Central woman's Swamp Seeds sprouting success

Published Nov 2, 2012 at 10:00 am (Updated Nov 2, 2012)

A uniquely Cajun snack concept that was perfected in a Central resident's kitchen has spread to more than 4,000 stores across Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas in less than a year. "After many long hours experimenting in my kitchen sink I finally found the perfect blend of ingredients, and the result was a sunflower seed that tastes like crawfish," explains Cathy Bryant, who developed Swamp Seeds with her friend Marshall Beall. Bryant's son created the packaging for the seeds, after which Bryant began driving around to stores to pitch the snack product about eight months ago. The first stores to carry the seeds are in the Capital Region. The number of stores carrying Swamp Seeds quickly grew from a few dozen to a few hundred, and now it's at about 4,000 and counting. Bryant's currently working on other flavors and products, and says that she will stick with the Cajun theme because it has proven to be a successful formula. "I'm definitely not a gourmet chef, nor do I aspire to become one; but I love Cajun cuisine and I know what tastes good," she says, adding that she's targeting Florida, Alabama and Tennessee for future expansion. Check out the Swamp Seeds website here.