Stonewall Kitchen

Coordinates: 43°9′17.1″N 70°39′25.8″W / 43.154750°N 70.657167°W / 43.154750; -70.657167

Company Store in York, Maine

Stonewall Kitchen is a creator of high-quality, specialty food products. Their product line ranges from jams and jellies to grill sauces and mustards.

History

Starting in 1991, partners Jonathan King and Jim Stott combined their interests in horticulture and cooking to create recipes for oils, jams, chutneys and more.^[1] At the urging of a friend, they began their business by selling their homemade products at the local farmers’ market.^[2] Working from a small folding table and calling themselves Stonewall Kitchen, after the historic New England stone walls visible outside their kitchen window, the two ended up selling every product they brought with them.^[3]

Able to repeat their success at farmers’ markets and other local venues, Jonathan and Jim expanded their product line to include new kinds of vinegars, oils, pesto, jams and baked goods.^[4] At one event, a local business owner asked if they sold wholesale. Not knowing exactly what she meant, Jonathan and Jim ended up selling every jar before the market even opened.^[5] And with that, a new revenue stream emerged.

In 1993, demand for Stonewall Kitchen products was growing. National retailer Crate & Barrel approached Jonathan and Jim with an order for 2500 jars of their Orange Cranberry Marmalade. The order was filled but it took a month for the two of them to do it.^[6] Realizing they needed to increase production capacity, they purchased and renovated an eighteenth-century era barn in Kittery, Maine.^[7] Though adequate, when another larger property became available in nearby York, Maine, the two purchased it and opened a new center of operations.

As production became more structured and streamlined, Jonathan and Jim attended the Fancy Food Show in New York City – the largest specialty food and beverage marketplace that attracts 1,100 exhibitors and 36,000 buyers.^[8] The result was unprecedented for first time attendees—the Outstanding Preserve award for their Roasted Garlic Onion Jam. They also earned a second highest honor award, for Outstanding Product Line. By the time the show was over, Jonathan and Jim had 500 orders from retailers across the country.^[9]

By 1999, Stonewall Kitchen's momentum required a new and bigger facility. With support from the local community, Jonathan and Jim purchased an eight-acre parcel of town-owned land in York, ME and built a 46,000 square-foot headquarters.^[10] The building still serves as a manufacturing facility, distribution and fulfillment operation and the headquarters.

A casual breakfast and lunch bistro called the Stonewall Kitchen Cafe was added to this facility in 2003.^[11]

Another expansion took place in 2008 when a new 32-seat, theater-style, Cooking School was added to the York facility. This state-of-the-art classroom is designed for cooks of all skill levels. Restaurant chefs, cookbook authors and cooking professionals from across the nation come here to share their knowledge and demonstrate their talents. Class attendees observe, can ask questions and are then served a full course meal.^[12]

Products

Since their beginnings, Stonewall Kitchen has expanded beyond jams, which they are still primarily known for. Their product line now includes grille sauces, mustards, chutneys, pancake mixes and dessert sauces, as well as kitchen tools and place settings and home decor items.

In 2006, Stonewall Kitchen launched the Barefoot Contessa Pantry line in conjunction with Ina Garten, chef best known as the host of Barefoot Contessa on Food Network.^[13] This partnership ended in 2011.

Company Overview

Wholesale

• 6,000 wholesale accounts
• Sold in 42 countries globally ^[14]

Retail

• 10 retail company stores along the East Coast including South Windsor, Connecticut; Camden, Portland and York, Maine; Nashua, North Conway, Portsmouth and Rochester, New Hampshire; National Harbor, Maryland and Newburyport, Massachusetts.^[15]

Catalog, web, and corporate gift program divisions

• Several catalogs throughout the year are distributed nationwide
• Online and phone ordering available

Awards

Since 1995, Stonewall Kitchen has received 28 prestigious awards from the Specialty Food Association and has been awarded the coveted Outstanding Product Line Honors three times.^[16]

2012^[17]

• Winner - Outstanding Baked Good, Baking Ingredient or Cereal for Cinnamon Sugar Doughnut Mix

2011^[18]

• Winner - Outstanding Cooking Sauce or Flavor Enhancer for Roasted Peach Whiskey Sauce

