Pepperidge Farm Partners With Natural Food Chef, Bethenny Frankel, To Debut Baked Naturals Crackers and Encourage People to Take Back the Snack!

Business Wire, April 1, 2008

NORWALK, Conn. -- Pepperidge Farm is encouraging people everywhere to embrace wholesome snacking with the launch of Pepperidge Farm([R]) Baked Naturals - natural snacks that celebrate everything that is real and good. There are no artificial preservatives, just wholesome, authentic ingredients and delicious taste. Baked Naturals come in six delicious varieties - Toasted Wheat and Zesty Tomato Herb Wheat Crisps, Simply Pretzel and Savory Cheddar Pretzel Thins and Artisan Cheese and Toasted Sesame Snack Sticks - for flavorful, great tasting snacks that consumers can enjoy every day.

"We know that snacking should be enjoyable and that people want snacks that are more wholesome," said Carol Degener, Director of Innovation, Pepperidge Farm. "Baked Naturals are the perfect snack solution because they are made from real ingredients that naturally taste better, such as select whole grains, organic blue corn and gourmet cheeses."

To help spread the news about Baked Naturals crackers, Pepperidge Farm has partnered with celebrity natural food chef Bethenny Frankel, founder of bethennybakes[R] and break-out star from NBC's "The Apprentice: Martha Stewart." As her devoted celebrity following can attest, Bethenny's top priorities are health and taste - two values Pepperidge Farm celebrates on a daily basis. As part of the Baked Naturals launch, Bethenny has created simple and delicious recipes, developed to be perfectly paired with the new line of crackers. Bethenny has also created several tips that encourage consumers to embrace wholesome snacking as a part of a balanced lifestyle.

"Go ahead and ruin your appetite! Smart snacking can help maintain a balanced lifestyle by helping keep cravings under control in between meals," said Bethenny Frankel. "The wholesome great taste and irresistible crunch of Pepperidge Farm Baked Naturals make them perfect for snacking right out of the box. Whether you pair them with a spicy avocado dip or piece of your favorite cheese - Baked Naturals are the perfect, versatile snack!"

To fully understand the truth behind America's love for snacking, Pepperidge Farm commissioned a national survey1 to coincide with the launch of its new Baked Naturals line. The survey findings uncover the truth about how the country is snacking and reveal that people love their snacks. Americans are snacking in the most unexpected places - at work, in the car, even at church!

* Here, there and everywhere. Americans love their snacks so much, they nibble just about anyplace imaginable. Nearly six in ten (57 percent) of those polled eat in the car, while almost half stash snacks in their desk drawer at work. Nearly three in ten people (29 percent) cozy up with their snacks in bed, while 4 percent will nosh in a house of worship!

* What's Your Addiction? Snacks! More than two out of ten (21 percent) respondents said they'd give up caffeine before they'd hand over their snacks. Six percent said they'd be willing to give up meals to keep snacking.

* The Bottom Line. People want their snacks to be fun, yummy and smart. Nearly three in ten (29 percent) said snacking is enjoyable and they make sure their snacks are delicious. Nearly two in ten (17 percent) respondents said they make smart, healthy choices for energy and satisfaction.

Pepperidge Farm Baked Naturals are available at major supermarkets, grocery stores and mass merchandisers nationwide with a suggested retail price of $3.49.

For additional information on Baked Naturals, visit www.bakednaturals.com.

About Pepperidge Farm

Pepperidge Farm, Incorporated, based in Norwalk, Connecticut, is a leading provider of premium quality fresh bakery products, cookies, crackers, and frozen foods. Among the company's most popular products are Chocolate Chunk and Milano([R]) cookies, Goldfish([R]) crackers, and more than 50 varieties of fresh baked breads including Swirl, Pepperidge Farm Farmhouse([TM]), 100% Natural and Whole Grain.

Pepperidge Farm was founded in Connecticut in 1937 by Margaret Rudkin, an entrepreneurial homemaker who began baking fresh, all-natural bread for her allergy-afflicted son. The company is now a nationwide business with 8 manufacturing facilities, almost 5,000 employees, almost 4,000 independent distributorships, and over $1 billion in sales. Pepperidge Farm was acquired by Campbell Soup Company in 1961.

About Bethenny Frankel

Bethenny's number one priority is to create healthy food choices while never compromising great taste. After graduating The Natural Gourmet Cooking Institute in New York, Bethenny's passion for health and healing combined with innovative culinary skills, inspired her to create bethennybakes[R], a company that ranges from a line of wheat, egg and dairy free baked goods to cooking for private clients to her custom meal delivery service creating nutritious meals tailored to one's specific needs whether vegan, macrobiotic, post-pregnancy, weight loss or simply to eat healthfully.

Bethenny was named the "break-out star" on NBC's "The Apprentice: Martha Stewart" in 2005. She was the runner-up in the premiere television program and was praised for her talents both in the conference room and kitchen by Martha herself. Bethenny is also a contributor and TV expert for Heath magazine, and served as the hostess for Chefdance 2007 and Chefdance 2008, a 10-day culinary event during the Sundance Film Festival.