Buckwheat Is Building Momentum. What Brands Are At The Forefront?

Ancient regenerative grain buckwheat is growing its presence in the U.S. market, and three exhibitors at this year’s Summer Fancy Food Show presented a range of applications aimed at introducing the gluten-free, fiber-rich input into American diets.

Early buckwheat proponent Lil Bucks previewed new packaging that will bring a shift in the product’s position and a slight tweak to the end format. The regenerative food brand has shifted its flagship Clusterbucks product into a denser, more snackable bite as it moves away from the granola category and into the snacking set.

The brand is now merchandised in the functional snack set at its largest retail account, Whole Foods Market, and, according to a brand spokesperson, its volume sales have increased significantly since the shift.

Later this year the company will roll out an updated look that brings a bolder brand callout, a contrast-heavy color scheme and the addition of food photography to its front-of-pack. Lil Bucks will also make its first move into savory snacks with a handful of flavors including Everything Bucks, Hot Honey and Tamarind Teriyaki.

Five-month old buckwheat snack maker Defi debuted its 3-SKU range of functional snack bites. The products are made with a base of sprouted buckwheat, whey crisps and casein protein powder that is then enrobed in chocolate, with both Milk and Dark Chocolate flavors available. The snack bites pack between 25 to 26 grams of protein, depending on the variety.

Defi was launched by Tatyana Jones, a former senior brand manager for Mars’ Dove Chocolate portfolio. A spokesperson for the brand said that Jones has always known she wanted to start a business and hailing from Ukraine, a major buckwheat region both in terms of production and consumption, she decided to launch Defi after noticing the input was gaining traction in American diets.

The brand is now sold at over 140 stores including independent and specialty stores across New York City and select Fresh Grocer and ShopRite locations.

Elsewhere, Better with Buckwheat, formerly known as The Maine Crisp Company, has tweaked its front-of-pack once again as it works to better build out its brand block on shelf between its original crisp product and its second, grain- and gluten-free cracker product line. The shift in look will bring the crisps and the crackers into a variety of solid, colored boxes that will align with each flavor and elevate the brand name on the front of the pack.