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ORAL HISTORY
Meredith McMillan
Merry Cheese Crisps
Meredith McMillan was born in 1972 and raised in Alexander City, Alabama. From an early age, McMillan watched her mother and grandmother cook. Her paternal grandmother was a prolific baker, often experimenting with recipes. McMillan’s father was an executive at a local textile mill, and her mother often cooked meals for visiting clients. After she graduated from high school and college, McMillan moved to Birmingham, Alabama. McMillan would make cheese crisps to give as holiday gifts for friends and family. The crisps are a round, smaller version of a cheese straw.
While in Birmingham, she worked for a floral designer. Her employer loved her cheese crisps and asked McMillan if she would make some to give as gifts for her business. In 2013, McMillan began selling her cheese crisps by word of mouth at farmers’ markets. She expanded her operation, renting kitchen space in order to sell her baked goods in local stores. By 2015, she opened her own facility. She hired a baker and packers to help her process orders. McMillan sold her cheese crisps in stores regionally and online.