Welcome to another addition of Customer Corner; a series where we feature companies our cooperative works with on a daily basis! Today we are featuring Nora’s Kitchen Granola. Their delicious granola features whole, recognizable ingredients that provide nourishing energy. We asked CEO Kelsey to share with us the story of Nora’s Kitchen Granola and she happily did! Read on to find out more, and be sure to check out their Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, & website!

Nora’s Kitchen Granola

Most commercial and bulk granolas are flavored with some kind of processed sweetener, and the second ingredient is usually a form of sugar. Nora wanted something healthier, where she could actually taste the toasted grains and nuts, so she made her own. Nora had been making granola for years before the thought of turning it into a business even came across her mind. She would give it to friends as gifts or bring it as a snack on family trips. It wasn’t until her retirement did she realize she didn’t want to completely stop working. She loves working in the kitchen and helping others, so her friends suggested she sell her granola.

Nora’s Kitchen Granola started in 2015. Nora’s granola was carried in a few local businesses for about 2 years and in the winter of 2016 she decided she needed some more help with growing her business.  Kelsey worked alongside Nora for about a year and once the growth of her company really started to kick off and production had to be moved to a commercial kitchen, she realized it was time to step back and enjoy her retirement. As Nora transitioned away from the business duties of running the company, Kelsey wanted to keep the business “in the family”, but most importantly keep the business women owned. That’s when Kelsey, Nora’s son, and a mutual friend decided to take over Nora’s Kitchen in the beginning of 2018.

Over the past twenty years, Nora has been developing and perfecting the recipe for Nora’s Kitchen Granola and finding more and more uses for it in her kitchen. She will grind it up into a flour, and add it to cake batter or pie dough. She even sprinkled it on top of roasted sweet potatoes to cut the sweetness down, or any hot dish that calls for a crunchy topping. With some dried fruit or chocolate chips, it makes a great base for trail mix. Nora’s Kitchen Granola is not only a breakfast food, but a nice addition to many recipes and dishes. Recipes like these can be found on our website.

NKG could not exist without people like you. We want to say thank you to anyone who has tried a sample, bought a bag to take home, taken a photo to share on social media or grabbed a free sticker from our table at any of our demos. We are so thankful for each of you and are excited to produce more delicious products in the future for everyone to enjoy.