Experienced edibles entrepreneur gets energy from giving it
For active, busy people caught up in the daily grind, coffee has historically been the “go to” energy booster. But now there’s a new way to get the buzz – it’s Java Me Up, a delicious, portable, coffee-fueled snack line created by Lisa Newmann, a pioneer in the healthy snack industry.
Java Me Up is a brand of coffee bars that combine organic, shade-grown coffee, dark chocolate and toasted gluten-free rolled oats and seeds. They contain enough coffee to provide a safe and satisfying jolt of about half a cup of joe. Think “coffee that never spills.”
Lisa Newmann knows a thing or two about how to shake up the status quo. She was among the first to create cookies and baked goods with whole and sprouted grains instead of white flour and processed ingredients, with her Cookiehead line of snacks.
“The introduction of a high quality coffee-fueled snack allows us to continue our healthy snack-food momentum, broaden our appeal, and deepen our market penetration while being true to the values of environmental sustainability,” Newmann says. “I was inspired by the popularity of a best-selling cookie in our line that combined chocolate, coffee and almonds. Consumers loved how the chocolate melted with coffee and the crunch of the almonds.”
While Java Me Up is clearly a new step in the personal energy revolution, Newmann maintains that her focus is all about the coffee.
“In truth, I did not look to create a new energy bar,” she explains. “We are attempting to disrupt the coffee market and offer people a new way to get their second (or third) cup by creating a new category – coffee as food.”
Java Me Up bars contain only shade-grown, organic, direct-trade beans that offer all the flavor and force of a second or third cup, with no risk of spilling. They’re perfect for the car, backpack, purse -- wherever you may have wanted to keep coffee but had no way to do so before.
“Coffee is one of life’s enduring rewards,” Newman posits. “It’s healthy and beautiful, filled with antioxidants, and people love it as a warm and tasty ritual. Our snack expansion was designed to reflect the coffee tradition, support environmentally conscious growers and accommodate global distribution.”
Java Me Up sources only direct-trade coffee, so purchases go directly to the growers’ communities. And there’s another local angle -- the coffee is blended and roasted in West Stockbridge, MA, in the Berkshires, down the road from where Newmann lives and works.
“Java Me Up is real food. That’s important because our bodies are designed to eat food, not artificial additives, petroleum or plastic,” Newmann notes. “I have always wanted to participate in the movement to develop nourishing food. It takes sustained focus -- a love of food and coffee, and patience more than energy. My inspiration comes from my family, my community, and knowing we are providing a nutritious solution to consumers in a delicious, creative and thoughtful new way.
Java Me Up bars are already a big hit, with sales now available on Amazon.com. and a variety of independent retailers, foodservice outlets and on the Java Me Up website (www.coffeesnacks.com).
Newmann has hinted at further releases in coming months, with the emphasis on high quality coffee. “They may not necessarily be in the shape of bars,” she says, “but the snacks will be a tastebud party.”
Matt Robinson is a professional journalist, writer, communications director, educator, coach, and parent. His food writing can be read at matts-meals.com and he can be reached at matthewsrobinson@mac.com