Buckwheat-based bread brand finds footing

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Buckwheat-based bread brand finds footing

12 Jun 2026

Annie Hollon

Annie Hollon is a journalist, copywriter and social media strategist from the Dallas, Texas area. She found a love for magazine writing during her time at the University of Alabama where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts, double majoring in public relations and English. Beyond writing, you can find her expanding her library, attempting to teach herself the guitar and trying new hobbies.

KANSAS CITY, MO — Over the years, the gluten-free faction of the baking industry has flourished. What was once a small field is now vast, with today’s consumers able to easily find celiac-friendly alternatives for many of their favorite baked goods. Beyond the store shelf, it’s also showing an upward trajectory in the US market, with Grand View Research projecting the gluten-free products market will reach $18.62 billion by 2033.

Part of what’s taking this sector further is smart innovation from new industry players dedicating their operations to the cause.

For an up-and-coming baking company, Vista, CA-based PACHA is laying quite a foundation for itself, delivering sourdough baked goods made with buckwheat and minimal ingredients. Some SKUs have as few as two ingredients, and all the brand’s products contain the attributes that are top of mind for today’s consumer, such as organic, grain-free and vegan.

With a simple product formula and lineup, the baking company is making grain-free waves, running $5 million in revenue in 2025 and anticipated to reach nearly $6 million at the close of this year. The six-year-old company’s reach also spans nationwide, with e-commerce distribution as well as a presence in more than 2,400 retailers, including Sprouts Farmers Market, Whole Foods Market and Albertsons. Earlier this year, the brand’s Sourdough Buckwheat Tortillas hit Target shelves on the West Coast.

Buckwheat’s benefits

To Maddie Hamann, co-founder of PACHA, the brand’s goals lie in offering a new bread experience for the gluten-free consumer. The products stand apart on the store shelf, namely through the use of whole sprouted buckwheat.

Working with this grain-free ingredient offers benefits such as protein and fiber in addition to a natural gluten-free status, but also requires a very particular process for PACHA’s needs.

“There are no other bakeries in the country that can replicate our process, because it requires the buckwheat to be sprouted, blended, fermented and baked,” Hamann said. “It takes time for that fermentation process to happen, and a lot of facilities need production to be done in a single day, whereas our production is done over the course of two days.”

Leaning on this foundational ingredient requires a strong supply chain. To support its own, PACHA has built contracts with regenerative farmers to source buckwheat directly.

“We have a direct relationship with our farmers, and it’s wonderful because there are a lot of opportunities for farmers who want to grow buckwheat,” she said. “Rather than swapping it out for a cash crop, they can usually grow it in between, which enables them to pull more revenue off their fields and helps keep the soil in place.”

Filling a niche in gluten-free

Beginning with the bread, English muffins and, most recently, extending to tortillas in 2025, each new product addition has helped fulfill a need for gluten-free baked goods that also have a more streamlined label. This is something Hamann has noticed is gaining traction across baking, and PACHA is keeping pace.

With a greater footprint in more retailers, the brand is eyeing further growth, delivering options for gluten-free consumers beyond the bread aisle.

“We are considering a pizza crust and beyond that, potentially a frozen pizza,” she shared. “If we are going into frozen prepared foods more, we would also look at the breakfast aisle because we feel like our brand is already well represented as a breakfast staple.”

This prospective avenue is one that can also help consumers and prospective buyers understand the value PACHA offerings provide. The company is currently working on revamping its packaging to amplify attributes aligned with hot topics, such as digestibility, gut health and fiber.

The transparency in ingredient sourcing and labeling also aligns with the company’s participation in the Purpose Pledge, a collaborative initiative PACHA recently joined to uphold standards in governance, operations and supply chain.

With intentionality behind every element of the business and a growing reach both online and in-store, PACHA’s operation and offerings reflect what consumers want from their baked goods these days.

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