Top Seedz
What started at a farmers market with a goal of selling just one box has grown into one of Buffalo's most inspiring entrepreneurial success stories — and one of the most delicious snacks you'll find on your FreshFix delivery.
Top Seedz is a Buffalo-based maker of gourmet seed crackers and roasted seeds, founded in 2017 by Rebecca Brady — a transplanted New Zealander, busy mum of three, avid traveler, and tennis enthusiast who turned a lifetime of healthy cooking into a brand the whole country is now taking notice of.
Brady's journey to Buffalo was anything but a straight line. A native of New Zealand, she left home after university and spent years living in Japan and Singapore, where she worked in marketing for HP and developed a deep appreciation for diverse cuisines and the connection between food and performance. When she eventually relocated to Buffalo, she faced a ten-year gap in her marketing career that proved harder to overcome than expected — and rather than be discouraged, she did what true entrepreneurs do: she leaned into what she knew and loved.
That happened to be crackers. For years, Brady had been making seed crackers at home for her family, bringing them to tennis matches and sharing them with friends who couldn't get enough. "I love great food, I love nutrition and I've been making these crackers for everyone — everyone loves them," Brady said. "I was playing tennis and someone asked if I'd brought 'the crackers' and I hadn't. They were so upset and joked saying, 'we don't really care if you're here, but where are the crackers?' So I said to myself, 'maybe I could try that.'" And just like that, Top Seedz was born.
Brady invested $5,000 from her family's savings and started working out of a cramped, aging commissary kitchen making 10 to 20 boxes of crackers per hour. She began selling at local markets, then secured shelf space at specialty stores, and eventually landed in Wegmans and Whole Foods — where Top Seedz sold out on its very first day. In 2021, she entered the 43North startup pitch competition — despite a self-proclaimed fear of public speaking — and Top Seedz took home the grand prize of $1 million.
The crackers themselves are as clean and purposeful as the story behind them. Made from a mix of pumpkin, flax, sunflower, chia, and hemp seeds bound together with arrowroot, olive oil, and hot water, every Top Seedz product is organic, gluten-free, vegan, and kosher — snacks that taste indulgent while being genuinely good for you.
But perhaps the most meaningful ingredient in every box is community. As Top Seedz grew, Brady wanted a way to give back to the Buffalo community that embraced her. Through a partnership with Journey's End Refugee Services, Top Seedz has filled dozens of jobs with refugees from around the world, training them on baking and packaging equipment — some while simultaneously learning English. "This isn't really about me anymore," Brady has said. "This is the whole team and we're doing this together."
Today, Top Seedz is sold in more than 4,000 stores across the country — and you can find them right here on FreshFix, straight from Buffalo to your door

