Adrian and Casey Silversmith recently opened their brand new headquarters on Princess Anne St for Sprelly, their gourmet PB&J business.
However, the business is not new. Sprelly was founded in 2013 when Adrian was inspired after visiting a local frozen yogurt shop. He thought “instead of a variety of froyos, why not have a variety of peanut butters and jellies?!”
Adrian visited the University of Mary Washington Small Business Development Center in July 2013 to discuss his business idea. Shortly thereafter, he entered the Made in Fred VA contest and won Crowd Favorite for his concert of a chain of gourmet PB&J stores. He spent the next several months in research and development and in the spring of 2014, he began selling his products at Farmer’s Markets and local events. He developed a strong local following, which led to opening his first location inside the Made In Virginia store where he made gourmet PB&J sandwiches and crepes.
Through the years, the Silversmiths have modified their business model from Adrian’s original plans to sell sandwiches to focusing on retail, wholesale, and e-commerce sales of their own gourmet nut butters and specialty jellies.
The gourmet nut butter spreads and jellies are sold in colorful jars with a hidden guide of “PB&J Emojis” that help you match butters and jellies for the tastiest combinations. The new store is a delight to the eyes and the taste buds. The space is tastefully decorated to resemble peanut butter and grape jelly and truly brings about the Sprelly brand identity as a gourmet PB&J Factory and snack shop.
The Silversmiths have partnered with many local businesses to develop new products. One partnership resulted in a signature popcorn flavor made for the store by the Popcorn Bag. The shop also sells peanuts flavored with unique seasonings, and even a pancake/waffle mix and other delicious munchies.
The Silversmiths have brought together neighboring businesses on Princess Anne St in a collaborative form that celebrates all the unique food and beverage options Fredericksburg has to offer. Their most recent event was Sprellyfest, to celebrate National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day which involved over a dozen other local businesses making food with Sprelly and beer to pair with the treats!
The Silversmiths continue to work on their plans for a nationwide chain of stores.
The University of Mary Washington Small Business Development Center (UMW SBDC) helps local businesses start and grow their business. If you are a client, please contact your consultant to schedule an appointment. If you are not already a client, you may register for free, confidential business assistance by completing a Request for Consulting Form.