Almond Innovation in Portland and Seattle

Greetings from the Pacific Northwest! Portland and Seattle are ranked among the friendliest U.S. cities for vegans and vegetarians. Famous for their food cart and farmers market scenes, this duo’s proximity to farming and fishing enables entrepreneurial minds to take thoughtful approaches to ingredient sourcing and selection.

Local businesses and product developers like Eliot’s Nut Butters and Ceres Roasting Company are exploring the community’s eye for quality, health and enjoyment with small-batch items containing premium ingredients.

Read more below or view interviews on YouTube to hear each founder talk about their company’s story and offer perspective on food industry trends.

Eliot's Nut Butters

Eliot’s Nut Butters launched in 2013, when founder Michael Kanter an aspiring chef, first started grinding savory flavored nuts in his home food processor. Michael began testing his products around Portland and Seattle, and soon found that savory nut butters could be popular. While early flavors used peanuts as the base for flavors like Spicy Thai, Garam Masala, and Honey Chipotle, Eliot’s Nut Butters has eyed expansion into using almonds, pistachios and hazelnuts. The company’s Pistachio Dates Almond Butter transports tasters to the Mediterranean for a healthy treat.

Ceres Roasting Company

Head to any major sporting event in Seattle and you’ll likely come across Ceres Roasting Company, which has been small-batch roasting gourmet cinnamon glazed almonds and pecans since 2008. Founded by Nathan and Karen Bainbridge, the company offers cinnamon glazed almonds, savory mixed nuts and coffees that perfectly play up the complex, deep and nutty flavors resulting from the roasting process, which is done in copper kettles in full view of the captivated public. To complement their distinctive roasted nuts, the company also offers a selection of coffee and espresso beverages made from fair trade coffee beans roasted locally in Seattle.

Topics: Food Inspiration