Snack On, Arizona!
At Local First Arizona, we love to snack…especially in the office! But when this month’s CDC report was released and revealed that office food is no healthier than Wendy’s, we wanted to check ourselves. Lucky for us, Arizona has tons of great locally-made snacks and confections. We combed through Good Food Finder to compile some of our favorite munchies that fuel us (and hopefully, you!) through the work day.
OFFICE-FRIENDLY LIBATIONS
These vendors locally roast and produce flavorful and aromatic coffees and teas. Find these products at your nearby farmers markets, Sprouts Farmers Market, or directly from the roasters.
Photo Credit: Cortez Coffee, Instagram @cortezcoffeeco
Photo Credit: Cartel, Instagram @cartelcoffeelab
Some of our favorites include:
Cortez Coffee – Local to Tempe, Arizona, Cortez also founded More Than Fair, a direct trade coalition that connects quality coffee growers, farmers and consumers.
Peixoto Coffee Roasters – Roasting in their Historic Downtown Chandler location, specializing in coffees from their family farm in Brazil.
Cult Coffee Roaster – Providing Phoenix residents with quality and custom coffee and tea since the 90s.
Considerate Coffee Co. – Eco-friendly cold brew brewing, striving to manage waste and conserve the environment. Coffee is available at numerous local eateries around Phoenix, Arizona (The Whining Pig, Grand Avenue Pizza, Original Gravity).
Cartel Coffee Labs – Roasted in Tempe Arizona, and sold at cafes in Downtown Phoenix, Tempe, Scottsdale, and Tucson (and in Terminal 4 in Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport!).
Some other favorites jolts as we travel the state:
Prescott Coffee Roasters – Prescott, Arizona.
Prickly Pear Tea Co. – Sedona, Arizona.
Exo Roast Co. – Tucson, Arizona.
HEALTHY BITES
When feeling peckish, snacks made with high quality ingredients and locally sourced are important to keep us (and probably, you) happy and healthy around the office.
Photo Credit: Sarah Bea, Instagram @sarahbeallc
Photo Credit: Nut Sack, Instagram @nutsackfoods
Some local snack-makers include:
Huppybar Granola Bars – Flagstaff, Arizona. Even featuring Arizona-foraged Mesquite, Sonoran Desert Honey, and local pecans, these snack bars are delicious, nutrient dense, and satisfying to the core. Available in bulk directly from Huppy.
Kettle Heroes Popcorn – Located in Tempe, Arizona, you can stop in to their “tasting room” to discover your favorite flavor (did someone say prickly pear?!). Also find these popped products at your nearby Sprouts, AJ’s Fine Foods, Bashas’, and Whole Foods. Also available in bulk, or with customized packaging!
RBar – Energy bars made with just 3-7 ingredients produced in Tucson. Available at Sprouts and most grocers.
Vintage Oats Granola – These gluten free and customizable granolas are made with high quality ingredients; sometimes even featuring additions of essential oils. A rotating variety of these granolas are available for purchase online.
Hayden Flour Mills – Delightful crackers made with exclusively locally-grown grains, milled in Queen Creek.
Other local snack providers with goodies worth mentioning:
Nutsack Foods – Premium roasted nuts produced in Cave Creek, Arizona.
Audrey’s Chia Treats – Mesa, Arizona.
Sarah Bea – nut granolas and mixed nuts. You can find varieties of their products at many local farmers markets, or custom order directly through Sarah Bea.
CONFECTIONS
Need a sweet treat to get you through that 3 o’clock slump? We’ve got many perfect options from chocolates to breads.
Photo Credit: Proof Bread, Instagram @proofbread
Photo Credit: b Naked Chocolates, Instagram @bnakedchocolates
Local confectioneries:
b Naked Chocolates– Truffles, macaroons & fruit bars made in Scottsdale, Arizona. Available for order on Mobile Store Site. These confections are small batch and hand crafted in Scottsdale, Arizona, organic when available, gluten free, vegan, and made with no refined ingredients.
Rango Honey– Produced in one of the most biodiverse ecosystems, this Sonoran Desert Honey is sourced from beekeepers from Tempe. Snag yours on their website, Sprouts, & many local retailers.
Proof Bread– local breads and pastries made with locally grown and milled flours from Hayden Flour Mills. Available for purchase at 7 Arizona farmers markets.
Our other cherished treats include:
Zak’s Chocolate– Award winning small batch chocolate produced in Scottsdale, AZ.
Noble Bread– Phoenix, AZ.
Simple Farm – Caramels made in Scottsdale, AZ.
Fairytale Brownies – Phoenix, AZ. (Also available in bulk, and with customized packaging!)
CONDIMENTS
For the flavor gurus around the office, these Phoenix based businesses provide zing and zest for the masses.
Photo Credit: Windswept Acres, Instagram @windsweptacreschino
AHSSA Gourmet Sauce, Instagram @ahssagourmetsauce
Some flavor factories include:
Mrs. Klein’s Pickle Co.– Located on Whitton Dr. in Phoenix, Arizona. These products are crafted with produce picked year round from local harvests.
Windswept Acres– Pesticide free pickles and jellies produced in Chino Valley, made with local ingredients. This company also works to cut down food waste within the community. Available at Prescott and Red Mountain Farmers Market.
Other favorite tangs:
Mama Rose’s Gourmet Foods – Phoenix, Arizona.
AHSSA Gourmet Sauce – Mesa, Arizona.
BECOME A CSA PICKUP SITE
As people who enjoy food, we can find other ways to support Arizona’s farmers, from the workplace. One of the best ways to do so is by purchasing foods directly from them. Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs allows consumers to get organic or naturally grown fruits and vegetables without the added costs of middlemen.
Often times, if there’s a large enough office or demand, a farmer is happy to make your office a CSA drop-off/pick-up point. If you’re interested in making this a reality for your office space, let us know and we can work to connect you with a farm looking for new distribution partners.
Photo Credit: The Farm at Agritopia, Instagram @agritopiafarm
Crooked Sky Farms, Instagram @crookedskyfarms
Many of these scrumptious local treats can be found at our local grocery partner:
