Better With Buckwheat launches into Whole Foods Market

The gluten-free snack producer will be on the store shelves this month.

Courtesy of Better With Buckwheat

Artisanal buckwheat snack producer Better With Buckwheat is launching in select Whole Foods Market stores nationwide beginning in June 2024. After reportedly tripling sales revenue from 2022-2023, the Maine-based food company indicates that expanded distribution is a key component of its growth strategy and an important launching pad for its new product line.

By growing the market for buckwheat through consumer education and innovative products, Better With Buckwheat’s mission is to grow Maine’s agricultural economy and support meaningful manufacturing jobs in rural communities. The company sources the majority of its buckwheat flour from a sixth-generation farm in northern Maine and incorporates many locally-grown ingredients in its flavor profiles. Better With Buckwheat employs nearly 30 staff in its 18,000-square-foot facility in Winslow, ME, where it moved after outgrowing its original commercial facility in part due to increasing demand from its distribution in Whole Foods Market stores in New England.

“We are thankful for the support Whole Foods Market has given us to prove the strength of our brand,” states Lewis Goldstein, CEO of Better With Buckwheat. “We have had tremendous support from our Whole Foods Market Local Forager, and are excited to expand this relationship nationally.”

The NSF-certified gluten-free company began distributing its Maine Crisp product line in Whole Foods Market stores in New England in 2020. The Maine Crisp line has added two new SKUs: the vegan Savory Fig & Thyme and the dairy-free Olive & Za’atar. In 2023, Better With Buckwheat launched a new product line of snacking crackers with three SKUS; its Sea Salt cracker won a NEXTY award for Best New Salty or Savory Snack at the 2023 Natural Products Expo East. All Better With Buckwheat products across both lines are Non-GMO Project Verified, Kosher, NSF certified gluten-free, and grain-free, and several SKUs are plant-based.

A mix of Better With Buckwheat’s products will be available in select Whole Foods Market stores nationwide, including three SKUS of Better With Buckwheat crackers (Sea Salt, Everything, and Rosemary & Herb) and three SKUs of Maine Crisps in Cranberry Almond, Olive & Za’atar, and Savory Fig & Thyme.

“We are thrilled to support Better With Buckwheat in their national expansion,” said Jennifer Mandanici, senior category merchant of Whole Foods Market. “Their innovative and delicious buckwheat products have been a hit with our customers in New England, and we are excited to introduce them to our shoppers nationwide, aligning with our mission to bring the best natural and organic products to our customers.”

Jenni Spinner is the chief editor of Snack Food and Wholesale with more than 25 years of experience in business-to-business communications. She has written extensively about food production, safety and packaging; pharmaceutical drug development; concrete and masonry construction; and more. She holds a Bachelor’s in Communications from the University of Illinois. Jenni can be reached at spinnerj@bnpmedia.com.

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