Interview: Chrissy Teigen on her Cravings by Chrissy Teigen brand baking mixes

The lifestyle brand was created out of Teigen's bestselling cookbooks.

courtesy of: Cravings by Chrissy Teigen

Cravings by Chrissy Teigen, the food and lifestyle brand born out of Teigen’s New York Times bestselling cookbooks, recently partnered with Shopify to open its first brick-and-mortar bakery pop-up at Shopify LA at The Row in downtown Los Angeles, which will remain open until May 21.

Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery Senior Editor Liz Parker was able to ask Teigen how the brand got its start, what made her want to open a pop-up, and what's next for the company.

Liz Parker: How did the Cravings by Chrissy Teigen brand get its start?

Chrissy Teigen: The idea was born out of my first cookbook, Cravings: Recipes for All the Food You Want to Eat which all started in my kitchen at home. I absolutely loved being able to share our family’s favorite recipes with the world. From the beginning, I wanted to make it as easy and fun as possible for people to make delicious food at home. That is still the idea that drives us today as we launch our baking mixes which are simple and quick but don’t sacrifice on flavor.

LP: What made you want to open a brick-and-mortar pop-up for the brand?

CT: Food is meant to be shared and experienced so we were thrilled to partner with Shopify to bring Cravings to life and allow people to experience the brand and our products first-hand. There is nothing like smelling the baked goods from the baking mixes fresh out of the oven or feeling just how soft the foodie blankets are in person. It really makes such a big difference! It was a dream to create my ideal bakery and add some fun elements like a butter statue and a syrup fountain. What’s not to love?

LP: The pop-up closes on May 21—any plans to open a permanent brick-and-mortar store after that?

CT: Not at the moment! I’d love to bring the Cravings popup to cities all over the country.

LP: What are some of your best-selling products?

CT: The baking mixes! They sold out almost immediately when we launched on our website last October and they are also now available at Bristol Farms in LA. I’m so proud of how delicious they are, while still being really simple to make and not requiring a lot of ingredients.

LP: What’s new for the brand for the rest of the year or for 2024?

CT: We’re working on bringing Cravings baking mixes to more retail stores all over so even more people can enjoy them. I can’t say much yet, but expect Cravings to be all over your pantry with sauces, condiments, and more. I’m so excited!

Liz Parker is the senior editor of Candy Industry and Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery, and has worked at BNP Media since 2012. She has written for CBS Detroit as well as for her own blogs. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing from the University of Michigan. Liz can be contacted at (248) 839-7156 or at parkere@bnpmedia.com.