and this becomes an art form to create your end product. Every ingredient is handpicked and individually crafted, same as a garment of clothing and equivalent to working every day to contribute to your body which creates who you are today. Every ingredient tells a story, like every thread in a garment and every muscle in your body. Food is universally central to life – it has the power to connect us to our bodies, our community and to our joy. Food defines our culture and brings generations together. As a company we want to unlock the potential of food to connect and empower, fuelling exceptional lives and inspiring future generations to make a positive impact. Meanwhile, let’s not forget that at the end of a fashion show, shopping trip or workout we usually end up gathered in the kitchen!
Do you have a favourite flavour out of the cookie that you sell?
I can’t choose between my children haha. Each ingredient within each cookie has a story, which makes it impossible to choose.
What do you hope the next steps are for The Teff Cookie Company and The Teff Creations Company? Have you got any plans in place for the rest of 2022?
For The Teff Cookie Company, we have an exciting range of flavours coming up and some exciting collaborations. On the Teff Creations side, we have an exciting product pipeline of teff-based products we are planning to launch, starting with the flour itself.