2009^[19]

• Finalist - Outstanding Classic for Wild Maine Blueberry Jam

2008

• Winner - Outstanding Salad Dressing for Balsamic Fig Dressing
• Winner - Outstanding Jam, Preserve, Honey or Nut Butter for Barefoot Contessa Lemon Curd
• Finalist - Outstanding Jam, Preserve, Honey or Nut Butter for Bellini Jam^[20]

2007^[21]

• Winner - Outstanding Cooking Sauce or Flavor Enhancer for Roasted Apple Grille Sauce
• Finalist - Outstanding Cracker for Blue Cheese Sesame Seed Cracker

2000s

• Winner - Outstanding Classic for Roasted Garlic Onion Jam^[22]

2003

• Winner 2003 - Outstanding Savory Condiment for Wasabi Ginger Sauce^[22]

2002

• Winner 2002 - Outstanding Product Line for Stonewall Kitchen Product Line^[23]
• Winner 2002- Outstanding Jam/Preserve for Black Raspberry Jam^[22]
• Winner 2001- Outstanding Jam, Preserve, Spread or Sweet Dessert Topping for Fig & Walnut Butter
• Finalist 2000- Outstanding New Best Seller for Coffee Caramel Sauce^[22]
• Finalist 1999- Outstanding Sweet Topping for Coffee Caramel Sauce^[22]
• Finalist 1998- Outstanding Packaging or Design for Maine Maple Syrup
• Finalist 1998- Outstanding Savory Condiment for Roasted Garlic Peanut Sauce
• Finalist 1997- Outstanding New Product for Sundried Tomato & Olive Relish
• Winner 1997- Outstanding Savory Condiment for Maple Chipotle Grille Sauce
• Finalist 1996- Outstanding Savory Condiment for Old Farmhouse Chutney
• Winner 1996- Outstanding Product Line for Stonewall Kitchen Product Line^[24]
• Winner 1995- Outstanding Preserve for Roasted Garlic Onion Jam^[25]
• Winner 1995- Outstanding Product Line for Stonewall Kitchen Product Line^[26]

SIAL: The Global Food Marketplace

• SIAL Paris 2012- Trends and Innovations Nomination for Habanero Mango Aioli^[22]
• SIAL Paris 2012- Trends and Innovations Nomination for Chocolate Jams^[22]
• SIAL Paris and Canada 2011- Trends and Innovations Nomination for Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Caramel Sauce^[22]
• SIAL Canada 2011- Trends and Innovations Nomination for Roasted Peach Whiskey Sauce^[22]
• SIAL Paris 2011- Trends and Innovations Nomination for Strawberry Balsamic Jam^[22]

Americas Mart - Atlanta Awards

• Winner 2009- Best Condiment for Maple Chipotle Grille Sauce^[22]
• Winner 2009- Best Jam/Preserve for Wild Maine Blueberry Jam

Anuga, Germany Awards

• 2011-Anuga, Germany - Taste11 Award for Espresso Rub

Charitable Giving

Jonathan King and Jim Stott often credit their success to the support they received from their first farmers' market, the town of York, Maine and the surrounding seacoast business community.^[27]

The company's charitable giving generally focuses on serving the needs of local communities, children in crisis, cancer prevention, education and prevention of the AIDS virus, as well as environmental programs.^[28][29]

From 2004 to 2013, Stonewall Kitchen donated over one million dollars to charitable organizations. The company also donates over a hundred gift baskets for local fund raising annually.

Stonewall Kitchen commits its support to the work of a handful of partner nonprofits through financial grants. These partnerships include: Table of Plenty serving Berwick, York and Kittery, ME, Camp Sunshine in Sebago, ME, the Animal Welfare Society in Kennebunk, ME and the York Hospital Living Well Breast Care Center in York County, ME.

Present Day

The York headquarters expanded again in the spring of 2013 with the addition of 5,200-square-feet of office space. The new addition is used for the merchandising team to build and display samples and houses operations for Stonewall Kitchen's premier guest services, IT, marketing and other functions.^[30]

In October 2014, Stonewall Kitchen announced its partnership with Centre Partners, a leading investment firm with a successful track record in the food and consumer products industries to achieve company growth potential. ^[31]

References