Due to go on sale in West Seattle today: The first product of a “cottage industry” business born in a Sunrise Heights apartment.
(WSB photo, outside Squatch Crunch HQ on sunny Monday afternoon)
Mari Bingham and Patrick Kelly are making and selling a three-flavor handcrafted small-batch granola line called Squatch Crunch. Today, it’s due to debut on the shelves at West Seattle Thriftway (WSB sponsor).
It’s local through and through, not just because it’s made here and riffs the brand name off a regional icon. The proprietors, now West Seattleites who are partnered in life as well as business, are both local: She’s from Bainbridge, he’s from Juanita; both have family around the region.
The three mixes, all gluten-free and vegan, have regional names – Sodo, Montlake, and Palouse. And the highlighted ingredients include subtle callouts back to related sports teams – Sodo, blue and green (with blueberries, pistachios, and pepitas); Montlake, purple and gold (featuring blueberries, apricots, and pecans); Palouse, red and white (with cranberries, raspberries, and coconut chunks). You’ll find them in 12-ounce bags for starters, with other sizes and flavors likely to follow.
Mari’s been making granola at home for a decade. She has a tech background, and Patrick has studied meteorology (you might know him from weather-related discussions in WSB comment sections) They just cooked up the business idea around Thanksgiving, and it’s rapidly scaling – available first via a market in Greenwood and at Gatewood B&B (which is operated by Mari’s sister), now adding other outlets, starting with Thriftway. Local outlets, of course, they stress, with local sourcing/suppliers for as many ingredients and other components as possible, all the way down to the bags and labels.
You can follow their business on Facebook and Twitter at squatchcrunch.
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