The Nutty Gourmet, based in Hughson, California, is on a mission to make heart-healthy snacks available to all. The affiliate of Grower Direct Nut is a family-owned walnut farm and processing facility that produces sustainably-grown, non-GMO walnut snacks from its orchards and local farms around California.
The Nutty Gourmet was born at the generations-old Martella family farm in California’s Central Valley. In 2016, the Martella family sisters and sister-in-law were inspired to begin sharing their oven-roasted walnuts and nut butters with the world.
“Thanks to our family-run structure we have firsthand knowledge of our products from field to market,” said CEO Aaron Martella. “We use safe and sustainable practices through all stages of processing.”
The Nutty Gourmet and Grower Direct Nut are committed to the environment and sustainable farming. Drip irrigation and micro-sprinklers are used throughout the orchards, and a high-efficiency photovoltaic array solar panel system supplies 80 percent of the farm’s annual energy. Walnut shells are used for agriculture dust control, and innovative plans to repurpose shells are currently in development.
The Nutty Gourmet recently partnered with Walmart and Sprouts and has begun selling their nut butters and walnut snacks in retail locations nationwide.
“Walmart Supercenters and Neighborhood Markets have really taken the level of healthier specialty food offerings up a notch,” Martella said. “We are pleased to have eight shelf facings in more than 2,700 stores for consumers to upgrade their nut butter choice to healthier walnut butter.”
“Sprouts Farmers Markets are already well known to shoppers as the ultimate grocery store to find natural and healthy options,” he said. “We are pleased to have five of our nut butter options on the shelves of all 340 Sprouts stores.”
In addition to Walmart and Sprouts, The Nutty Gourmet also sells its Sea Salt Walnuts at 1,160 Tractor Supply Stores nationwide. Customers also may find their natural seasoned snack walnuts, as well as new products like pistachio butter and pecan butter, in their online shop or on Amazon.com.
