Utz Quality Foods acquires snack food brand Kitchen Cooked Inc

USA – American snack company, Utz Quality Foods has acquired Illinois-based potato chips maker Kitchen Cooked Inc, for an undisclosed sum.

The transaction includes the Kitchen Cooked snack food brand, direct store delivery (DSD) operations and its manufacturing operations.

The Kitchen Cooked snack food brand will add a range of fan-favorite potato chips, Kettle Kurls, Kettle Pops, popcorn, pretzels among others into Utz’s full line of products including cheese snacks, corn chips, tortillas, onion rings and pork skins.

Commenting on the transaction, Dylan Lissette, Chief Executive Officer, Utz Quality Foods, said; “We are very excited about the opportunity to add this important snack food brand and set of capabilities to our portfolio.

“Since the 1930’s, Kitchen Cooked brings a strong consumer following and unique craft heritage in its core markets.

“Their distribution and manufacturing capabilities, along with their customer relationships, enhance our ability to grow our Utz brand portfolio further west.”

Paul Blackhurst, VP, Kitchen Cooked added: “We are excited to partner with Utz and believe that this is a great way for the two organizations to come together to create an even stronger manufacturing and distribution network throughout Illinois and Eastern Iowa.

“Utz and Kitchen Cooked have almost a century each of experience in bringing great tasting snacks to our communities, and we believe this transaction only strengthens our ability to do so going forward.”

Based in Hanover, Pennsylvania, Utz operates eleven manufacturing facilities and distributes its products under the brands Utz, Golden Flake, Zapp’s, and Boulder and Canyon among others both nationally and internationally.

In October last year, Utz acquired a portion of Conagra Brands’ Direct-Store-Delivery (DSD) snack business to enhance the company’s ability to further grow its brand portfolio further west.

The transaction included the acquisition of its Tim’s Cascade Snacks, Hawaiian Snacks, Erin’s, El Restaurante, Snyder of Berlin, Pop-N-Thin and Husman’s.