Sudbury Cookie Company Serves Up Allergy-Friendly Treats For Everyone

SUDBURY, MA — A cookie company based in Sudbury is making sure everyone is included by making treats for those with allergies and dietary restrictions.

Dasha Solomon, founder and CEO of Solly’s Bake Shop, grew up baking with her mom and looked forward to continuing that tradition with her own kids. But after her 5-year-old daughter, Ari, was diagnosed with severe food allergies, she had to find a new way to keep those traditions alive.

“My first thought was Oh my gosh, I need to be able to bake for her, and she needs to be able to have desserts,” said Solomon. “I started to adapt my mom's original chocolate chip oatmeal cookie for her and her allergens, and I realized that the cookies were so delicious… I feel like I could make these free of all of the top 9 food allergens and sell them.”

Solomon created Solly’s Bake Shop two years ago. The company makes cookies that are dairy-free, gluten-free and free of the top nine food allergens: milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans, and sesame.

Solomon said what began as a side hustle became a full-time career after one year. She turned her living room into a dedicated bakery space and sells cookies right from her home.

Customers can order online and even order catering for events and businesses.

She said more gluten-free and dairy-free bakeries are popping up, but not every one is free of so many allergens. Solomon said her cookies serve a wide variety of people who may have allergies, sensitivities, or dietary restrictions.

“I think one of the ways that it impacts me the most is when I'm able to, if I'm at a market, for example, give people cookies and just watching their faces light up,” Solomon said. “They're able to get a cookie and then they eat it and they're just like, oh my gosh, this is so good.”

She said her business began with family and expanded from there to farmers and holiday markets. Now, she has many returning customers in MetroWest.

She hopes to expand Solly’s Bake Shop and enter the wholesale market, including selling to coffee shops and other local businesses.

“It's been so fun to see it grow in different directions,” she said. “It's made such a huge impact in my life. It's something that I wake up and feel really excited and love to do every single day.”

If you’re interested in having your business featured, email jessie.castellano@patch.com.

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