Born in Paris, Charlotte Weiss has been a longtime fan of sous vide. So when her third son was just starting solid foods, she decided to try it for making baby food.
“I was already passionate about sous vide cooking, but noticed it was almost never used for baby food,” she said. “The more I researched, the more I realized how powerful it could be. Sous vide preserves nutrients, keeps vibrant colors, enhances natural flavor and makes food easier to digest.”
The French method cooks food in a vacuum-sealed bag submerged in a temperature-controlled water bath.
Sooby baby food was born in August 2020 after the mother of four boys moved her military family to Virginia Beach to put down roots.
“Sooby became my vision,” she said. “It was an organic, sous vide-prepared kiddos food that parents could trust.”
Shortly after, Weiss designed a logo and started reaching out for guidance in building her baby food business. She took a full-time job at a 401(k) company to help save and fund her dream. She said the job also taught her how to lead a team, build trust and think long-term.
By 2023, Weiss started building a commercial kitchen inside her home, and in September, Sooby was granted the Department of Agriculture’s organic certification.
She said Sooby is more than jars of food, it’s a world of characters. The Soobies (characters representing each ingredient) have a name, personality and a story to make nutrition fun for children.
“My dream is to bring them to life in books and videos to teach kids about healthy eating in a playful way,” Weiss said. “I truly believe children are capable of making conscious decisions about their food from a very young age.”
Sooby baby food comes in four flavors: strawberry, banana and oats; butternut squash, carrots and sweet potatoes; sweet potatoes, apples and red beets; and blueberries, apples and oats. All flavors are naturally gluten-free, lactose-free and nut-free. There are no additives, preservatives or sugar.
Jars are $4 and can be ordered online at soobyorganic.com for delivery.
“Parenthood comes with so much pressure and making fresh food at home can feel like one more impossible task,” the founder said. “That’s why creating Sooby means so much to me now. I get to take some of that weight off parents’ shoulders and give them food they can truly trust.”