Utz Quality Foods
Bachman, Bob's Texas Style, Boulder Canyon, Dirty, Golden Flake, Husman's, Kitchen Cooked, Nathan's, Poore Brothers, Snikiddy, Snyder of Berlin, Tato Skins, TGI Fridays, Tims Cascade Snacks, Tortiyahs!, Utz, Zapp's Address: 900 High Street, Hanover, Pennsylvania 17331, USA Phone: 717 637 6644 Website: www.utzsnacks.com, www.husman's.com, www.kitchencooked.net, www.snyderofberlin.com, www.timschips.com Email: Contact Form Snyder of BerlinThe Snyder family started cooking kettle chips in their home kitchen in Hanover Pennsylvania in the 1920s. With a fast growing reputation, chip operations moved to a new brick building at the back of their home. Before long Edward Snyder II and his brother-in-law Barb Sterner, were working around the clock to keep up with demand. In the 1930s William Snyder assumed operations from his father as the company moved into its third generation.
The 1940s saw the introduction of aluminum foil bags and automated packaging machines. A meeting between Snyder, local farmers and business owners featured discussions about a joint venture potato chip manufacturing factory. The Berlin Brothers Valley Industrial Association of Berlin, PA, was then formed. Operations begin in Berlin with seven employees in 1947 and in 1950 the Snyder operations in Hanover and Berlin part ways. The Sterner family assumed ownership of the Berlin operations at this point. Between the 1960s and 1980s several additions were constructed around the original factory with new offices, manufacturing lines, storage and distribution facilities. The added space and success leads to the introduction of new product lines — including corn chips, corn curls and popcorn. In 1972 Snyder is acquired as a division of Curtice Burns of Rochester, New York. Its association with the Pro-Fac Cooperative (Producers-Facilities) garners the commitments needed to satisfy market demand as farmers received a guaranteed market for their produce. In 1994, Curtice Burns Foods becomes a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Pro-Fac Cooperative, before changing its name in 1997 to Agrilink Foods, Inc. In 1998, with the acquisition of the Birds Eye brand, Agrilink Foods doubled its size. In 2003 Agrilink changed its name to Birds Eye Foods, Inc. building on the prestige of the nationally recognized brand. In 2009, Pinnacle Foods Group LLC acquired Birds Eye Foods. Pinnacle Foods is a private equity portfolio company of the Blackstone Group. Snyder of Berlin's range of snack foods includes, potato chips, including chip flavors such as Open Pit Barbecue, Sweet 'n' Sassy, Vlasic Dill Pickle and Hawaiian Sweet Pickle. At the last count there were ten pretzel styles, corn chips and popcorn. The company are now operated under the Utz Snacks umbrella. |
Snyder of Berlin Original Bar-B-Q Chips
Snyder of Berlin once marketed nine varieties of regular potato chips. Five of the nine were barbecue based flavours. This was their original version. The bag opening ceremony followed by a Nose Plunge Test brought home a sweet barbecue smell. This was followed by a cultured barbecue seasoning. There was sweetness, there was a sight smokiness, there was heat. It was more of a gentle pat than a slap of fire, but it was enough to create a rounded taste and flavour. (14) Snyder of Berlin Honey Bar-B-Q Chips
I could taste a barbecue flavouring that did not quite fit with the thought I had when approaching ‘Bar-B-Que.’ It was a little smoky but overwhelmed somewhat by a sweet taste. It also featured an aromatic potato chip smell, but definitely, a sticky, sweet taste that didn't seem quite right. (10) Snyder of Berlin Hawaiian Sweet Onion
A lot of companies call this variety “Sweet Maui Onion” but it amounts to the same thing. The essence had not been taken from the rich soil on the side of a volcano, it was a mix of powders developed in a laboratory. A Nose Plunge Test revealed a mild onion aroma. It should also be noted that these were quite low in salt compared to many kettle-cooked chips. They were sweet. Maybe overly sweet, but the combo was clearly of onion and sweetness, so as it says that on the pack... (17) Snyder of Berlin Salt & Vinegar Chips
The Nose Plunge Test featured a vinegary aroma. They are described as “British” style. As the flavour was invented in the UK in the 1950s and is the second most popular flavour in the country behind cheese and onion, there are lots of companies that have nailed the flavour, which is a perfect balance of salt, potato, and vinegar. Despite these chips having a relatively high sodium content they were certainly vinegar dominated. A closer balance would have been preferred. (11) Snyder of Berlin Sweet 'n Sassy BBQ
There was a spoonful of sugar being graphically added to the chips on the bag graphic. To Snyder of Berlin's credit, they were merely being honest. These were very sweet barbecue chips. They tasted similar to their Original Barbecue flavour, but not quite as hot and a little more syrupy. (11) |
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