The History of Annie’s Mac and Cheese

In 1984, Annie Withey founded Smartfood popcorn with her then-husband Andrew Martin. After selling the brand to Frito-Lay, Withey began to wonder whether the white cheddar cheese powder she’d created for the popcorn could be used on pasta. Her experimentation was successful and — more importantly — she and her then-husband loved the taste, so they co-founded Annie’s Homegrown in 1989. They began selling Annie’s boxed mac and cheese at co-ops and grocery stores in the New England area and highlighted that the products were free of preservatives and artificial colors. A cartoon version of Withey’s pet rabbit, Bernie, was incorporated into the packaging. In 1999, a natural foods entrepreneur named John Foraker bought out the then-couple’s shares in Annie’s Homegrown, but Withey remained peripherally involved under the title of Inspirational President. Although Annie’s various mac and cheese products are organic and free of GMOs, trans fats, and added sugar, some critics have noted that this could be misleading, as they do contain roughly the same amount of calories, sodium, and fat as competitor Kraft Macaroni & Cheese. In 2014, General Mills bought the brand and incorporated it into their organic/natural foods branch. Today, Annie’s is beloved by many families and the brand’s mac and cheese line offers a variety of flavors paired with either rabbit-shaped pasta or shells.