Today we’d like to introduce you to Keith McCullough.
Hi Keith, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Like many people I struggled with dietary health issues. I was on meds for years, which never worked. And I was like, how do I solve this?
I switched to a whole food plant based diet and felt instantly better.
Around the same time I was working with Sweet Pea Plant Based Kitchen here in Rochester, NY. They had this great baked snack bar that I loved called the Sweet Pea bar (disclaimer: not made with actual sweet peas).
I got super inspired by it, so I worked with chef Ryan Jennings from Sweet Pea, and a registered dietician friend, to create Junebar.
Junebar is an all natural snack bar. I’m super proud of it. I believe it’s the healthiest, whole food snack bar on the market.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Making a unique product like Junebar is super challenging.
One of our core values is to only use 100% all natural ingredients. No additives, no ultra processed preservatives, and certainly nothing artificial.
That meant all the tricks other brands use to make their products shelf stable were off limits. So we decided to make a refrigerated bar.
This opened the door for some cool ingredients. Junebars are made with sweet potatoes, black beans, wild blueberries, things that you couldn’t use in a bar meant to sit out on a shelf for a year.
They aren’t super fragile. Junebars can be out for 72 hours, so you can still take them on a hike or to work. But you know, from a production and shipping standpoints, it makes everything way more complicated.
We’ve been impressed with Junebar, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Junebar is an all natural snack bar company based in Rochester, NY. We make high fiber, gluten free, vegan, better-for-you snacks.
I’m Keith McCullough, the very busy founder.
Our bars are different because they’re made entirely with real food. They’re rich in fiber, which 90% of Americans are deficient in. They’re so fresh they need to be refrigerated. There’s nothing else like them on the market.
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
The better-for-you trend is going to continue. People are realizing how much junk is in our diets, from highly processed ingredients to micro-plastics, and taking action to eat better. I think we’ll see more focus on all natural, real food alternatives to pretty much every product.
Fiber is just as important as protein. But right now most Americans are getting 200% their daily protein, and hardly any fiber. I think awareness of that is increasing, too, and people will start to prioritize fiber more in their diets. Which is great, because they’ll feel better. Fiber does more than just “keep you regular.” Eating fiber is associated with reduced risk of heart disease, diabetes, certain cancers, and various gastrointestinal issues.
Pricing:
- $28 for a carton of 8 bars on our website ($3.50 per bar)
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.junebars.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/junebar_snacks/
- Other: https://linktr.ee/junebar_snacks
