Sharing a sad little story with a temporary happy ending:
I am a cracker lover. I inherited that trait from my dad, who loved nothing more than an afternoon snack of crackers and cheese.
But I’m picky about my crackers. I used to love Triscuits, then I fell out of love with them. Eventually, I discovered Stoned Wheat Thins and they became my cracker of choice. (I also love Wheat Thins and they currently function as an afternoon treat.)
But Stoned Wheat Thins? I loved them for years and years.
My neighborhood store also carried their own version of these crackers so I sometimes bought those. There were slight differences, but they were, in essence, the same cracker.
A few months back, Don started noticing that they were often not in stock. We’d wait it out and some would appear again. Or he’d go to another store to find a box. But, more and more, they weren’t there. And that includes the Hannaford version (local grocery store.) We didn’t know what the heck was going on.
Finally, at some point in late December or early January, when Don was at a grocery store, he asked a guy who was stocking crackers what was happening. The dreaded words: “I don’t think we’re carrying them anymore.” What??? Further conversation led to “I don’t think they’re making them.” Don had to break the news to me when he got home.
I couldn’t believe it. These are wildly popular crackers. I immediately started googling the crackers to find out what the heck was going on. I happened on several posts by people who were mourning the loss of SWT and had been grappling with shortages since last October. Several commented that they were the only crackers they liked and had been buying them for years. They are made by Red Oval Farms in Canada, a division of Mondelez – a corporate giant – which is part of Nabisco. I wrote to Mondelez and asked them why they would make that decision, and to please bring them back.
You won’t be surprised by this – no answer.
Today I found a little article on the cracker outrage from Slate.
Don kept suggesting we would find a substitute, but I knew there was nothing comparable. For years, my morning pre-breakfast routine has included a cup or two of coffee and 3 or 4 Stoned Wheat Thins.
As my last sleeve of crackers was already down to 6 or 7 crackers when I heard they were being discontinued, I ate one per day to slow down the inevitable. In the meantime, Don kept checking out the local grocery stores in case boxes appeared on the shelves.
My last cracker, which I held on to for days until I finally ate it.
A few weeks went by. I started working on Darko’s workshop. One day, Don picked me up from the bus station and showed me what he found at the grocery store.
Hannaford’s version of Stoned Wheat Thins. Two boxes. Oh my heavens! He said they had just put them on the shelf. Was it leftover stock? I checked the date on the box and was assured they were fresh. We looked at each other with the realization that he should buy more – if there were any left on the shelf.
I came home from another rehearsal, tired as all get out. After we had dinner, he told me to look in the kitchen cupboards. Why? Just look in them, he said.
Oh my heavens to the sixth degree!
So now I have a reprieve. But I suspect it’s only temporary. Hopefully, after their boneheaded move, Mondelez will get it together and start making them again.
In the meantime, I’m eating them very slowly, fully aware that this might be their last hurrah.
Stay safe.
Happy Monday.
