Utz acquires Kitchen Cooked in snack food merger

Utz Quality Foods announced the acquisition of Illinois-based Kitchen Cooked in a snack foods merger. The acquisition includes the Kitchen Cooked brand and the firm’s manufacturing and delivery operations.

Kitchen Cooked, which produces a variety of potato chips, popcorn and other snacks, is based in Farmington in Central Illinois. The company’s direct delivery range includes the central and northern portions of the state, excluding the greater Chicago area, as well as parts of Iowa and Missouri.

Utz is based in Hanover, Pennsylvania.

“We are very excited about the opportunity to add this important snack food brand and set of capabilities to our portfolio,” said Dylan Lissette, Chief Executive Officer, Utz Quality Foods, LLC. “Since the 1930s, 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.”

Added Paul Blackhurst, vice president of Kitchen Cooked: “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.”

Utz Quality Foods produces a full line of snack foods which are available in a wide range of flavors and come in convenient on-the-go and take-home sizes, available in leading retailers across the U.S. or are available on-line at www.utzsnacks.com.

The merger will mean the eventual closure of Kitchen Cooked’s production facility in Bushell, Illinois.