Friday, May 23, 2008
The Fall of the Crown Pilot Cracker
Crown Pilot Crackers are no longer made by Nabisco.
In response to the PPH article about the demise of the Crown Pilot Cracker, Down East Senior Editor Jeff Clark:
"It was just over ten years ago that we Mainers thought we'd saved the Nabisco Crown Pilot Cracker, the unsalted, hard-baked, absolutely vital accompaniment to chowders that has been a Maine and New England tradition for more than two centuries. Now Nabisco, which was bought by Kraft eight years ago, has quietly closed down Crown Pilot production amid claims that sales have dropped dramatically since the 1990s.
We perhaps should have seen the writing on the wall. When was the last time you saw an ad for Crown Pilot crackers in the newspaper or on television? When was the last time a Crown Pilot coupon appeared in the Sunday paper? The trademark cracker, with a history that dates back to a Massachusetts bakery in 1792, drifted into marketing obscurity and stayed there.
This is not a new thing. Back in 1996 Nabisco dropped the cracker and then revived it in 1997 in the face of a concerted campaign from consumers that culminated in humorist Tim Sample appealing for its return on his "CBS Sunday Morning" report. The organizer of that effort, Donna Damon, of Chebeague Island, is trying to repeat the miracle (check out the previous revival effort at her website), but perhaps a better solution is offered by food writer and historian Sandy Oliver of Islesboro: Nabisco could give the rights to the cracker to a local bakery for continued production. A Maine-made pilot cracker would return the crunch to its New England roots and free it from the need to meet the profit and sales requirements of a multinational corporation. Local food, indeed."
Posted on Friday, May 23, 2008 in Permalink
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Reader Comments:
Here's to Sandy Oliver's idea. Come on, Nabisco, give up the goods so the cracker we love doesn't give up the ghost!
I also agree.. Just this morning I was looking at the ingredients to see if I could manage to copy the cracker in my kitchen.
My husband exists on these crackers... a strange family recipe of a "meal" of crackers, cheese, milk.. Cheerios watch out! In our wedding vows should have mentioned that these GREAT crackers, cheese & peanut butter MUST always be available.
We should be calling 1-800-NABISCO and announcing our intention to boycott Nabisco and Kraft products until the Pilot Cracker is returned.
I`m from Brazil, and have been reading about closed down Crown Pilot production. I never eat Crown Pilot but would like so much because a lot of people have a history if this ckacker, then I had idea.
The Nabisco and Kraft allege that sales have dropped dramatically since the 1990s, so why they don`t produce a "Crown Pilot special edition", just 100.000 units then they will see if the sales will happened or not.
The last time I bought crown pilot I bought two boxes and now I wish I had bought more. All Kraft cares abought is their bottom line.
I did try Carr's water crackers and was surprised that they worked well with my chowder and also my peanut butter. Problem, they are a little thin. Don't see why some of our good cooks could not come up with the recipe.