Six generations on a family farm inspired two sisters to craft a better-for-you brand of pork sausage. Chelsey (a CIA-trained chef) and Cassie (a digital marketer) set out to redefine a classic food to appeal to a modern consumer. In 2024 they launched Lottie’s Meats, offering premium gourmet sausages that stand out from the crowd.
True to their roots, the duo are uncompromising about selective sourcing and minimal processing, and insist on using only the best and meatiest cuts from the loin and shoulder. Featuring high-quality seasonings and Chelsey’s creative recipes, Lottie’s Meats proudly delivers exceptional pork sausages that have 50% less fat, are free of nitrates and fillers, and are full of protein and flavor. Whether it’s brats on the barbie, sausage patties for breakfast, or a crumble for pizza, Lottie’s has you covered with their roster of juicy pork sausages and innovative ground pork blends—they are definitely not your average sausage brand.
Recently, we caught up with Chelsey and Cassie to learn more about their journey and hear their advice for fellow entrepreneurs.
1. Why did you start Lottie’s Meats?
As sisters, we had always wanted to build something together that combined our professional backgrounds in culinary arts and technology with our shared roots growing up on our family’s six-generation pork farm. Lottie’s (a family name) came to be as we noticed premium, punchy pork products were missing from menus, retail shelves, and the larger conversation. We wanted to build a brand that reflected the quality and care that comes from family farming, culinary arts, and community-driven roots, and help grow the entire category in a fun, new way!
2. What obstacles did you face along the way?
As a small brand, we faced ALL OF THE OBSTACLES, but one of the biggest challenges for us has been producing a high-quality product at scale.
We have to work with multiple USDA facilities to bring the product to market, and each of them has varying equipment, techniques, standards, timelines, styles, you name it! And many of them weren’t always keen on working with newcomers or using the type of ingredients that are essential to what we offer—whole muscle cuts of pork loin and pork shoulder (from our family farm network), fresh garlic, grade A maple syrup, the list goes on.
We’ve finally gotten into a production groove, but that's only the beginning of our supply chain… (So cue the other lengthy obstacle list that comes with cold chain logistics and wholesale distribution!) 😀
3. What lessons do you have for other entrepreneurs?
Start a business with your sister. Just kidding. Or are we?
But truly, partnership is everything, and finding people you trust and can genuinely have fun working with is key. Because the truth is, you are working a lot, and when you're building something from scratch, you'll face daily ups and downs. The lows are inevitable, so having a partner or resource whose strengths complement yours and can seamlessly help you through those periods makes all the difference. The challenges become opportunities when you're tackling them together.
Oh, and bonus lesson: lose your ego. The CPG business is tough and incredibly humbling; you have to be open to constant feedback, ready to roll up your sleeves to do anything, and try to stay positive and embrace the hurdles!
4. What’s on the horizon for Lottie’s Meats?
We're always balancing growth with staying true to our roots. Right now, we're focused on expanding into a few new regions while deepening relationships with our existing customers and partners—they're the heart of everything we do.
Looking ahead, we're excited about potentially adding some new products to our sausage line and watching to see them go beyond the shelf. We’re deeply grateful to already partner with some of the best pizzerias, bakeries, and breweries in the Denver region, and we hope to continue to see Lottie’s on more menus.
The goal is sustainable growth that honors the chef-crafted quality and experience our community of customers expects from us.
5. How do you keep work/life balance? What drives/inspires you?
One of our biggest inspirations is Augie, my two-year-old son and Cassie's nephew. There's something incredibly fulfilling about feeding your child something you created with your own hands, responsible for every ingredient that goes into it. That's the same feeling we want to give the families and friends in our community—the confidence that comes from knowing exactly what's on your dinner table (with a fun flair, of course)!
And we’re constantly inspired by the many women in agriculture, culinary arts, and CPG that came before us, helping to pave the way and continuing to mentor and partner with us. Knowing that we are contributing to this ecosystem and now encouraging other women to do the same has been really special.
- Tags
- Meet the Founder