LEBANON, Tenn. -- Cracker Barrel Old Country Store Inc. has announced that the first shipments of its licensed products made available through a licensing agreement with John Morrell Food Group, a subsidiary of Smithfield Foods, will begin shipping next week. The products, under the "CB Old Country Store" brand, include maple and smoked bacon, spiral ham and four types of lunch meat: oven roasted turkey, smoked turkey, smoked ham and honey ham.
"Extending our brand beyond our physical locations is an important component of our strategic plan," said Sandra B. Cochran, president and CEO of Cracker Barrel. "As a leader in consumer meat products, John Morrell Food Group has earned an outstanding reputation for quality and service. … We think the combination of strengths that our two companies consistently utilize to deliver high-quality products to our consumers will prove to be a success for our guests, retail shoppers and our retail trading partners."
"We are delighted to announce that these seven licensed products will arrive in stores later this month," said John Pauley, John Morrell Food Group executive vice president of sales and marketing. "Now loyal guests of Cracker Barrel Old Country Store Inc. can find the types of choices that they enjoy when they dine in the restaurant, right there in the refrigerated section of grocery stores ready to bring home to enjoy."
Neither Cracker Barrel Old Country Store nor CB Old Country Store products are affiliated with Kraft or Kraft's Cracker Barrel cheese. Cracker Barrel and Kraft Foods Group Brands LLC have reached an agreement that allows Cracker Barrel Old Country Store to enter the marketplace using the alternative logo, CB Old Country Store, to label licensed products.
The Cincinnati-based John Morrell Food Group offers several national and regional brands including Armour, Eckrich, John Morrell, Curly's, Patrick Cudahy, Carando, Healthy Ones, Margherita Kretschmar and LunchMakers.
Smithfield Foods, Smithfield, Va., is a $13 billion global food company and the world's largest pork processor and hog producer. In the United States, the company is also a leader in packaged meats categories with brands including Smithfield, Eckrich, Farmland, Armour, Cook's, Gwaltney, John Morrell, Kretschmar, Curly's, Carando, Margherita, and Healthy Ones.
Cracker Barrel Old Country Store Inc. was established in 1969 in Lebanon, Tenn., and operates 624 company-owned restaurant/general store locations in 42 states.
Members help make our journalism possible. Become a CSP member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.