Stonewall Kitchen

43°9′17.1″N 70°39′25.8″W

Stonewall Kitchen
IndustrySpecialty food producer
Founded1991 (1991)
Founders
  • Jonathan King
  • Jim Stott
Headquarters
York, Maine
,
United States
Owner
  • Independent (1991–2014)
  • Centre Partners (2014-2019)
  • Audax Private Equity (2019–22)
  • TA Associates (2022–present)
Websitewww.stonewallkitchen.com

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]

History

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.

Products

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]

References
  1. "Stonewall Kitchen: Our Story | Celebrate with @StonewalKitchen #Tasteof25Years". www.tasteof25years.com. Retrieved 3 September 2017.
  2. "Wholesale - Stonewall Kitchen". Stonewallkitchen.com. Retrieved 28 August 2017.
  3. "Stonewall Kitchen". Stonewall Kitchen. Retrieved 3 September 2017.
  4. The Best of Portland 2013 – Stonewall Kitchen. Copyright 2013 by Bohler Productions.
  5. "Audax Private Equity Completes the Sale of Stonewall Kitchen to TA Associates". Business Wire. Retrieved 2022-12-13.
  6. "Stonewall Kitchen founders featured on TV show". Seacoastonline.com. Retrieved 28 August 2017.
  7. “Stonewall shoots for $100M” by Clarke Canfield – Associated Press February 28, 2006
  8. Hemmerdinger, J. (20 February 2011). "The Bottom Line: An enterprise that sticks". Pressherald.com. Retrieved 28 August 2017.
  9. “Kitchen of dreams” by Jerry Miller – The Union Leader, March 8, 2004 C, Section
  10. "Summer Fancy Food Show". Specialtyfood.com. Retrieved 28 August 2017.
  11. "Local Experts". Travelandleisure.com. Retrieved 28 August 2017.
  12. "Stonewall Kitchen | Award-Winning Specialty Food Creators".
  13. Pennington, Juliet (15 July 2012). "Stonewall classes add fun to the recipes". Boston.com. Retrieved 28 August 2017 – via The Boston Globe.
  14. Hogan, Emily. "Vermont Coffee Company sold to Stonewall Kitchen". The Middlebury Campus. Retrieved 2021-04-30.
  15. "Stonewall Kitchen Acquires Longtime Roaster Vermont Coffee Company". Daily Coffee News by Roast Magazine. 2021-04-01. Retrieved 2021-04-30.
  16. "Stonewall Kitchen - Specialty Foods, Gifts, Gift Baskets, Kitchenware and Kitchen Accessories, Tableware, Home and Garden Décor and Accessories". Archived from the original on 2014-02-22. Retrieved 2014-02-10.
  17. "Stonewall Kitchen Signs Licensing Agreement With Legal Sea Foods to Launch Line of Specialty Seafood Sauces and Marinades". Retrieved 2018-05-14.
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