Interview: Sam Perpignand, Founder of Salt N Sprinkles

By Angela Tai

A lot of people associate veganism with bland and tasteless food. When in reality, being a vegan doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice taste. It doesn’t even mean the food has to be healthy. You can have a decadent vegan meal. What inspired you to become vegan and gluten-free? 

I have been vegan for about 3 years now. Without sounding cliché, it really came from my love for animals and not wanting to harm them in the process of enjoying life. That’s always been my personal decision. When it comes to gluten-free cooking, I have so many friends and family members who are allergic to gluten so gluten-free baking came naturally to me. There’s a lot of gluten-free or vegan chefs but not many who do both. I spent a lot of time recipe testing and developing foods that are vegan and gluten free and also taste really good. As a baker, taste is very important. I don’t eat anything that doesn’t taste good, so I always make sure that my recipes are tasty!

What has changed in the vegan culinary scene since you started out as opposed to how it is now? 

I’ve been blogging for 7 years now; I only started my food blog 2 years ago and I’ve noticed quite a few changes in the vegan food scene already. At first, most of the things I saw online were healthy vegan foods but I felt like there was some space missing for more fun treats, which inspired me to start my blog. Now, things like vegan fried “chicken” sandwiches and vegan ice cream is more popular now, when those things barely existed a few years ago. There have been a lot of changes lately and it’s definitely a lot more fun. 

Also, you’re half-Jamaican and half-Haitan. How has your ethnic background influenced your cooking techniques and styles? 

Yes, my mom is Jamaican and my dad is Haitian. I think the reason I love cooking so much is because they love cooking, My dad worked in restaurants growing up and I learned a lot of techniques from him, and his love for food contributed to my love for cooking. I learned my time management skills from my mom as she always balanced working and taking care of us. When I was 10, she allowed me to start cooking with her and that’s where it really all started. Luckily, I got a healthy mixture of both their qualities. 

You are actually working fulltime as a marketing manager. How do you balance working a fulltime job while running Salt N Sprinkles?

That’s a great question! It’s something that I’m always balancing; I’ve been working full-time for years now and I’ve always been doing something for myself on the side, too. My full-time job has always been a priority for me, so I’ve had to learn to juggle both that and running Salt N Sprinkles. It’s all about finding time. I’m a morning person so I naturally wake up at 5am and bake. Essentially, I dedicate the hours between 9-5 to my regular job and the rest to Salt N Sprinkles. I also spend my weekends working on new recipes.

If you were to cook for someone who hasn’t eaten a vegan treat before, what would you prepare for them? 

One vegan dessert that I make really well is ice cream. Vegan ice cream now is so much better than it was a few years ago; I make great cookies ‘n cream vegan ice cream made with coconut milk and vegan cookie dough.

Who is inspiring your cooking right now? 

I love Molly Yeh. She started out as a blogger years ago and focuses primarily on baking really fun treats. Now, she has her own show on the Food Network. She always adds tons of colors to her frosting, makes fun shapes for her cakes, and overall makes baking really fun for everyone. Her style is definitely something that I always aspire to. 

I know you emphasize that your brand Salt N Sprinkles is ‘black owned, woman owned.’ What do you hope to impart to other women who are black? 

I feel that many black women want to start their own businesses but don’t because it seems intimidating. Black women particularly find it harder because we don’t have access to a lot of resources or connections, and we don’t see enough people in our own communities building businesses. Even ten years ago, being a black business owner wasn’t as common as it is now. But, that community is growing and it really helps to drive me forward. I would encourage anyone who is interested in being a business owner to do their research and reach out to the community for advice.

What do you want to convey with your brand?

Salt N Sprinkles is here to show that anyone can build a business from the ground up if they’re passionate about what they’re doing and if they’re willing to work hard. I started my blog in my studio apartment, it took a lot of late nights and early mornings to get to where I am today. If you’re going to have a business, make sure it’s something that you enjoy doing. You can have a successful business at any stage in your life as long as you’re dedicated to it.

You’ve accomplished so much in such a short amount of time. What’s next for you? 

I do have a few projects coming up that I’m looking forward to. In August, a fashion designer is releasing a new fragrance and she’ll be including some of my treats in the special launch box. Overall, I’m looking forward to expanding and reaching different people across the country this year. I would love to send cookies to at least one person in every state, including Alaska & Hawaii!