9 minute read
Category Insight
Seeds take the lead
BY ANNIE HOLLON
In 2022, the definition of a cracker has expanded beyond the typical crunchy baked good that’s been at the core of charcuterie boards and snack breaks. As innovation within the category is driven by diversified consumer trends, crackers are both the classic bakery item and crystal ball as the space — and its needs — continue to shift.
Joining other baked goods that defy their traditional roles, Reno, NV-based Mary’s Gone Crackers was founded by Mary Walden following her diagnosis with celiac disease 18 years ago. What began with a seeded gluten-free cracker made with ingredients like whole grain brown rice, whole grain quinoa, flaxseeds and sesame seeds has expanded into a full array of plant-based, better-for-you crackers.
The brand has even gone beyond the original seeded cracker with its graham cracker offering, Mary’s Gone Kookies, as well as plant-based crackers, Mary’s Gone Cheezee. It has had to partner with suppliers as the supply chain crisis bears down on the baking industry and many other sectors. Though with several seedbased product offerings and a brand commitment to non-GMO and organic products that also carry other distinguishing health attributes, one additional challenge hinders the company’s operations: climate change.
With an array of health claims and a commitment to sustainability, Reno, NV-based Mary’s Gone Crackers continues to expand its better-for-you portfolio.
Mary’s Gone Crackers has recently expanded its product portfolio with plant-based Mary’s Gone Cheezee.
“Rice has been a challenge,” said Carla King, director of marketing for Mary’s Gone Crackers. “We used to source predominantly from California, but the California rice industry has been decimated by the drought that has come back.”
Procurement for ingredients became an all-hands-on-deck endeavor as King described how everyone on the small team at Mary’s dove in to work on sourcing alternative suppliers.
North of the US, Eve Laird, CEO of Vancouver, Canada-based Eve’s Crackers, faced similar challenges with its cracker production. The flaxseed-based cracker brand’s entirely seed-based products, which do not use filler ingredients such as gluten-free flour, oil or sugar, also face challenges in regard to obtaining ingredients.
To keep crackers in production and avoid the stressors that have pressured many other bakers in the same situation, Laird worked with her co-manufacturer and “over-purchased” on raw ingredients to avoid the tremors a hiccup in the supply chain could cause the operations.
This security purchase also extended into packaging.
“We lock in pricing early on,” Laird said. “We did that for our packaging, and we purchased a lot that will last us a year.”
While her co-manufacturer takes the lead on procurement of ingredients, the strategy to buy in bulk is one that
Photo courtesy of Mary’s Gone Crackers
works in Eve’s Crackers’ case specifically due to the long shelf life of its primary ingredients.
Both companies’ products focus not only on flavor and ingredients but also on better-for-you claims such as vegan and gluten-free. So, working with suppliers to mitigate the uncertainty of the supply chain is not a simple task when potential ingredient alternatives need to be on par with standard product specifications and consumers’ quality expectations.
“Our products are certified organic, certified gluten-free, certified vegan, with the exception of the grahams, which include honey,” King said. “Your ingredients need to have all of these certifications as well.”
King described managing the challenges as a baker’s version of Frogger, the vintage video game. Keeping operations flexible means “hopping” from production of one item to the next as ingredients come in from suppliers.
While the company has been able to stay in sync with consumer trends through the release of the Cheezee and Kookies product lines, future releases will have to be staggered due to what King said the team has seen in the supply chain and ingredient availability.
“It’s almost like ingredients have the ‘Ticketmaster effect’ based on demand because the price changes sometimes on a daily basis,” she said.
As these brands continue innovating amid their respective supply chain challenges, R&D and tracking of consumer trends adds a new element to balance within operations.
Laird — who began selling at a Canadian farmers market as a product that stemmed from trying to find a solution for her dietary needs — takes a hands-on approach to consumer feedback.
Eve’s Crackers initially launched with three flavors: Savory Sunflower, Black Sesame and Chili Pepper Pumpkin Seed. The newest flavor, Cracked Pepper, was developed from a direct approach to R&D. By leveraging relationships with grocery managers and buyers, in addition to more traditional research methods such as focus groups, Laird was able to pinpoint the direction she needed to take her product flavors.
“I created Cracked Pepper because of retailer feedback and a couple of focus groups I did, and pepper is the flavor that people seem to want the most,” she said. For Mary’s Gone Crackers, classic flavors have remained strongholds for the brand, but King shared that the team has noticed an uptick in demand for flavors that surpass the expected.
This is seen in the reception of the Jalapeño flavor variety of the Original line and the introduction of the Super Seed line, which spotlights flavors like Basil & Garlic, Everything, Seaweed & Black Sesame, Rosemary, and Jalapeño. That feedback brings optimism for more flavor-forward extensions in both product lines next year.
Photo courtesy of Eve’s Crackers
Canadian flaxseed-based cracker brand Eve’s Crackers boasts claims including vegan, gluten-free and more.
Though the feedback Laird receives helps direct flavor innovation, the manufacturing implications are the next uphill climb. As one of the few entirely seedbased cracker companies, solutions that would benefit her operation are not currently viable because they could compromise some of the product’s health claims.
“We have production challenges that not many other cracker manufacturers face because our formula is quite sticky, and there’s no release agent in the form of anything gluten-free like the glutenfree flour or oatmeal that releases from machinery,” Laird said.
As a result, Laird and the team of 10-15 cracker makers working for her co-manfacturer are making thousands of crackers entirely by hand. While she is currently working with an engineer on automation, equipment that would help spread the crackers onto trays, as well as packaging that works for the non-uniform organically shaped product, are among the top solutions Laird seeks to further her operations.
With more product variety in the Mary’s Gone Crackers portfolio, King noted that the company is looking to expand or add another production line to keep up with consumer demand, especially since the newer products and other innovations all come out of one specific manufacturing line. Increasing packaging capacity is also an area where the Nevada cracker company has invested, though supply chain disruption is still causing delays on installations.
Although most conversations regarding consumer requests tend to focus more on flavors and dietary trends, King said that sustainable packaging is at the top of the list from consumer demands. Sustainability in general is a major topic among bakers, and for Mary’s Gone Crackers, it’s a key component of the brand’s mission.
In addition to partnerships with the California Ricelands Waterbird Foundation, Palm Done Right, Save the Bee initiative and SowNaked, Mary’s is extending its sustainability efforts inward to focus on its product packaging, researching more sustainable options that are better for the planet.
“We’ve had to shift to a combination of recycled and virgin paperboards due to availability shortages and the quickrising costs of recycled paperboard,” King said. “Our hopes are costs come down in the next 6-12 months to resume with recycled paperboard.”
Crackers across the snack board are keeping up with consumer trends and surpassing their previous iterations with more health-conscious ingredients. While already in more than 600 Canadian retailers and plans for Eve’s Crackers to enter the US market with its flagship flavors, Laird sees that nutrient dense offerings will help the cracker category continue its evolution.
“Because snacking is a growing category, I think that crackers will continue to grow with that,” Laird noted. “People will be asking for more from their crackers.”
Mary’s Gone Crackers will remain flexible with how it delivers on the consumer experience in terms of what will keep them engaged. Meanwhile, it will retain those core promises of staying organic, gluten-free and plant-based. King theorized that Mary’s may also go beyond snacking, with the potential for cookies and snack mixes in the future.
“We’ve all kind of thought about, ‘What is the consumer looking for,’ because they’re always looking for something new and interesting in taste and texture,” King said. “Taste will always be king, so I think we’re good there. It’s just how we can deliver that experience.” CB
Eve Laird | CEO | Eve’s Crackers
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