There is only one thing that beats making delicious crackers and that’s seeing our customers enjoy them – we love seeing how passionate you can get about Rakusen’s.
It is clear that once you’ve indulged in a Rakusen’s biscuit, cracker or even a Snacker it is hard not to shout about them!
We hear almost every day from people around the world telling us just how much they love our products. Some even go to great lengths just to try and get hold of a packet Matzos, especially in places where stock is limited.
Here’s the first in a new series of interviews with customers around the world.
Meet Jonathan Richmond of Boston, Massachusetts, USA, who tells us just why Rakusen’s are such a huge part of his life.
Hi Jonathan, could you tell us a little about yourself? Where are you from and what do you do?
I was born a Londoner. I studied at LSE before getting a Fulbright Scholarship to MIT from where I have a doctorate in transport planning. I have consulted around the world in improving transport systems while remaining based in the USA. I currently live in Lowell Massachusetts, about 30 miles north of Boston, where I have also founded a charity to help very accomplished but disadvantaged young people get to college http://takeoff.space
What is your earliest memory of Rakusen’s Matzo?
Rakusen’s was always a central part of Pesach – and my family had Rakusen’s on the table at other times in the year also. I didn’t know at the time just how good Rakusen’s were compared to the competition as they were the only matzos I knew!
What makes you keep buying Rakusen’s?
Mainly because it is the best matzo in the world! Rakusen’s is crisper than any competitor’s product and goes really well with all sorts of toppings, making it the best possible Passover companion! This may be the “bread of affliction,” but Passover is a celebration so why not have a product that is enjoyable?
What is your favourite type of Matzo in the Rakusen’s range?
I like Snackers, they are great to carry around and snack on – this is a very well-conceived, and indeed, fun product that help give matzos a good name! The package design – in the same type of bag used for crisps – is clever and appealing and an enticement to quick ripping open and devouring of the contents!
Tea matzos are also great: good for elegant display of assorted goodies and helping make Passover a celebratory experience! And good for year-round use also.
Do you have any special Matzo recipes or tips on what to eat with Matzo (during Passover or otherwise)?
Rakusen’s go with many things, so I mostly just pop on whatever happens to be in the fridge!
You seem to feel very strongly about our products, Jonathan! Have you converted any of your friends to Rakusen’s?
I think that non-Jews who purchase Rakusen’s know that this is a company with a primarily Jewish base and spreading matzo products to one and all helps the population understand what Passover is all about when it rolls around and why their Jewish friends are bringing matzo sandwiches to work!
What lengths have you gone to source Rakusen’s Matzo in the USA?
We have only one large kosher store in Massachusetts and I phoned before Pesach to see if they had their regular consignment of Rakusen’s available.
“Are you sitting down?” asked the grand lady in charge, and I prepared for her to tell me something dreadful: perhaps her cousin three times removed was suffering worsening sciatica.
But what could be worse than the news that Rakusen’s matzos were not to be found in this part of the USA this year!
However, I was overjoyed to spot real Rakusen’s in Stop & Shop – an ordinary supermarket –apparently repacked and shipped by a company in Sacramento. And things got better. The price was marked down from $5.79 to $4.69, but the till rang up my two packs at full price! So the store had to give me the first item for free and the second one at the corrected price!
I went to the Rakusen’s Facebook page to inform them of my joy at being able to find the Best of British, and they responded by offering to send me samples of their full Passover range: Snackers, Tea Matzos, and Matzo Crackers, all products the likes of which are nowhere to be found here! I was completely surprised they arrived within a couple of days sent Express, and the postman did not initially know what to make of the package either: “It says ‘crackers’ on the box, I don’t know what’s really in there,” he said. I feared he would think I was crackers if I explained!
Many thanks to Rakusen’s for your generosity in sending the care pack, and looking forward to seeing much more Rakusen’s in the USA!
Many thanks to Jonathan for taking the time to talk to us. It really makes our jobs worthwhile knowing that such passionate people champion our crackers!
