Photos by Adam DeTour

There is no denying that granola is one of America’s most popular snack food items. It’s quick, tasty and filling. From favorite name brands to homemade and secret recipes, everyone loves a good crunchy granola. What do you look for when choosing from dozens of granola brands? Is it the flavor? The branding? Or the unique narrative behind the granola? Humble Bones provides all three—and more.

Co-founders Hayon Thapaliya and Zane Pokorny always had a passion for creating and sharing good food, so when a woman from Maine was looking to sell her 16-year-old granola recipe, they knew this would be the chance to pursue their dreams of owning a business. In 2019, they purchased the company and launched Humble Bones. Thapaliya’s husband, Riwaj Thapaliya, later joined to help with managing the finances.

Inside Dorchester’s Commonwealth Kitchen, you’ll find the Humble Bones staff making granola by hand. Humble Bones has no added oils or fats—thanks to that secret recipe. The original Cinnamon & Vanilla flavor is packed with pecans and slivered almonds, all infused with a powerful, sweet vanilla cinnamon. They have also experimented and created two unique flavors: Chocococo and Peanutter Butter.

When first developing the new flavors, the trio hoped to create something different based on their two favorite things: chocolate and peanut butter. These are two very common ingredients in granola, but Humble Bones discovered how to create a twist. The Chocococo is made with semisweet mini chocolate chips, coconut and coffee. When mixed with milk, it tastes like a latte—with a crunch, of course! The Peanutter Butter is a peanut lover’s haven. It’s made with peanuts galore, mixed in with sweet dried apples. It’s equivalent to a chunky peanut butter and jelly sandwich with every bite.

“The granola market is so saturated and everyone makes granola,” says Thapaliya. She and Pokorny recognized that in addition to flavor, branding would be the element to help their granola stand out. If there’s one thing that catches your eye about Humble Bones granola, it’s definitely the design. Each flavor has its own colorful animal illustration holding its signature ingredients.

On top of making great granola, the trio is actively involved in engaging the youth. Humble Bones hires youth from Chelsea and Boston for production and selling granola at local farmers markets.

“The things that have lasting value are the impact we have. This business is more than food,” says Hayon Thapaliya. “How can I live a sustainable life that helps other people?” As the company continues to grow, they hope they can provide more permanent jobs for the community, especially the youth. They aim to become a lasting part of what makes their community so special.

While Pokorny has recently decided to explore other pursuits, the Thapaliya duo hopes to grow in a way that is more sustainable, more accessible and locally sourced as much as possible to support other small businesses. And like its name, the couple hope to grow their humble bones here in Boston through their small business.

You can enjoy Humble Bones with fruit, mix it with yogurt or eat it straight out the bag. Regardless of how you like to enjoy granola, here’s your chance to support a community-based small business. You can shop online or find Humble Bones at When Pigs Fly, Foodies or your local farmers market.

yourhumblebones.com

This story appeared in the Fall 2021 issue.