CHELSEA, MA — Kettle Cuisine, artisan maker of refrigerated and frozen premium quality, all natural soups announced today that they have entered into a business partnership with Arlon Food and Agriculture Investment Program to advance company growth.
Kettle Cuisine, which will be celebrating its 25th Anniversary this fall, has experienced tremendous growth over the past several years and since Arlon has a strong track record of helping growing food companies better deliver on their mission, this partnership is only natural. As part of this investment agreement, Kettle Cuisine founder Jerry Shafir will maintain significant ownership and will continue in his role as Chief Executive Officer.
“Our partnership with Arlon will provide us the financial resources and business insights we need to expand our products and services on a larger national scale, all while maintaining our commitment to cooking and delivering premium quality, all natural soups,” says Shafir. “With our expansion into new markets, we believe this is the perfect time to bolster our resources and further enhance service offerings to our customers.”
“We’re excited to partner with Kettle Cuisine because we believe in their products and philosophies and we see that they are well-aligned with current operator and consumer demands,” says Michelle Brooks, Managing Principal from Arlon. “We look forward to working closely with Jerry and his experienced management team to expand the Kettle Cuisine business for the long-term. We’re joining their organization at a key growth time and it’s a wonderful example of our mission to seek out and invest in high-potential natural food purveyors.”
Kettle Cuisine was founded in 1986 by Jerry Shafir in Revere, MA with the idea that even demanding chefs would feature prepared soups if they could be sure those soups were made with the same “real-food” ingredients and time-tested cooking techniques they would use if they were doing the cooking themselves. Starting with just seven core soups for the New England foodservice market, Kettle Cuisine now produces more than 50 foodservice varieties and ten consumer varieties, which are distributed throughout the United States and Canada.
About Kettle Cuisine: Founded in 1986, Kettle Cuisine, based in Chelsea, Mass., is at the forefront of a growing demand for exceptional tasting real food that satisfies everyday wellness lifestyles. By using the finest quality natural ingredients and classical artisan cooking techniques and by treating food the way it should be treated from the source to their kitchens to you, Kettle Cuisine consistently delivers top quality soups with no artificial ingredients. Visit www.kettlecuisine.com for additional information.
About Arlon Food and Agriculture Investment Program:
Arlon Food and Agriculture Investment Program (AFAP) invests in middle market companies across various stages of the food and agriculture supply chain, including production, processing, distribution, food service and retail. AFAP seeks to achieve attractive long-term returns by combining its well-developed investment process in the food and agriculture sectors with the strategic insight of an experienced industry participant. AFAP's long-term perspective, food sector expertise, and commitment to partnering with management teams make it a strong partner to food businesses which are pursuing stable growth
Source: Arlon Food and Agriculture Investment Program
