Local Highlight | Big Spoon Roasters

Big Spoon Roasters…

…is a nut butter company based out of Durham, North Carolina that has a commitment to all things good: the health of their customers, the wellness of their employees, and the sustainability of the earth. Owners Mark and Megan were inspired to start Big Spoon Roasters a few years after Mark returned from being a Peace Corps Volunteer in Zimbabwe in 1999.  Mark saw families of the rural farming community grind roasted nuts by hand with coarse salt and sometimes honey. The results were a fragrant and delicious peanut butter that stuck with Mark until 2010 when he started to recreate those same fresh nut-butters in his own kitchen. The outcomes were so delicious that Mark and Megan started Big Spoon Roasters in January of 2011.  They made coarse-ground nut-butters, and then expanded to make energy bars after Megan, a triathlete, began making her own. They began selling at their local farmers market, then local specialty stores, and are now available in Whole Foods, on Amazon, and in grocers nationwide, including in Fountain Market on campus! They also offer all their products on their website in addition to a subscription service to receive regular shipments of your favorites and gift boxes to share your love with others.

Big Spoon Roasters was founded on the idea that food matters and it should be good for the people eating it and the people making it. They make all of their nut butters and bars with this in mind, finding sustainable sources for ingredients and are a part of Durham’s Living Wage project. They also offer additional benefits including wellness funds for gym, yoga, and sport league memberships, health insurance stipends, full dental and vision care, and CSA membership support.

They are famous for not using palm oil, hydrogenated oil, or other stabilizers that prevent natural oil separation, so you do need to stir before enjoying, but this shows another level of commitment to their customers and the environment. They carefully source ingredients based on a strict standard that tests for taste, sustainability, and the fair and ethical treatment of those involved with farming and processing. While they are not a certified organic product, the only non-organic ingredient they use is honey because they aim to support local beekeepers, but all the ingredients are GMO-free.

In addition to making delicious and socially responsible products, Big Spoon Roasters updates their blog frequently with recipes, limited batch products (like the Chocolate Chocolate Gianduja Spread), and features of other companies that share Big Spoon’s commitment to quality and sustainability. This blog offers customers another way to engage in the nut butter loving community and continue to support holistic companies.

You won’t find any plastics or extra waste with Big Spoon Roasters because they only use recycled and non-toxic paper labels and cruelty-free cleaning products. They use recyclable and reusable glass jars as opposed to plastics that can leach into your foods and pollute the environment and sourced only from ecologically sustainable farmers.  They even use recyclable shipping materials for their online orders. All in all, their commitment to sustainability goes far beyond the average company and can leave you feeling good about your purchase.

The overall verdict? You will not find a tastier nut butter with the same commitment to wellness and sustainability. While you may spend more than an average mass-produces nut butter, we think that it is worth it for the quality of the product and the company’s commitment to their community and their customers.