Today we’d like to introduce you to John Spalding.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
John Spalding LOVES Peanut Brittle, and his family has been making it for over 150 years! In July of 1985, when John couldn’t find any quality peanut brittle (and when his Mother refused to make him any because it wasn’t Christmas), John relied on his family’s brittle making history and began to make his own. He dusted off Great Grandma Spalding’s peanut brittle recipe from the 1860’s and went to work.
By adding more nuts to the recipe, and then smothering them in a sweet, buttery layer of golden brittle, John crafted the most delicious peanut brittle in the world!
In 2007, with the assistance of his childhood friend Jay, the Brittle Brothers gourmet peanut brittle company was born. Since then, chocolate-covered, bacon, whiskey, cashew, pecan and other peanut flavored varieties have been added to their amazing “mouth-watering” line of nutty brittles.
Where can you buy, here in the Nashville area? Kroger, Publix, Whole Foods, the Fresh Market, Amazon, our production kitchen in Goodlettsville, Texas Roadhouse, Opryland, the airport, Country Music Hall of Fame, Katy’s Hallmark, and many, many more retailers in the area.
As of today, Brittle Brothers has been featured in: People Magazine, Business Insider, NBC, CBS, ABC, Fox News, America’s 250th Anniversary Fair in Washington, D.C., WSM 650 Radio, PBS and many others.
This year, Brittle Brothers was voted the #1 most delicious brittle in America and it only takes one bite for you to find out why!
Brittle Brothers is the #1 Selling Peanut Brittle in the world on Amazon!
The perfect snack, the perfect gift and the perfect brittle! …buy now & enjoy!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Oh, the challenges!
Brittle Brothers almost went bankrupt 3 times over the last 19 years…
1st time). We didn’t have a handle on “high barrier” packaging and were forced to replace all inventory in all 100+ stores, because the sharpness of the brittle was causing small tears in our bags, which caused the brittle to become sticky. We now use the same type of bag that is used in the packaging of one of the sharpest food items sold in a grocery store – frozen shrimp tails! The good news: We no longer have bag issues. :0)
2nd time). Big Box “charge-back” fees. Unbeknownst to us, if a large grocery store doesn’t sell out of your product in a certain period of time, the store can request its’ removal and also request a check to compensate for the “returned” product. In early 2014, we started receiving “charge-back” requests for returned products because we had over-stocked 27 grocery stores for the Christmas Holiday. Solution: We now ship less product at a time, and re-stock more frequently as needed. Charge-back problem solved. :0)
3rd time). Co-Vid Hits. Brittle Brothers had focused their sales & marketing efforts almost exclusively on the “Nashville Market”. When Co-Vid hit, local Airports, Hotels, Restaurants, Opryland, Country Music Hall of Fame, etc. were doing almost no business whatsoever. Co-Vid or no Co-Vid, we still had to pay our bills and had no money coming in! In a last-ditch effort, we pivoted to E-Commerce, and most notably, Amazon, to boost our sales. Almost instantaneously, Amazon sales took off like a Phoenix rising. The happy ending is that Brittle Brothers is now the #1 selling peanut brittle in the world on Amazon and are experiencing double-digit growth again this year! A heartfelt statement that we often refer to is that “Co-Vid & Amazon saved the Brittle Brothers”!
3 perfect examples of challenges that we were forced to tackle to survive. The old adage “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger” is certainly appropriate to this Nashville Small Business company.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Employee/professional:
Born in a small farm town in central Illinois, named Pontiac that was about 90 miles south of Chicago. For schooling, I did my Master’s work in Genetic Engineering at Illinois State University, but became a Chemical Engineer (by occupation) for the last 40 years. In 1987, moved to Canton, Ohio for my 1st chem-e job with W.R. Grace. Promoted through the ranks to regional automotive manager with Grace in Detroit, in 91. Was given an “offer I couldn’t refuse” in 96, by the ChemTreat Corporation (a division of Dannaher at the time) and moved to Nashville, TN to run the Nashville District. Thought I would like to retire to an oceanfront home in Naples, FL, but couldn’t bear the thought of leaving Music City. Because, you see, I LOVE NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE, and I’m not going anywhere!!!
How do you define success?
I describe success as building something meaningful that lasts. It is taking my great-grandmother’s peanut brittle recipe from the 1860s and turning it into a thriving company without sacrificing the quality, honesty, and family values behind it. Success means providing opportunities for the people who work with me, creating products that bring happiness to our customers, and continuing to grow Brittle Brothers into a nationally recognized brand. It is not measured only in dollars—it is measured by the reputation I leave behind, the lives I positively affect, and the legacy I create for future generations.
Pricing:
- Good brittle isn’t cheap.
- Cheap brittle isn’t good.
- We cost a little more, because we use more nuts in our brittles than anyone.
- There’s a reason we are the #1 brittle in America!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://brittlebrothers.com
- Instagram: brittlebrothers
- Facebook: brittlebrothers@aol.com
- Twitter: BrittleBrothers
