Moonlight Cracker Company revives a beloved American classic: big, buttery, hand-rolled oyster crackers made with five simple ingredients
NEW PROVIDENCE, PA — May 2026
When the Original Trenton Cracker Company went out of business, a generation of oyster stew lovers found themselves staring at store shelves full of thin, forgettable substitutes that dissolved before the second spoonful. For the McHugh family the answer wasn't to settle — it was to start baking.
Moonlight Cracker Company, a family-owned small-batch cracker company based in New Providence, Pennsylvania, is quietly winning over chowder lovers, home cooks, and restaurants across the country with a product the founders describe simply: an oyster cracker the way it used to be made.
"After the Original Trenton Cracker went out of business, we searched for a suitable replacement and came up empty. The only oyster crackers we found were small, paper-thin, and dissolved instantly in liquid."
— McHugh Kalupson, Co-Founder, Moonlight Cracker Company
The result is a cracker built for serious soup — large enough to crack between your palms and drop directly into a bowl of chowder, hearty enough to stay crunchy, and made with just five ingredients: flour, real butter, salt, baking powder, and water. No preservatives. No shortcuts. Every batch is hand-rolled and baked in small quantities in Lancaster County, PA.
The company's name is a nod to its origins: the McHugh family launched Moonlight Cracker as a passion project — a moonlighting endeavor — outside of their regular jobs. What began as a family recipe enjoyed every Christmas Eve around a pot of oyster stew has grown into an operation with a devoted and fast-growing customer base.
The product lineup includes the Original Oyster Cracker (9 oz bags of 24 hand-rolled crackers), crackers by the bulk (for serious fans), and the Full Moon Special — a monthly limited-edition release available during the full moon. Wholesale bulk orders are available directly and through Faire for restaurants, seafood shacks, and specialty food retailers.
"At Moonlight Cracker Company, we are dedicated to crafting the finest oyster crackers that are hearty enough to stay crunchy in soups, stews and chowders. Our crackers are big and made to be cracked directly into your soup bowl."
— Moonlight Cracker Company
The company received national attention in February 2025 when The Boston Globe featured Moonlight Cracker in a piece on the revival of authentic oyster crackers, citing the product's signature craggy exterior, real butter flavor, and satisfying crunch as qualities that set it apart from commercial alternatives.
Moonlight Cracker products are available at moonlightcracker.com, with wholesale inquiries handled through the company's Faire storefront and direct sales channel. The company is currently expanding its retail and restaurant wholesale presence and welcomes inquiries from specialty food retailers, seafood restaurants, and gift retailers.
About Moonlight Cracker Company
Moonlight Cracker Company is a family-owned small-batch cracker company based in New Providence, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Founded by the McHugh family, the company produces hand-rolled oyster crackers made with five simple ingredients and no preservatives. Moonlight Cracker ships nationwide and offers wholesale pricing for restaurants and retailers through moonlightcracker.com and Faire. The company's Full Moon Special is a monthly limited-edition release available exclusively through the company's website.
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For media inquiries, samples, or wholesale information:
[email protected] · (717) 468-2655
moonlightcracker.com · New Providence, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
@moonlightcracker.co