My Story
My name is Annette Ross-Webb, I have been a Registered Nurse for over 14 years who founded Panda Squad Cookies. I started baking healthy, plant-based and vegan cookies for my father who was consuming a lot of high-process, sugary, and fatty cookies he was buying at the stores along with other unhealthy snacks. I was concerned about my father’s weight gain from eating all these unhealthy snacks and a recent medical diagnosis. During this time in my life, I was not working due to work injuries that changed my life and put me in a state of depression. I changed my eating to a plant-based diet to better my health. I found a love for cooking plant-based meals for my family.
My Inspiration
Due to my father's health concerns, I informed my mom and husband that I would bake plant-based and vegan cookies so that my dad wouldn't notice the difference from his usual store-bought cookies. I started looking for cookie recipes that I could adapt to be plant-based and eventually found the perfect recipes through some trial and error. I was surprised to see that my dad, mom, husband, and son all loved my first batch of chocolate chip walnut cookies. I continued experimenting with different cookie recipes and turned desserts into cookies for my family to taste and provide feedback. My dad said, "They are good, and I love them all." I decided to share my cookies with neighbors, church members, contractors, and others outside of my family to get their feedback. To my surprise, everyone loved them and was amazed to find out that the cookies were plant-based and veggan because they tasted so good and were healthy. Many people suggested that I could turn this into a business.
.png)
Why Pandas?
I chose pandas as my brand because they are vegan animals. The citizens of the United States are thrilled that China returned the pandas here to live. I want customers to know that plant-based food is not only healthy, but it can also taste very good. Baking cookies brings me joy, and I love seeing the happiness on other people’s faces after they eat my cookies.