That was really the beginning. For the first five years it was just a little home business. Product developer Annie Christopher takes up to two years to perfect a recipe. At that point, the natural foods market was still a novelty. During this time Christopher helped to found the Vermont Specialty Food Association, but, before long, Christopher and Backman found themselves looking in a new direction.
Sales are roughly equal on both coasts.
That was absolutely necessary. She attributes increased traffic at food shows to the Vermont name. It makes an impact. This charming habit that the partners have of clarifying, and sometimes finishing, each other's sentences speaks to the larger issue of what makes the team operate well. There's a balance there.