Cracker 2008

Outstanding Cracker 2008: Mary’s Gone Crackers Mary’s Gone Crackers Original

When she was diagnosed with celiac disease—the inability to digest gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley and rye—in 1994, Mary Waldner was faced with the challenge of finding things to eat that she really liked. Always a creative baker, she started experimenting with alternative flours. When nothing worked to her satisfaction, she kept falling back to ingredients she considered favorites: brown rice, quinoa and flax. “I knew I had the right ingredients for something, but was not sure what it was going to be,” says Waldner. “I was planning on biscotti but my recipe held up better as a cracker.” 

In the beginning, Waldner sold her crackers to family, friends and clientele from a local health food store, spending more than five hours to produce a batch of 240 crackers in her home kitchen. She made several batches a week while still employed full-time as a therapist. Soon, the demand exceeded her ability to produce them.

In September 2007, Waldner launched her business and Mary’s Gone Crackers Original was born as a crispy, crunchy, whole food snack that is organic, gluten-free, kosher, vegan, and free of sugar, trans fats and hydrogenated oils. Compatible with everything from tuna salad to cheese to peanut butter and chocolate, Mary’s Gone Crackers hold their integrity and never get soggy, she explains. They are best merchandised in the gourmet cracker set, with a gluten-free shelf-tag or in the deli or cheese departments, near soup and salad bars. Waldner offers demo programs and samples to retailers. Also available in Caraway, Herb, Black Pepper and Onion. Suggested retail: $4.69/6.5 ounce; marysgonecrackers.com.—Nicole Potenza Denis

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