In 1996, Natural Food sections in grocery stores weren’t exactly commonplace. Consumers who wanted to focus their diet on natural and organic foods needed to search out a small independent natural food store or local coop, and natural chains like Whole Foods Market or Wild Oats were still in their infancy. At that time Doon Wintz and his father, Bob Wintz, could be counted as early advocates for the natural consumer. They both recognized that there was a gaping hole in what the industry was offering when it came to clean and natural baked goods.

With their roots in conventional bakery foods, they were convinced that in order for natural baked foods to become a mainstay, the functionality, look and taste of traditional bakery products needed to improve while still maintaining the quality of ingredients that the natural consumer demanded and deserved. As a solution, in July 1996, the Run-A-Ton Group’s flagship brand, Wholly Wholesome was born.   

Over the past two and a half decades the natural food industry as a whole has flourished becoming a $186 billion industry, while Wholly Wholesome has become a staple in key national retailers like Whole Foods, Wegmans, Kroger, and Sprouts as well as regional chains, natural independent retailers and is now sold online.  Today, Wholly Wholesome consists of organic pie shells, organic pie dough, and Bake at Home pies. The brand’s mission is the same as it’s always been despite the changing times, to make delicious baked goods made with simple, natural, and organic ingredients—just as if it were homemade. To celebrate 25 years Wholly Wholesome will be running contests, giveaways, and honoring those associates who have been with the brand from day one! Some of the notable activities include:

• Wholly Wholesome will donate $25,000 to Autism Speaks and Camp BuddEConnect to support people with special needs
• 25 social media product giveaways
• “Wholesome Story” Contest where consumers can visit our website and share their story of how they and their families have used Wholly Wholesome products over the years. Winner to be announced in September.

Co-founder and President Doon Wintz said, “It’s been gratifying to be a part of the evolution of the natural food industry, and we are proud to continue providing our customers with great tasting options that fit their lifestyle and standards.”