Castleton Crackers’ Richmond Rosemary is Highly Recommended by Whom You Know!
Rosemary is my favorite scent and herb, so I couldn’t wait to try Castleton Crackers’ Richmond Rosemary cracker. For starters, the fantastic aroma of rosemary jumps out of the package the second you open it! These crackers are delicious. I had a hard time stopping with just a few. They’re amazing on their own – with the strong rosemary flavor coming through in every bit. I also tried them with some herbed goat cheese, which was a perfect highlight to the rosemary.
A plate of cheese and crackers is one of my all-time favorite snacks! Now, that snack choice has gotten even better! Castleton Crackers makes the perfect cracker to have with your cheese of choice. Their delicious Richmond Rosemary blends all-natural ingredients with one of my favorite herbs. Once you open the box, you will not be able to stop eating them! They are a real treat!
The scent of a rosemary plant will enhance the air of any kitchen, if you keep one on your windowsill. If you keep one at your door, it is said to protect the environment from bad vibes. So, on a cracker, it just has to be all of the above, and then some, right? Great flavor delivered in a crafty brown box: Castelton Crackers will make you forget any other cracker you've deemed part of your snack routine. Castleton Crackers come in a variety of unique flavors, and you'll want to try all of them. What a great way to celebrate Fall, with a cheese and cracker tasting. How basic, true and evocative is that? From Downtown to the Upper East Side, these crackers will be making New Yorkers happy, I'm sure. We love a great new ingredient to serve, to talk about, to delight in. The rest of the country can celebrate football season with a new addition to the table, too: Castleton has arrived.
I'm a big fan of anything with rosemary, so I was delighted to be able to try the Richmond Rosemary Crackers from Whitney's Castleton Crackers. Whitney's Castleton Crackers is an artisan cracker company based in Vermont, and, unlike most of the products on supermarket shelves these days, the crackers are all-natural, preservative-free, and contain no artificial flavors or colors. The crackers are all handmade and hand-cracked, which results in rustic-looking, imperfectly shaped crackers of varying sizes in any given box. The Richmond Rosemary Crackers were absolutely delicious, with the distinctive flavor of rosemary clearly present, but not in an overwhelming way. Since rosemary is an Italian herb, I accompanied the crackers with Asiago cheese, and for a few minutes, I was transported to the Italian countryside! Definitely a most welcome addition to my pantry!
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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
