Stonewall Kitchen Completes Second Acquisition of 2018, Acquiring the Napa Valley Naturals® and Montebello® Brands of Organic Oils, Vinegars, and Pastas

YORK, Maine, Nov.16, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Award-winning specialty food producer Stonewall Kitchen announced today that it has completed its second acquisition of 2018, acquiring Spruce Naturals LLC ("Spruce") from its original founder, Kendall Cook. Spruce is the parent company for Napa Valley Naturals, a premium brand of certified organic extra virgin olive oils, culinary cooking oils, Italian balsamic vinegars and aged wine vinegars, as well as Montebello, an artisan brand of organic pastas imported from Italy.

"We are incredibly excited to welcome the Napa Valley Naturals and Montebello brands to our family," said John Stiker, Stonewall Kitchen's Chief Executive Officer.  "With unsurpassed quality and taste, Napa Valley Naturals is the #1-selling olive oil item within the natural foods channel, as well as the #1 brand of balsamic vinegars and wine vinegars according to SPINS data. Similarly, Montebello is the #2 brand of shelf-stable pasta in the natural channel, experiencing rapid growth. Delicious stand out products within their line such as the Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Expeller Pressed Avocado Oil, and Grand Reserve Balsamic Vinegar perfectly complement the specialty food categories we currently offer."

"Partnering with Stonewall Kitchen is a natural and authentic fit for us," added Kendall Cook, founder of Spruce and the Napa Valley Naturals brand. "I grew up in Napa Valley selling products at my farm stand and local farmers' markets, much like the founders of Stonewall Kitchen did in Maine. From our humble beginnings in the early 1990s, today both companies offer premium quality, clean-label products all across the country. After growing Napa Valley Naturals and Montebello on our own over the last few decades, I'm looking forward to working alongside Stonewall Kitchen to help accelerate the continued growth of both brands."

Concluded Mr. Stiker, "This truly has been an exciting year for Stonewall Kitchen.  With our January acquisition of the Tillen Farms brand of pickled vegetables and cocktail cherries, the May license of the Legal Sea Foods brand for a line of restaurant-quality seafood sauces, and now this addition of Napa Valley Naturals and Montebello, we have made significant strides towards achieving our vision of becoming the premier specialty foods platform in North America.  With our expertise in brand building, product development, and omni-channel distribution, we are excited to continue to grow our business both organically and through additional selective acquisitions, with the goal of bringing our guests the best tasting and highest quality specialty foods."

About Stonewall Kitchen

Stonewall Kitchen is a leading specialty food producer headquartered in York, Maine.  Founded in 1991 by partners Jonathan King and Jim Stott, the two established the Stonewall Kitchen brand by selling jams and jellies at local farmers' markets with a flavorful line of distinctive and high-quality products. Over time, they expanded the brand to include sauces, condiments, crackers and baking mixes, always focusing on innovative product development, beautiful packaging, and exceptional guest service. Today, Stonewall Kitchen is the premier specialty foods platform in North America, home to a family of premium quality brands including the flagship Stonewall Kitchen^® brand; 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; and the Legal Sea Foods^® brand of restaurant-quality seafood sauces and condiments. The company boasts more than 6,000 wholesale accounts nationwide and internationally; a thriving catalog and online division; a cooking school and café in York, Maine; and nine retail Company Stores throughout New England. As winners of 28 prestigious awards from the Specialty Food Association and the recipient of the coveted Outstanding Product Line Honors three times, Stonewall Kitchen is proud to be one of the most awarded specialty food companies in the country.

For more information about Stonewall Kitchen, please visit: www.stonewallkitchen.com

About Spruce Foods / Napa Valley Naturals / Montebello

Napa Valley Naturals' humble beginnings go back to the early 1970s, when founder Kendall Cook moved as a young boy with his parents to a five-acre organic vegetable farm in Napa Valley.  As a teen, Kendall and his brother ran their own fruit stand on Napa Valley's famed Highway 29, just down the street from their family farm.  In the mid-1990's Kendall started Napa Valley Trading Co., selling a variety of organic foods from the back of his pickup truck to natural food stores and co-ops throughout Northern California. He eventually created the Napa Valley Naturals brand of California olive oils, first bottled in his parent's garage in recycled wine bottles.  Extra Virgin Olive Oil soon became his best-selling item, and today, French, Italian, and Spanish culinary oils and vinegars now round out the line. Most are organic, all meet the highest quality standards, and all are still bottled in beautiful Northern California. In 2004, Kendall acquired Spruce Foods and added the Montebello brand of imported Italian organic pasta and olive oil to his line.

For more information about Napa Valley Naturals, please visit: www.napavalleynaturals.com

Sales claims based on SPINS data for the Natural Channel, 52 weeks ending October 7, 2018

Press Contact: Margaux Maertens, Communications Specialist
mmaertens@stonewallkitchen.com
Phone: (207) 351-2713 x1173

SOURCE Stonewall Kitchen, LLC