Remember in early 2020, when we all took up sourdough and pickling or dreamed of trading our day jobs for a life handcrafting jams? As lockdowns ended and we returned to our old routines, most of us dropped those pursuits. But not Brittney Baxter, whose pandemic-era food business, Eat Surreal, continues to grow. “I worked in the corporate world for 15 years,” Baxter says. “I’m never going back.”
Eat Surreal began as an effort to build a better pimento spread. Baxter, who is an omnivore, started making a vegan version of the cheese-and-mayo standby for a plant-based pal. As Baxter refined her recipe, she learned that most cheese alternatives are made with almonds, cashews, or macadamias; many others contain wheat products.
Knowing that an increasing number of Americans are cutting nuts and gluten from their diets, her opportunity seemed obvious. A few months into the pandemic, she launched her spread, made with a sunflower seed base, at an outdoor market. She sold out in less than a day.
Four years later, Baxter has a commercial kitchen that churns out a full line of gluten- and nut-free vegan products. There’s that original spread (in mild or spicy versions), as well as the Amazeball, a tofu-based mock-cheeseball rolled in everything bagel seasoning instead of nuts. A carrot-based lox alternative is expected to launch soon, and even more spreads are sold at over 40 retailers.
Despite her success, you’ll still see Baxter at various Indy farmers markets, where she thrives on meeting customers and watching their reactions to her creations.
“For my whole life, I’ve loved feeding people,” Baxter says. “Now I get to make them really delicious food from scratch and can surprise them with flavors. There’s no better feeling than that.”
This article appeared in the July, 2024 issue of Indianapolis Monthly magazine. Subscribe today.
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