Better With Buckwheat Accelerates National Expansion with Distribution in Select Whole Foods Market stores

WINSLOW, ME - Artisanal buckwheat snack producer Better With Buckwheat is launching in select Whole Foods Market stores nationwide beginning in June 2024. After tripling sales revenue from 2022-2023, the Maine-based food company values the expanded distribution as a key component of its growth strategy and as 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 sq.ft. facility Winslow, Maine, 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 since 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."

The broader distribution in Whole Foods Market stores accelerates Better With Buckwheat’s national expansion. For more information on Better With Buckwheat’s retail presence, please visit its online store locator.

Better With Buckwheat is a Maine-based producer of buckwheat-based, gluten-free snacks. The company was founded in 2015 by Karen Getz, an award winning cheesemaker who couldn’t find a gluten-free cracker she believed was sufficiently high-quality to pair with her cheese. Better With Buckwheat sources the majority of its buckwheat from a sixth-generation farm in northern Maine, and incorporates many locally-grown ingredients in its flavor profiles. Better With Buckwheat produces two product lines - the Maine Crisp line with five SKUs, and the Better With Buckwheat cracker line with three SKUS - that can be found in thousands of national, regional, ecommerce, and specialty grocery stores across the U.S. Please visit betterwithbuckwheat.com for more information.