Nature’s Bakery

How did Nature’s Bakery get its start?

The year was 1960 and Richard Marson, my father, decided to follow his passion and open a family bakery, using only all-natural ingredients, which was a novel concept back then. Later on I joined the family business and spent decades working on sharpening my skills as a baker. Then in 2010, I teamed together with my son Sam to create Nature’s Bakery with the mission of making delicious, convenient, on-the-go snacks and foods that complement health conscious living and everyday active lifestyles. 

Describe the state of the gluten-free industry.

The gluten-free industry is seeing continuous growth, in part because companies are experimenting with a variety of fun ingredients and offering more products for consumers to choose from. The industry has really come a long way from its thinking that gluten-free is just for consumers with dietary restrictions or food allergies to recognizing that consumer demands for more gluten-free foods is also a reflection of lifestyle choices.

What factors influenced this change?

There are many elements, but the first one that comes to mind is the influence consumers have exerted in expressing what they like and do not like. For instance, Nature’s Bakery launched its Gluten Free Fig Bars because of personal requests from our fans who wanted a gluten-free version of our flagship line of Stone Ground Whole Wheat Fig Bars. Today’s consumers want to enjoy gluten-free foods for breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert and on the go.

It has been simply amazing to see how the food and consumer-packaged goods industries are making a big push to put out products that consumers want with attention to improving taste and texture.

Why did some companies survive the consolidation in the industry while others did not?

This trend again points to how well—or not—companies are listening to consumers and puts the spotlight on those that believe the way to increase market share is with a flood of products and acquisitions. There are companies that are so eager to jump on trends that they often sacrifice quality and taste in the process.

What makes Nature’s Bakery stand apart from others offering similar products?

To us, being a success is not about making a trendy product, but committing to providing delicious foods and to growing a loyal consumer base.

Nature’s Bakery is about being authentic and keeping things simple and delicious. Our brand is unique because of our belief that gluten-free products should not just be a replication of other foods, but should be able to hold their own as a standalone product with its own fan following.

Using distinctive ingredients also helps our products stand out. As an example, we offer our Gluten Free Fig Bars in four different flavors including pomegranate, a flavor you cannot find in our other products and has become an instant favorite.

What does the future look like for gluten-free?

The gluten-free future looks bright and I am so glad Nature’s Bakery is a part of it. Gluten-free is not just about avoiding wheat, it is a lifestyle that has major staying power. Speaking from our company’s personal standpoint, as a brand it is great to craft convenient on-the-go snacks and food that our customers can feel good about eating.

We will always strive to make affordable and delicious products that fit into our fans diet and lifestyle.