Krema Nut
Satisfy your PB&J craving at small nut company
A peanut butter and jelly sandwich seems to taste better when somebody else makes it. You can find one of the best around central Ohio at the Krema Nut Co. in the Columbus suburb of Grandview Heights.
“Welcome to the Nut House,” reads a sign outside Krema Nut, a peanut-butter manufacturer and retail shop at 1000 W. Goodale Blvd. The small company has been producing and selling the creamy (and crunchy) delight since 1898, making it the oldest continuously operating peanut butter producer in the United States.
It’s a fun place for families to visit because they can tour the small factory and later enjoy a great sandwich.
When I recently visited Krema Nut with my brother-in-law, David, and my 2-year-old daughter, Rosie, we sampled a $5 treat they call the Classic Old Timer. They started with two thick slices of fresh bread from the Great Harvest Bread Co. One slice was smothered in Krema’s crunchy peanut butter, made simply of roasted Spanish nuts that have been slowly ground.
Next came a layer of strawberry preserves supplied by Urbana, Ohio-based gourmet producer Robert Rothschild Farm. The fixings were topped with fresh, sliced strawberries. Our sandwich was diagonally sliced and neatly wrapped in wax paper.
Delicious.
“We work hard to make certain that all the ingredients are always the freshest and best they can be,” says Brian Giunta, Krema Nut’s senior vice president.
Even though Krema Nut is located in primarily an industrial corridor of Grandview Heights, walk-in traffic for the sandwiches typically is brisk.
“The lunch hour from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., is quite busy,” Giunta says. “It makes for a quick, reasonably priced, healthy alternative.”
Krema’s peanut butter comes creamy or crunchy. They also sell other nut butters, including almond and cashew. Daring types might want to try the Hot and Spicy Peanut Butter. It doesn’t seem hot at first, but the spices kick in soon after the butter brushes your taste buds.
Giunta told me that he sometimes gets unusual requests, such as the addition of pickles, bacon, mayonnaise, potato chips and pretzels to a P&B sandwich.
“Most people, though, just want a standard PB&J,” he said.
For more information, visit www.krema.com.
