Less than a year ago, then-unemployed Cathy Bryant never imagined that she would be the owner of a company producing one of the “hottest” new snacks in Louisiana.
The 55-year-old blue-eyed, curly-haired Southern belle is the owner of Louisiana Swamp House, the producer of Swamp Seeds — a spicy Cajun concoction that spawned from Bryant’s kitchen.
“We drink cajun boil for breakfast in Louisiana, and the state is known for its wonderful Cajun food around the world,” Bryant said. “This is a Louisiana product and Baton Rouge-based company. We wanted it to be all about Cajun and Louisiana.”
After working in the construction business for 30 years, Bryant’s hips were shot, calling for a replacement surgery and a departure from her labor-intensive job. She was physically and financially suffering until her long-time friend and owner of the Swamp Seeds name, Marshall Beall, approached her with an idea for crawfish-flavored sunflower seeds.
Bryant took to her kitchen, experimenting with various seasonings until she was satisfied. She began handing out samples of the cajun-boil-flavored seeds to people, who instantly “fell in love,” she said.
The new entrepreneur’s home-cooked seeds were then sent to a spice company, who continuously tweaked the flavors until they met Bryant’s approval. All the while, Bryant’s son, Heath Bryant, designed art for the seeds’ packaging, which is meant to portray a “party in your mouth.”
After the initial setup, Bryant and Beall began peddling Swamp Seeds from their vehicles until October 2011 when the snack made its first retail appearance in almost 50 convenience stores.
Bryant said in the beginning, she just wanted to help her friend, but the titillating treat soon became an obsession.
“I didn’t start out thinking I would open a distribution company and be Ms. Swamp Seeds,” she said. “It just grew and grew and grew, and here we are.”
Today, Swamp Seeds can be purchased in 3,000 locations including Cracker Barrel, Walgreens and Kroger across Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi and Alabama.
Larry Wallace, director of Tiger Concessions, said plans are in the works to sell the seeds at concession stands in the upcoming baseball season. Bryant said she hopes to supply the seeds to co-op stores around campus.
Currently, Bryant is involved in every aspect of Swamp Seeds’ distribution process including bookkeeping, marketing, shipping and monitoring inventory. She said she hopes to hire help within the next year, but, as of now, wants to use that money to help further the product.
“It’s a 24/7 job right now,” she said. “As a distributor, I’m a one-woman circus. It takes every minute of my time, but it’s rewarding because it’s growing and the people are so behind it.”
Bryant said she also plans to introduce some new flavors in the next year including gumbo-flavored seeds. Ideas for seasoned nuts and jerky are also in the works, but Bryant said she would like to establish a name for the original cajun boil flavor first.
