Alumni Hotelie’s Granola Goes from Dorm Delicacy to Grocery Staple Stories You May Like Alum’s Company Makes a ‘Meaty’ Snack—That’s Meat-Free Hotelie Aims to Bring Brown Butter to a Dairy Case Near You Following His Foodie Dreams, Engineering Alum Sells Asian-Inspired Snacks Infused with novel flavors—including rosemary, matcha, chai, and even black truffle—the brand is a hit at Whole Foods and beyond By Melissa Newcomb When Hotelie Jamie Kim ’19 baked homemade granola in her dorm kitchen as an undergrad, the sweet scents of honey and vanilla would waft through the halls—drawing fellow students out of their rooms seeking a taste. “They just kept asking for more of it and encouraging me to start a business,” recalls Kim, who had been making her own granola since high school. “I went for it—and I still am, seven years later.” Kim is the founder and CEO of Jamie’s Farm, a specialty food company based in NYC that makes unique types of granola. Repping her products at a food industry trade show. Her original flavor—vanilla bean with sour cherries, which so tempted her dormmates—remains her best seller. The company’s wares are sold online (on its own website and on Amazon) as well as in some major grocery store chains including Central Market, FreshDirect, and Whole Foods. Kim launched the business—then called Bumble and Butter—as a sophomore, collaborating with classmate Katie Lee ’19. The company's most popular flavor, ready for savoring. They raised seed funding via a 2016 Kickstarter campaign and initially made the granola in 75-pound batches in a commercial kitchen in Stocking Hall. The pair participated in Cornell’s eLab startup accelerator, which gave them business experience, academic credit, and faculty mentorship. Kim took over operations solo their junior year, and eventually rebranded as Jamie’s Farm. The company’s wares are sold online (on its own website and on Amazon) as well as in some major grocery store chains. “Jamie has all the right ingredients,” says one of her Big Red mentors, marketing professor Helen Chun. “She’s very self-motivated and bright.” Jamie’s Farm makes several year-round flavors including rosemary with currants, chai streusel with honey, and maple pecan with sea salt. Stories You May Like Alum’s Company Makes a ‘Meaty’ Snack—That’s Meat-Free Hotelie Aims to Bring Brown Butter to a Dairy Case Near You Offering samples (under the brand's original name) at a pop-up on the Hill. But it also sells limited-edition granolas like black truffle with honey, Kyoto matcha with strawberries, rose cardamom with tart cherries, lemon verbena with blueberries, and dark chocolate with hazelnut butter. As Kim explains, Jamie’s Farm products are made in small batches using ghee, a type of clarified butter that’s a staple of Indian cuisine. The ghee is mixed with honey and an assortment of oats, nuts, and seeds to make the granola base, to which other ingredients and flavors are added. Jamie’s Farm also sells limited-edition granolas—like black truffle with honey and Kyoto matcha with strawberries. “Some granolas on the market are really hard,” Kim notes. “Ours is light and crunchy; it breaks apart in your mouth.” The company’s name is meant to evoke the small-scale producers from whom Kim sources her ingredients, including dairy farmers from New York State and Pennsylvania. (The granola is manufactured in New Jersey.) Among its unconventional sourcing: the chai is upcycled from a Brooklyn tea company, which provides Jamie’s Farm with its leftover spice concentrates. Whole Foods stores have been carrying Kim's products for years—starting even before she graduated. In May 2024, the vanilla and cherry flavor won first place in the granola and cereals category at a competition run by the Specialty Food Association. Kim herself was honored by Forbes in 2021 as one of its “Next 1,000”: young entrepreneurs who are “putting compassion at the heart of their mission.” On the Jamie’s Farm website, the company suggests some novel ways to use its products—with such recipes as granola oat butter; butternut squash toast with ricotta, mint, and savory granola; and a version of mac and cheese with truffle granola replacing breadcrumbs. But while Kim encourages consumers to think out of the box (or the bag) as they enjoy her creations, she admits that it’s hard to beat a classic. “Every single morning,” she says, “I have yogurt, fruit, and granola.” (All photos provided.) Published August 29, 2024 Comments Debra Mojica 4 Sep, 2024 I LOVE Jamie’s Farm Granola!! I first discovered it in the Taste of NY store on Front Street in Binghamton, NY, and now purchase the granola on a regular basis. This Spring, I sent 3 bags of different flavored Jamie’s Farm Granola to my daughter and her husband as a “taste from home” care package when they moved to Chicago, and they love it as well. Jamie, don’t ever stop making this!! Reply Kate, Class of 2016 14 Sep, 2024 Jamies farm granola slaps. Period!!!! Reply Ricky Li, Class of 1992 17 Sep, 2024 I love this granola! Reply Leave a Comment Cancel replyOnce your comment is approved, your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *Comment * Name * Class Year Email * Save my name, email, and class year in this browser for the next time I comment. Δ Other stories You may like Cornelliana Big Red in the Big Apple: Legendary Sy Katz ’31 Parade is Back Campus & Beyond Hip Hop Collection Charts Early Days of a Cultural Phenomenon Campus & Beyond New Hotel at Cornell Tech Boasts Breathtaking Views and Big Red Touches