Taste Test: Hermosa Beach Family Makes Granola “By Hand”

By Hand Granola is a labor of love produced by the Hermosa Beach based McCarthy Family.

The formula for their crunchy snack is a family recipe developed by Suzy, the matriarch. The business end is taken care of by offspring Whit and Kelly who have handled marketing and artwork.

Whit describes their granola as “a premium, small batch, specialty granola.  We use 100% all natural ingredients, 90% of which are from California.  We currently offer an Original and a Gluten-Free recipe.”

Thanks to a sample from the McCarthy’s I was able to get my hands on some of their By Hand granola. It was certainly a treat!

Opening the bag for the first time, I instantly noticed the bright scent of cinnamon and the mellow aroma of maple syrup. The flavor was on point with those scents; eating this granola was like eating a deconstructed oatmeal cookie.

Along with the fresh, oat flavor, my favorite part was the variety of nuts in the mix: coconut, macadamia, and sliced almonds. Each one added a special crunch and flavor to the mix, especially the macadamia which seemed to be the most prominent.

Rounding out the flavor profile was the sweetness of dried cranberries. The sweetness they added was level, not overly sweet or pucker-inducingly tart.

Knowing that their recipe is a winner, the McCarthys have grown their business tremendously since starting in late 2010. Starting with a sale to Manhattan Beach grocery store Grow, they have since increased production to at least a dozen local groceries and are expanding rapidly.

Their homepage also invites folks to find them at the El Segundo Famer’s Market on Thursdays. Along with store sales, By Hand granola is also available online.

In November, buying By Hand Granola from their website is a great way to help the company give back to the community. During this month of thanksgiving, a percentage of all sales from their website will be donated to the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

I’m happy to give a round of applause – a hand, perhaps? – to a South Bay business that is making a name for themselves, one batch of granola at a time.

• By Hand Granola
  http://www.byhandgranola.com
  Twitter: @ByHandGranola