Ivy’s Gourmet Offers Completely Unique Granola You'll Want To Eat All Day

Move over, all you factory-produced, sugar blasted, oat-heavy granolas - there’s a new-chew in town. It’s just about that time of year when your pantry could use a purge so make some room for Sarah Tamm’s small-batch delights; time to stock up on IVY’S GOURMET granola.  With a predominance of fruits, seeds and nuts as the base for all her granola blends, Tamm uses dynamic spice combinations to brighten the palette and creates interesting flavor profiles - both sweet and savory. Sure, you can purchase Chocolate Almond or Cinnamon Raisin if the “norm” is what rolls your oats. But why not be daring and try something out of the ordinary? Curry Cashew, by chance? Strawberry Rosewater? Sarah Tamm has created bold and satisfying artisanal granola, sold in several sizes from snack to bulk.

Tamm, a Canadian from the seaside town of Halifax, Nova Scotia grew up with parents who owned grocery stores and were involved in the restaurant business. Great food surrounded her, always, and the freshest of ingredients were always a priority in her childhood home. After graduating from Queens College in Toronto and then the FIT in Manhattan, Tamm turned her passion from fashion to food once she married and had children. She moved her focus away from  what was dressing the outside of the body and turned her energy toward what was going inside. She moved to Westport where she and her husband settled down and they are the parents of 2 teenage daughters. IVY’S began as Sarah started experimenting with her granola recipe while cooking with her older daughter, then aged 2 (whose middle name is, you guessed it, Ivy) and the two have tweaked their recipes over the years on the quest for perfection.  With her husband helping out on the business end and both daughters testing, tasting and trying new ingredient combinations, the Tamm-fam has created an epicurean delight with Sarah at the helm.

What’s so great about Ivy’s Granola? According the Sarah, IVY’S is healthy at its core because of her use of walnut oil as the base in all her recipes. Walnut oil potentially lowers heart disease due to its high concentration of Omega-3 fatty acids. While she doesn’t claim to use only organics yet, she is considering locally sourced honey as her business grows. Most importantly, says Tamm, “It’s just darn tasty.”  With so many interesting flavors to choose from, IVY’S GRANOLA is super versatile. It is not a particularly crunchy granola, more the chewy variety, and the flavors are mild, not overpowering in any way. Conveniently one can purchase snack-sized bags for any/every lunch box, as long as nuts are not an issue. Buy larger sizes for your pantry shelf and you can add IVY’S to many of your staples, changing them from routine to extraordinary. 

Both CHOCOLATE ALMOND and CINNAMON RAISIN are delicious in your favorite oatmeal cookie recipe. If avocado toast is on your menu, try a sprinkle of CHILI LIME or even CURRY CASHEW on top. (Don’t worry, the curry component is mild and won’t overwhelm your dish.) If sliced or baked apples are your jam, sprinkle a few scoops of the APPLE GINGER or CRANBERRY NUT on top. (Hint: if you use a drizzle of honey, the granola will hug tight to each bite.)  And as far as yogurt and ice cream are concerned, a wee smattering of STRAWBERRY ROSEWATER, TROPICAL BLEND or BANANA WALNUT - or, in fact, just about any of the 13 flavors - adds great texture and some pizzazz to “just vanilla.”

Recently featured in Westport Magazine, Tamm hopes that local exposure will make IVY’S GOURMET a household name. She wants to show her daughters that they can achieve their goals and dreams by pursuing them with passion, hard work and dedication and she also wants to teach them about philanthropy. Some of IVY’S charitable partners to date are Pink Aid and Kat’s Ribbon of Hope  (both breast cancer charities and Tamm sits on the board of the latter.) She is also about to partner with the Connecticut Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Foundation- an organization dear to heart after losing her mother to the terrible disease.

Tamm has social media presence, both on Facebook at Ivy’s Gourmet and also on Instagram at ivysgourmetgranola. Her website, ivysgourmet.com, is easy to use and the granola can be purchased through the site in 2.5, 10 or 24 ounce bags. IVY’S GOURMET can also be found, so far,  in a few Westport stores and Tamm is hoping to expand her retail presence as soon possible. For now, go get some at Double L Market and Organic Market in Westport, both locations of Garelick and Herbs, Rye RIdge Deli, The Pantry in Fairfield, Span in Southport,  and also at the Kaia Yoga studios throughout Fairfield County.

CTbites readers can use CTBITES15 as their coupon code at checkout to receive 15% off their order.  Promo runs for two weeks, through April 17th.