Barney is FABulous!

I am gearing up to go to another Food Allergy Bloggers Conference in just days! For those of you who have not been, you can go too. This conference is open to anyone, not just bloggers. It's chock full of classes, sponsors, safe food and best of all, endless love from fellow food allergy people from all over. This is where people in the food allergy community go to meet their extended family. This is where they go to find out about new products that we may not have seen locally yet. This is where they go to connect, get more education and have a ton of fun during the entire conference. Still on the fence? Read my recaps and I am willing to bet you will be kicking yourself for not having your travel arrangements already planned for this year.

I wanted to extend a very special thank you to Barney Butter for being my event sponsors and for making my trip to the Food Allergy Bloggers Conference possible this year. I am also extremely honored and excited to share that I am now one of their official Ambassadors now as well (insert beaming smiling happy face). Our family has used Barney Butter as far back as I can remember. NutriSon is peanut allergic but not almond allergic so their products have been a saving grace. For those of you who may not be familiar with them, I decided to share a few Q&A's to help you decide which item is right for you.

1) Barney Butter is peanut free, dairy free, Kosher, gluten free and offers some Vegan options. Can you explain why this was an important detail for your products?
Food allergies affect 11 million households and 6 million children in the US, and have risen 50% since 1997. We're proud to be the #1 independently owned, certified peanut-free almond butter company out there and take pride in providing healthy, safe foods for families with peanut allergies and gluten sensitivities. We also believe in using only the finest quality ingredients including organic and fair trade whenever possible. If an ingredient isn't 100% necessary to the taste and quality of our almond butters, it isn't included. That's why our whole line is vegan, except one flavor (Honey + Flax) and why our products are Kosher as well.

2) Can you share a few details on how Barney Butter got started?
We wanted to make a better for you alternative to peanut butter and being located in the heart of "Almond Alley" California, where more than 80% of the world's almonds are grown, it was a no-brainer to begin making an almond butter alternative to typical peanut butters. We didn't want to be a hard-core scary almond butter, with grittiness and oil, we wanted to make something that kids would eat. That's why we perfected our blanched (no skin, no grit) blend to be spreadable, no-stir and shelf stable. Even the pickiest kid (or adult) will make the switch from a traditional peanut-butter to Barney Butter.

3) I noticed on you website that Barney Butter has a strong environmental side to it ( as seen on your Beliefs page), could you comment as to what made this part of your mission?
Absolutely. We started this company as a way to make something positive for the world. That means not only creating a quality, healthy product that people will love, but making sure it gives back to the environment as well. That's why we use recyclable packaging when possible (our jars are made of 100% post consumer recycled #1 PET plastic, which is BPA Free), contribute to the Xerces Society (helping protect invertebrates like honey bees and their environment) and work 100% with local California almond farmers who use the strictest guidelines for pollination and harvesting, among other initiatives. We also use the highest level of sustainable palm-oil possible, as well as fair trade and organic ingredients.

4) I see there are recipes too! How often does Barney Butter add new recipes to their site?
As often as possible! We're constantly creating new recipes in house and have a dedicated customer base who submit fantastic recipes that we post too. Just head to https://barneybutter.com/send-almond-butter-recipe/ to submit yours!

5) Barney Butter is more than just almond butter. In addition to your almond butters and snack packs, you also sell almond flour and almonds. Was this also a need you felt you should offer to your peanut allergic consumers?
Yes. Many brands produce almond products and peanut products within the same facility so they are not actually safe for peanut-free families. We had demand from our customers who loved the quality of our almond butters and were looking for more completely peanut-free snacking, cooking and baking alternatives. We're excited to continue to meet their allergy needs!

6) Is there a particular recipe that Barney Butter has shared the most? Is so, can you share it with us so we can all give it a try?
That might be like choosing a favorite child! But a few of our all-time favorite recipes are:
Almond Joy Overnight Oats
Almond Butter Cup Smoothie
Spicy Asian Noodles with Almond Butter Sauce
Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

7) Are there any plans of introducing any new Barney Butter items (such as apparel, aprons, oven mits, etc)?
We just launched our dip cups (convenient snacking cups for dipping things like apple slices, pretzels and crackers) and will be re-launching our almond flours this fall, just in time for winter baking projects! We're also very excited to be coming out with a Probiotic Almond Butter now available at Sprouts Market.

8) If you could tell all of your Barney Butter fans one thing, what would it be?
Spread the love!

Thank you Barney Butter- this information is super helpful! I can't wait to report back after the  Food Allergy Bloggers Conference and let you know everything that went on this year! As a special thank you to my readers, I haven't forgotten about you! The only way to spread the love is to have a GIVEAWAY!

WHO WANTS SOME BARNEY BUTTER?

Comment below so I can host a giveaway

*Need more information and recipes using Barney Butter? You can find them in my ebook The Stepping Stones to Food Allergies. Purchase it now for all of your allergy resource information in addition to easy top 8 free recipes.