Bernard's Next Generation- Late July
Snacks
There is only one thing that can drag an accomplished entrepreneur
out of retirement- his only child. Luckily for Steve Bernard,
who successfully launched Cape Cod Potato Chips and Chatham
Village Foods during the 80's and 90's, coming out of retirement
was made easier because it was for a great idea. "I would
do anything for Nicole, but after she went into detail about
the concept, I began to understand her enthusiasm and really
thought she was on to something," explained Steve Bernard,
co-founder of Late July Organic Snacks. "I have always
been dedicated to making the best products for consumers, but
this was a chance to blaze a new trail."
What
Nicole Dawes, co-founder of Late July Organic Snacks, saw was
an underdeveloped product sector within the exploding organic
food market. "Natural and organic foods have been
a way of life for me since my mother and aunt opened their
first natural food store in 1975, but it wasn't until I was
pregnant with my first child that I realized how few great
tasting, organic snacks there are," explained Nicole.
It was under this pretense that Steve and Nicole chose the
snack category and, in particular, crackers as their first
product introduction.
The initial product launch from Late July Organic Snacks are
the first USDA certified organic Saltine, Rich and Cheddar
Cheese crackers on the market. All Late July products are made
with organic ingredients, contain no hydrogenated oils (see
related ebook on hydrogenated oils) and are trans fat free.
Late July brought its products to market this fall and has
already topped its second year sales goals. "I've had
two other start-up companies before and I've never seen such
a reception from retailers," explained Steve. "And
when your largest distributor says you're their fastest growing
new product in the last six months, it's further proof of how
special this really is." In less than three months, Late
July's crackers have become available across the country in
a variety of outlets including Whole Foods and Wild Oats and
almost every retailer in their home turf in New England including
Big Y, Crosby's Market, Dave's Market, Demoulas Market Basket,
Giant, Roche Brothers, Shaws, Stop & Shop, Victory and
most independent natural food stores and supermarkets.
Of course, getting where they are today didn't happen overnight.
Launching the company started two years ago when Nicole tracked
down several out-of-print books and an Old Farmer's Almanac.
Then, she turned her house into a test kitchen and spent months
expanding her knowledge of crackers. "Crackers are very
temperamental. They are difficult to bake and conventional
crackers are reliant on hydrogenated shortening for their taste
and texture. My challenge was taking those great tasting, old
recipes and converting them over to organic without the hydrogenated
shortening." She then recruited her father and together
they searched for over a year for the right manufacturing partner.
The next step was creating a brand name and image that captured
the true essence of the idea. "Our name represents that
carefree time in the middle of summer, when school is the furthest
thing from children's minds and vacation is in full bloom," explained
Nicole. The box illustrates this with an old-fashioned interpretation
of Nicole's son and dog playing on the beach during a late
July picnic.
Now that the product is on the shelves, Steve and Nicole couldn't
be happier with the outcome. "Not only do they look and
taste great," explains Steve. "But more importantly,
it's a product that I truly believe in and can feel good about
feeding to my grandson." With such a wonderful reception
from retailers, a flood of positive emails from consumers,
the success of two other food companies under their belt and
several unique new products on the horizon, this father and
daughter team seems poised for plenty of sunny days ahead.
If you would like to carry Late
July Snacks in your store or have a trade question,
contact:
Darby Ziruk
VP of Sales
105 Ferndoc Street, Unit E1
Hyannis, MA 02601
Tel:
508.775.1221
