Investing in local suppliers across British Columbia is very important to who we are as a business. Not only do we want to line our store shelves with the best products, but we want to help our Canadian food entrepreneurs grow and succeed, too.
A great example comes from our partnership with Jenny Payne, the creator of Jenny Marie’s Crackers. Showing incredible growth since hitting our shelves, Jenny Marie’s Crackers is available in 23 Safeway stores and 24 Thrifty Foods locations across British Columbia.
We sat down with Jenny to learn about how she built her company.
Can you share a little bit about your background and how your company came to be?
From a young age, the kitchen has been my sanctuary. My fondest memories involve baking alongside my grandmother in her cozy kitchen in St. John’s, Newfoundland (my hometown). As life took me across the country to marry my husband, he suggested I share my passion for baking by selling my creations at the farmers’ market. After experimenting with various baked goods, the crackers I made turned out to be the crowd-pleaser, earning us a loyal following and paving the way for us to venture into the retail market. The rest, as they say, is history!
Can you tell us more about your products?
At our commercial kitchen nestled in the heart of Victoria, B.C., we handcraft and bake every single one of our crackers with care and attention to detail. Since our humble beginnings at the farmers’ market in 2011, we’ve continued to produce all our recipes from scratch in small batches. We believe in using only the purest and most essential ingredients, which is why our ingredient list is free from anything unnecessary, but brimming with love.
Our crackers are proudly vegan, and they’ve won the hearts of vegans and non-vegans alike! Our original range of three flavors — Thyme & Sea Salt, Lime & Pepper, and Pepper & Sea Salt — has now expanded to include three more exciting flavors, including Cheesy Yeshi, Turmeric & Pepper, and Simply Sea Salt.
We must admit that we love snacking on them, even after all this time, but we also love pairing them with locally made products like Salt Spring preserves, Spread’em dips, and cheeses. We take great pride in our craft, and we hope that you can taste the difference in every bite.
In what ways have your local B.C. roots impacted your business?
Our humble beginnings allowed us to be immersed in the local food movement and witness first-hand the desire and need for locally grown and produced food. I do believe that while it’s growing across the country, British Columbia is the epicenter of this movement. Knowing how truly important buying local is to my community, I’m even more appreciative of what I do and feel inspired to keep growing my business.
As your business began to grow, why were you interested in working with Safeway?
Safeway is one of those companies many small producers see as a pie in the sky destination. I was excited to think that one day we’d be able to supply Safeway stores with our products. And that day did come! I’m proud to employ some amazing people who share my values and enjoy what they’re doing as much as I do. Now that we’re working with Safeway, I can see that we’re capable of keeping up with growth while maintaining our processes.
What did it feel like when you saw your products on Safeway shelves for the first time?
Seeing our products on the shelves of Safeway is always exciting! The first time I saw them on store shelves, I was giddy with excitement knowing that our crackers were available to be purchased by even more customers. Having our crackers more readily available is a dream come true. Thank you, Safeway, for this opportunity. I look forward to seeing our crackers on many more of your stores shelves in the future!
What makes you most proud to partner with Safeway?
I’m so proud and humbled by the amazing support Safeway has given us. Seeing our crackers sitting alongside other brands that we’ve looked up to over the years, is surreal and an incredible blessing.
What growth has you company seen since partnering with Safeway?
Since partnering with Safeway, our sales have increased considerably.
What’s next for you and your business?
The sky’s the limit for Jenny Marie’s Crackers. I’ve never set strong goals, but I do have dreams of where my business could go. As long as the demand for our crackers continues, we’ll continue producing and growing along with it.
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Take a stroll through the grocery aisles and check out Jenny Marie’s Crackers next time you’re in store!
Stay tuned to Safeway Talks for more Safeway Local Supplier Spotlights soon.
