LÄRABAR celebrates 20 years of real ingredients making a real impact

It was a simple hike in the Rocky Mountains that inspired Lara Merriken to dream up the idea behind LÄRABAR: combine simple, 100% real ingredients to create a food product that's tasty, wholesome, and convenient. 

Merriken believed natural foods should be fun and enjoyable, as well as good for you. Using her Cuisinart and a rolling pin, Lara perfected the recipe and LÄRABAR was born. She saw immediate interest from consumers and even hand-sealed the first 500 products for retail, which were available in four flavors: Cherry Pie, Apple Pie, Cashew Cookie and Chocolate Coconut Chew.    

Now, 20 years later, LÄRABAR is celebrating this milestone anniversary with various initiatives including custom packaging and launching a grant program reflecting the brand’s commitment to sustainability by supporting regenerative almond farming.

"It has been an incredible journey over the last two decades, and I take great pride in the impact LÄRABAR has made with its simple, real ingredients,” says Merriken. “Looking ahead at the next 20 years, I am thrilled about the investments we’re making to grow the brand and build a more sustainable future.” 

To kick off the celebrations, over the past weekend, Merriken sampled the product at the original Denver Whole Foods location where the brand first got its start.