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Blake’s Seed Based

Tuesday, October 26, 2021
filed under: Utilization/Trade: Confection-Non-oil

Three years ago, when Blake Sorensen was in graduate school, an assignment in his social entrepreneurship course sparked an idea. The assignment: solve a social need.
        Growing up as an athlete with a deadly nut allergy, Sorensen was frustrated with the lack of snacks available. So immediately, the social need he wanted to solve was to create a snack that was healthy, tasted good and was free of all major food allergens so people like him could enjoy it.
        Before he knew it, that class project had turned into a new business called Blake’s Seed Based.
        Jody Kerzman visited with Sorensen about his Chicago-based business and products.

Explain the idea behind your product.

        I wanted to make a snack that was healthy, tasted good and was free of all major food allergens. That’s really how we got started. Growing up, I couldn’t eat nuts — but I could always eat sunflower seeds. I gravitated to them. I started adding them to my salads and eating them raw.
        It is an ingredient you can use in a lot of different dishes and is good for you. Our products are something everyone can enjoy. They are a vegan, gluten-free snack that is also allergy friendly; our products are free of peanuts, tree nuts, dairy, soy, egg, sesame and are school safe.

How do you utilize sunflower in your products?

        Sunflower seeds are in all our products. They are the number one ingredient in all our snack bars and our rice crispy treat line. They add a nice crunch and are a great protein source and taste great. As we continue to evolve, sunflower seeds will remain in all of our products.

Why do you use sunflower?

        We use sunflower seeds because they are something people like me who have food allergies can have. That’s the number one reason.

What makes your products stand out?

        We really pride ourselves on the seed component. All of our products feature seeds from chocolate or seeds from fruits. Our rice crispy treat is the only one with seeds. Seeds offer better nutrition, taste better, few people are allergic to. Also, the fact that we are free of major food allergies is huge. All of our products are made in a certified nut-free and gluten-free facility.

What market segments do you supply?

        We are in about 1,500 stores nationwide. We are on both coasts and at random spots in between. We are in Kroger stores, as well as Sprouts, Wegman’s, some Wal-Marts and Jewell stores. There is a store locator on our website that can help you find a location near you. We also ship to the contiguous United States, so you can always find our products online.

What is your customer’s perception of sunflower?

        I can’t eat nuts, but people are so used to nuts like peanuts, almonds and pistachios. There’s a learning curve for seeds. But I’d say nine out of 10 times, when people try our products, they love them. They’re surprised, but they love it and it’s something they keep coming back for.

Are there any new offerings or new products on the horizon?

        We are working on a number of things, including a roasted sunflower seed product. We are also experimenting with adding in some seasonings and some other things. Follow us on social media and on our website to stay updated on all of our new products.

Are you doing any advertising, PR, social media or grassroots efforts to promote your product? If yes, what?

        We are on all social media: Facebook, Twitter, You Tube and Instagram; just search “Blake’s Seed Based.” Instagram is the best place to follow us. That’s where we’re putting out things about the company, our products and kind of behind-the- scenes information. You can also visit our website, www.blakesseedbased.com.

What do you believe the future holds?

        We want to be everywhere. We want to be a snack company known for seeds. When you think of seeds as a snack, we want to be the company people think of. We want to be in every grocery store chain and in every school. We have a number of different products that contain seeds, and we think those should be available to people everywhere. We have big aspirations.