Peachy's Pantry: Introducing Whitney's Castleton Crackers! Governor's Cheddar Highly Recommended by Whom You Know
There are plenty of cheddar crackers on the store shelves, but none of them compare to Castleton Crackers Governor’s Cheddar. These are great crackers, made with natural ingredients. The cheddar cracker had a flavorful cheddar taste, but unlike most cheddar crackers you’ll find in the store, this tasted like real cheddar! It was the simple, yet delicious taste of cheddar baked into a cracker. They were great on their own, but I also tried this with some raspberry red beet jam, and it was an amazing flavor combination. This will definitely be one of my snacking staples in the future.
When I come home from work I am always starving! I cannot wait for the time it takes to make dinner, so I have to have a snack. Of course, I only want to eat the best snacks! One of my new favorites is Castleton Cracker's Governor's Cheddar crackers. These crispy and delicious crackers have an irresistible cheddar flavor, and they are hand made from all-natural ingredients. I dipped them in some spinach and artichoke dip, and I was instantly satisfied!
Forget about your new favorite snack food and go straight to the cracker! Castleton Crackers follow a simple aged rule: mix, roll, bake, crack. That speaks volumes to a foodie who loves their crispy crunchies. Hand cracked flatbread, baked as thin as a cracker need be, but not too thin, gives off a rewarding sense of indulgence. In the Governor's Cheddar cracker, you get the flavor that will make you ask: which came first, the cheddar, or the cracker? With a bite that will make you almost forego the cheese on the cheese plate, these crackers fill the late night snack bill. Wholesome, great ingredients, artisanal in the making, the presenting, and the taste. Bet you can't eat just one.
I've always been a big fan of cheese cracker (ok, let's face it, I'm really a fan of anything with cheese), but I recently had the opportunity to try the best cheese cracker I've ever tasted! Vermont-based Whitney's Castleton Crackers produces a cracker called Governor's Cheddar, and it is a delightfully full-flavored cheddar cracker. I enjoyed snacking on the crackers by themselves, and also topped with cheddar (Cheddar on cheddar? Yes, please!). All of Whitney's Castleton Crackers are all-natural, and free of preservatives, artificial flavors, and artificial colors. So, in addition to being wonderfully tasty, they're also good for you - what a novel idea! Definitely a winner in my book!
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Governor’s Cheddar, this ultimate cheese cracker is made with award-winning American Cheese Society winner, Governor’s Cheddar. Our all-natural cheese cracker is great on its own or served with onion and vegetable dips, and soups and chowders.
CASTLETON CRACKERS
By Whitney Lamy, founder
A Passionate Beginning
Five years ago, after losing my job in arts management, I realized that I love food and I love to feed people good food. My dream was to start my own food company. And not just any company, I saw a Vermont niche.
With my interest in art and baking, long ago I came across a recipe for homemade crackers from the 1800’s. Who makes homemade crackers I thought? I adapted the recipe to reflect the wholesomeness of Vermont. Most crackers contain refined sugars. I replaced the sugar with all natural pure Vermont maple syrup. Over the years I baked my homemade crackers for family and friends to much enthusiasm. Many would encourage me to sell the crackers. I always put the idea on hold until I started paying attention to the growth and creation of Vermont artisan and farmstead cheese companies around the state and the formation of the Vermont Cheese Council.
Thinking there might be a niche for a Vermont artisan cracker to complement all these wonderful Vermont cheeses I began my market research. I visited numerous gourmet and food co-op stores in Vermont and realized no company was creating a unique artisanal cracker.
This motivated me to start my own business producing all natural Vermont artisan crackers. With two daughters in college the family capital was pretty much spoken for but I was determined to move forward. I evaluated the pros and cons and new I was, “passionate” about my delicious crackers and that I was my number one asset.
A Recipe for Homemade Success
I took action and Castleton Crackers was born at the Rutland Winter’s Farmers Market. The farmer’s market turned out to be a wonderful resource for little investment. Every Saturday, I was face to face with potential customers getting feedback seeing if I got repeat buyers and testing price points. The exposure of Castleton Crackers at the farmer’s market led to retail interest around the state. Within several months I signed on with my first distributor of Vermont specialty foods.
I faced and continue to face the odds of a new food business success and failure rates, having to wear all the hats such as sales and marketing, production, and limited funds especially during an economic downturn. I stayed on track and was committed to my brand of crackers. I chose to work with a manufacturer to produce and fulfill my cracker line rather than invest in a facility, equipment and employees. Although I introduced a new product into a market that was already saturated with specialty crackers I stayed focused. I feel strongly that the Vermont brand of high quality and sense of place only enhances my product.
From My Kitchen to Stores and Homes Across the Country
Five years later, Castleton Crackers are now sold nationwide through eight distributors. Currently, stores the size of Whole Foods, Hannaford’s and Price Chopper carry Castleton crackers as well as small specialty cheese shops and co-ops. Sales have continued to grow 30% annually. Without a PR agent on the payroll, The New York Times promoted Castleton Crackers in an article, “Crackers With a Good New England Crunch” (Food Section, February 16, 2011) along with the popular Rachael Ray Show featuring Castleton Crackers as “the snack of the day” on May 16, 2010.
Feeding and Funding Great Success
In January 2013, Castleton Crackers was purchased by the Vermont Farmstead Cheese Company in South Woodstock, VT. I remain with VFCC and head up the Castleton Specialty Food Division, overseeing sales and marketing, production, quality control and development of new products.
Castleton Crackers
Castleton, Vermont
