BEIJING, June 28, 2012 (City Weekend) — All our friends seem to be on a “get fit” kick this summer, so we’ve been eating lots of fish and leafy greens. But we found ourselves longing constantly for a healthy, portable snack. Luckily, Great Wall Granola saved the day without throwing us off the path to a healthy lifestyle.
Before starting Great Wall Granola last summer, Brandon Trowbridge’s homemade granola was a mainstay on the brunch menu at NOLA, where he is the F&B manager. One customer found it so tasty, he offered to distribute it. Now, the company sends out 50kg of granola each month in minimum orders of 800g (four bags) for RMB100. “I ate [muesli] for a while, but it just didn’t satisfy my craving,” Trowbridge (pictured above enjoying his own creation) tells us. He admits he once tried to sauté muesli with sugar to achieve the crunchy, crispy texture of granola. “I ate it, but it was still a fail.” Three granola varieties are currently available and can be mixed-and-matched in one order. But deciding what balance to strike between apple/cinnamon/almond, maple/date/pecan and goji berry/pineapple/walnut can be tough, especially as they are all made with organic oats and local ingredients (except imported maple syrup and pecans).
The best part is that even though each variety is sweet, it’s as healthy as can be, with honey, maple syrup and cane syrup as sweeteners. “We bake it overnight, bag it, then the delivery service comes in the morning and it goes out,” Trowbridge says of the eight-hour process they complete each month. Trowbridge is working on getting the granola sold in restaurants, but those hoping to pop a crunchy handful into their mouths can place orders online. With a shelf life of around two months, it’s wise to stock up and squirrel some away in desk drawers and pantries for when a crunchy craving hits.
DETAILS What: Great Wall Granola Email: order@greatwallgranola.com Web: www.greatwallgranola.com
It's Mikala! 