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.”
