Hunger is a mighty efficient motivator; Maslow’s hierarchy of needs illustrates this in detail, explaining how humans cannot move toward personal happiness if things like safety and shelter are still lacking in life.
In less dire circumstances, two brothers found themselves in a similar hungry situation, which forced them to think outside the box and create their own organic health-centered energy bars.
We’re talking about Austin’s Bearded Brothers, the wholesome snack food company run by Caleb Simpson and Chris Herbert. Active living is a large part of their lives and the guys were busy in the rock climbing, running and disc golf communities. When they couldn’t find eats that they liked, the guys decided to concoct their own organic variations of their favorite energy bars and snacks.
“Chris and I had both been vegetarians for some parts of our lives; both of us were on a high raw vegan diet. Chris is actually the one who introduced me to raw foods and healthy eating and through that I started changing my diet and eating healthier and I was making energy bars for my climbing trips and running…”
This natural progression of perfecting their own gluten-free and organic snacks suitable for even the most discriminating of vegan tastes started over 3 years ago in March 2011. Caleb and Chris were making their own bars, early versions of what Bearded Brothers products would become, posting their prized recipes online for fellow organic eaters to try at home. Caleb got such a positive response from the web that he decided to take it to the next level. Chris, an avid traveler and disc golfer, was always on the hunt for organic provisions, but often came up empty handed. Airports, planes and hotels rarely offered healthy snacks.
“The reason we started this was because we had trouble finding portable, healthy snacks. That will kind of always be our focus,” Caleb states as we tour Bearded Brothers colorful new location.
After launching the brand 3 1/2 years ago in Southeast Austin as Adventure Naturals, the fledgling foodies spent years trying to find a space large enough for their eventual goals. A little change in their look, not to mention making Caleb and Chris into the company’s official mascots, helped to propel the brand into the minds and stomachs of Austinites all over. Now they reside in spacious Southwest Austin by Lake Travis favorites such as Better Bites Bakery and Thirsty Planet Brewing Company, making for a very colorful and delicious part of town.
Four days a week, energy bars are cooked, formed and packaged at the new facility. An expansive kitchen allows for more products to be made weekly, which are sold around Lake Travis in stores such as Whole Foods Market Bee Cave and the organic section of H-E-B.
Their original four flavors have expanded to six, including Radical Raspberry, Blueberry Vanilla and Mega Maca Chocolate. I love their Colossal Coconut Mango energy bar, which is a flavor I like to keep in my purse in case I ever get a rage of hunger when I’m out and about, proving you don’t have to be a hiker or mountain climber to enjoy these snacks.
The guys hope to add new products every year, so check back often to see what they have in the works. You can buy their bars online, too, which is a great method to stock up when you know you’re going to need snacks for any occasion.
Bearded Brothers
11190 Circle Drive Ste. 300
Austin, TX 78736
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