We all have them in our cupboards. Some of us hide them from spouses or from kids. Some of us share gladly, while others indulge in secret.
We are talking about snack food. And as we munch away, we sometimes wonder how these gastronomical delights came to be. (That is, before they were hurled into a grocery cart.)
Several factories in York, Pa., — just an hour’s trip north on Interstate 83 — produce the snacks we enjoy every day. More importantly, they all open their doors to public tours. No one has to wait for a TV special on the Food Channel. This is the real deal — a chance to walk through kitchens larger than most local grocery stores and watch ingredients blended, baked and rolled down assembly lines for inspection and packaging.
“These [factories] are authentically American,” said Allison Smith of the York County Visitors Association. “It’s a nice slice of life [showing] the power and might of ingenuity in action.”
» What: Factory tours
» Where: Utz Quality Foods, 900 High St. in York, Pa. (1-800-367-7629; www.utzsnacks.com); Martin’s Potato Chips, 5847 Lincoln Highway in Thomasville, Pa. (1-717-792-3565; www.martinschips.com); Snyder’s of Hanover, 1350 York St. in Hanover, Pa. (1-800-233-7125; www.snydersofhanover.com)
» Distance: 50 miles from Baltimore, 85 from D.C.
» Info: Call or visit individual Web sites for tour times and reservations
Unless we’re thinking of mom’s apple pie or roasted chicken, it doesn’t get more deliciously authentic than Utz Potato Chips, Snyder’s of Hanover Pretzels or Martin’s “kettle-cooked” Potato Chips.
In Hanover, Utz Quality Foods invites families on the Utz “chip trip,” where the sights and scents of chip production from start to finish is both a learning experience and a snack-lover’s dream. Tours are available Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Over at the Martin’s factory, this 60-year-old, family-run operation allows visitors an up-close-and-personal look at the “kettle-cooked” preparation that produces 1.5 million bags of potato and Bar-B-Q waffle chips per month.
Three tours run every Tuesday by reservation only.
Snyder’s of Hanover celebrates its 100th anniversary this year. The family-owned pretzel bakery has grown since then to include a pretzel for every taste, with every batch a tribute to the fine art of pretzel baking.
“Snyder’s of Hanover values our factory tour and store as a way for our consumers and pretzel-lovers from all over the United States and the world to experience how tradition, technology and teamwork combine to make our great-tasting pretzels,” said Mike Brookhart, Snyder’s director of marketing.
Advance reservations are required for tours that run every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
Will your snacks taste differently after seeing them produced? The managers of these three factories would love for you to visit and find out.
