Irish Roots, Regional Reach: Green Island Bakery Joins Giant Shelves

Green Island Bakery's shortbread cookies are now available in Giant Eagle supermarkets across the Mid-Atlantic, expanding a retail footprint that already includes Whole Foods Market, MOM’s Organic Market, and more than 200 specialty and natural grocery stores.

The Irish Bakery was founded in 2020 by Caroline Johnston, who was born and raised in Northern Ireland. After moving to the United States in 2010, Caroline Johnston struggled to find the baked goods she loved growing up—particularly the rich, buttery shortbread that had been a fixture in her home kitchen. She began baking her own as a way to reconnect with those flavors and memories 

Baking has been a constant in Johnston’s life. Her mother ran a bakery in Northern Ireland that doubled as a welcoming space for women recovering from trauma. Johnston grew up immersed in that environment, baking alongside her mother and grandmother. In an interview with Irish Echo, she recalled how women in the community would come to the bakery not just for food, but for healing. “It was a therapeutic space,” Johnston said. “They'd have tea, bake, and talk about their experiences. It was a way of restoring dignity.”

Johnston launched Green Island Bakery shortly after joining the Union Kitchen Accelerator in Washington, D.C., where she began baking professionally in their shared commercial facility. The company’s original products included traditional Irish shortbread and Millionaire Bars, a layered treat with biscuit, caramel, and chocolate. She launched in Union Kitchen's owned grocery stores and with their distribution partner District Distribution to saturate the local market. 

As she built traction, she grew her footprint through Union Kitchen's regional partners including Rainforest Distribution and UNFI Next. Her products are now sold in Whole Foods Market, featured in corporate gifting programs, and served in foodservice operations. Each step in Green Island Bakery’s growth has followed a deliberate path—local first, then regional. Caroline used each stage to prove that people wanted the product and that she could scale in a sustainable way.

Beyond its commercial growth, Johnston has remained committed to the community values she grew up with. Green Island Bakery has supported programs for women survivors of domestic violence and has worked with organizations like N Street Village in D.C., which provides services to women experiencing homelessness. “It’s about bringing that same sense of home and welcome I experienced back in Northern Ireland,” Johnston explained.

Green Island Bakery’s expansion into Giant Eagle signals growing demand for baked goods that are both rooted in tradition and built with intention. For Johnston, it’s not just about scaling a product—it’s about sharing a piece of home, while continuing to build a business that reflects the values she learned in her mother’s kitchen.