News Releases
MISSISSAUGA, ON (January 22, 2020) – Cheese obsessed Canadians now have another reason to be grate-ful! As of early January 2020, Kellogg Canada is bringing Cheez-It* Baked Snack Crackers – made with real cheese baked into every little square – to Canadians from coast-to-coast. Gone are the cheese-induced trips across the border to stock up, the need for a Green Card application to satisfy your cheese cravings, and the urge to hide your last box from friends and family. After nearly 100 years of satisfying American snackers, the much-anticipated Cheez-It crackers have finally arrived!
Featuring the same real cheese recipe that has made Cheez-It the #1 ranked brand in the cracker category in the USA[i], Canadians can now experience real, big cheese flavour in their own backyard with four delicious flavours across two snacking formats:
- Cheez-It Crackers – these bite-sized, square snack crackers deliver an iconic big cheese flavour. Their distinct shape with ridged edges make it “hip to be square” in Original flavour, and bring on the heat with Hot & Spicy.
- Cheez-It Crunch Crackers – these rippled, chip-like textured snack crackers offer bold flavours with a satisfying crunch. The best of a cracker and salty snack in one, this is how cheddar got its groove back in Sharp White Cheddar and Zesty Cheddar Ranch flavours.
A Need for Cheez
Cheez-It crackers already enjoy a cult-like following in Canada. For years, enlightened Canadian snack connoisseurs have been begging for the snack crackers to cross the border. Why? The delicious 100% real cheese flavour that’s baked inside each flaky, crunchy Cheez-It cracker making them pair perfectly with your favourite TV show, sports-night, casual get together with friends, or enjoyed as an on-the-go snack.
Any way you slice it, Canada is poised to become a Cheez-It nation. A $2.3 billion dollar combined category[ii], salty snacks and crackers are a top snack choice in our country and our love for savoury snacks continues to grow at +3%[iii]. Plus, we’re cheese obsessed! The average Canadian enjoys about 35 pounds of cheese every year[iv]! And now, Cheez-It offers the ultimate combination: a kick-back snack with a big cheese flavour, united with a big crunch that is perfectly pop-able, shareable and portable.
“Yes, Cheez!”
“Based on initial consumer response, we know Canadians have been waiting a long time for this day and we’re thrilled to finally bring Cheez-It’s uniquely craveable snack experience to the True North,” says Christine Jakovcic, VP Marketing and Nutrition, Kellogg Canada Inc. “For Cheez-It fans, their unwavering devotion is rooted in an obsession with real cheese. And we couldn’t agree more. We believe that real cheese matters and that’s why it’s baked right into every bite for a flaky, crunchy satisfaction that you have to taste to believe. Your snack bowl will never be the same!”
First introduced in 1921, Cheez-It has been perfecting its recipe ever since. Cheez-It Baked Snack Crackers are now available in Canadian grocery stores, convenience stores and gas stations in a variety of formats. Check out www.cheezit.ca for more details and stay tuned for more exciting news from Cheez-It in the months to come.
[i] Nielsen Answers; MFG Kellogg’s Custom KG, Cal Yr 2019 W/E 12/28/19
[ii] Nielsen P/E L52W ending March 30, 2019 (Salty Snacks + TL Snack Crackers)
[iii] Ipsos Chats, Fall 2018
[iv] 2018 Statistics Canada; Compiled by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Animal Industry Division, Market Information Section