Krema Nut Company

The Krema Nut Company is a small, family-owned business. Established in 1898, it is one of the oldest peanut butter makers still manufacturing in the United States today. In 1922, founder Benton Black moved his business from Second and High in Columbus to Goodale Boulevard in Grandview Heights, where it has remained ever since. The business developed from Dr. John Kellogg's patented process of preparing nut meats into a paste called peanut butter. Originally known as the American Refining Company, Krema Nut Company changed its name because of a conflict with a Rockefeller oil company of the same name. Black began the Krema business making a mustard sauce from mustard seeds and a peanut spread from raw peanut paste, which was popular because of its high protein value. The Krema peanut butter process (using no sugar, salt, or preservatives) today is almost the same process used in 1922, and nuts are still hand roasted in small batches. The Krema Nut Company is known for its high-quality nut products including pistachio and almond nut butters. Check out the 2017 podcast https://gastropod.com/peanuts-peril-and-promise/ and learn how Krema Nut Company did in a nationwide taste test.  

Krema Nut Company founder Benton Black with (inset) early peanut butter product previously sold in mason jars. Black used the slogan “I refuse to sell outside of Ohio.” This was practical at the time since peanut butter packed in barrels spoiled quickly and an interstate road system had not yet been built.