Maine Crisp debuted new packaging in October at the grand opening of its production and retail facility in Winslow, Maine.
With the production capacity increase afforded by the new facility, the company is positioned to capitalize on its national retail and e-commerce growth. This milestone provided an opportunity for a packaging redesign that reflects the product’s taste, clean label and education about buckwheat, a superfood that is the foundation of Maine Crisp’s product lines.
Grown along Maine’s Canadian border, the gluten-free buckwheat inspired Maine Crisp’s founder and president Karen Getz to create a snack for gluten-free and gluten-loving consumers. She launched the company in 2014 with one flavor, Cranberry Almond. The product line now offers four flavors, including the vegan bestseller, Savory Fig & Thyme.
The new packaging uses illustrations of buckwheat, a soft color palette and a window to convey approachability and transparency. Studio Linear, a creative firm founded in Maine, led the design.
“My mission is to create better products for people, and our new package design really highlights the sense of naturalness that I strive for,” said Karen Getz, founder and president. “We’ve pared down busier elements and focused on the story of buckwheat so consumers can be confident that they understand what we’re all about.”
Transformed into a certified gluten-free facility, the 17,000-square-foot space enables Maine Crisp to launch new product lines and offer co-packing services to gluten-free food startups. Maine Crisp worked with the Maine Manufacturing Extension Partnership to design workflow enhancements.
“We are beyond excited to have a new state-of-the-art facility to continue to offer our retailers and consumers our delicious crisps while preparing for our aggressive innovation plans to bring the healthfulness of buckwheat to new snacking and baking categories,” said Lewis Goldstein, CEO. “Moreover, this facility supports our mission to support Maine and its rural communities by providing good jobs that offer fair pay and benefits.”
A gluten-free retail space featuring products from Maine Crisp and fellow Maine purveyors will be open to the public in 2023. Consumers can find products in supermarkets, specialty food shops, and online at mainecrisp.com.
