| Location City: | York, Maine |
| Location Country: | United States |
| Industry: | Specialty food producer |
Stonewall Kitchen is a specialty food producer based in York, Maine, United States. The company was founded as a homemade products stall at a local farmers market in 1991[1] and today sells in 42 countries.[2] They make items such as jam, chutney, jellies, grill sauce, cooking oil and mustard.[3] [4]
On March 14, 2022, the company was acquired by TA Associates.[5]
Founders Jonathan King and Jim Stott started their business as a homemade products stall at the local farmers market.[6] Working from a small folding table and calling themselves Stonewall Kitchen, the stall was successful, selling all stock.[7] Stonewall Kitchen expanded their product line to include vinegars, oils, pesto, jams and baked goods.[8] After selling at multiple venues, the operation branched out into selling wholesale.[6]
In 1993, Crate & Barrel approached them for 2,500 jars of their Orange Cranberry Marmalade. The order was filled but it took a month to do it.[9] To increase production capacity, they purchased and renovated an eighteenth-century barn in Kittery, Maine.[8] Then moved again to a larger property in nearby York, Maine. The owners attended the Fancy Food Show in New York City.[10] Gaining the Outstanding Preserve award for their Roasted Garlic Onion Jam. They also earned a second award, for Outstanding Product Line. Afterward, they received over 500 orders from retailers across the country.[7]
By 1999, Stonewall Kitchen moved production to another larger facility. A visitors area was added to this facility in 2003.[11] Another expansion took place in 2006[12] when a Cooking School was added to the York facility.[13] In April 2021, Stonewall Kitchen acquired Vermont Coffee Company.[14] [15]
In 2014, private equity firm, Centre Partners became an investor (with an undisclosed amount of ownership) in Stonewall and brought in John Striker as CEO. In 2019, the company was purchased by Audax Private Equity from Centre Partners. On March 14, 2022, TA Associates acquired Stonewall Kitchen.
Leading specialty food, home goods and personal care producer Stonewall Kitchen announced the hiring of Carrie McDermott as its new Chief Executive Officer. McDermott is just the third CEO in the company’s 32-year history, taking over for John Stiker, who had been in the role since 2014.
Since 2022, Stonewall Kitchen has been a family of brands and is now home to 11 specialty food and home goods brands. This family of premium quality brands includes the flagship Stonewall Kitchen brand; the Michel Design Works brand of elegantly designed and crafted personal and home care products; the Vermont Coffee Company brand of high quality, non-GMO, certified organic coffee; the Urban Accents brand of globally-inspired spice mixes, seasonings, and sauces; the Village Candle brand of fragranced candles, gifts and accessories; the Tillen Farms brand of pickled vegetables and cocktail cherries; the Napa Valley Naturals brand of olive oils, culinary oils, balsamic vinegars and wine vinegars; the Montebello brand of artisan organic pasta imported from Italy; the Vermont Village brand of organic apple sauce and apple cider vinegars; and the Legal Sea Foods brand of restaurant-quality seafood sauces and condiments.
Stonewall Kitchen is known for jams. Their product line also includes grille sauces, mustards, chutneys, pancake mixes and dessert sauces, as well as kitchen tools, place settings and home decor items.
In 2006, Stonewall Kitchen launched the Barefoot Contessa Pantry line in conjunction with chef Ina Garten, best known as the host of Barefoot Contessa on Food Network.[16] This partnership ended in 2011.
In May 2018, Stonewall Kitchen agreed to a licensing agreement with Legal Sea Foods to launch a line of specialty seafood sauces and marinades throughout the United States.[17]