Granny Goose

Granny Goose is the name of an American brand of potato chips and other snack foods.

History

Granny Goose Foods, Inc. was originally founded in Oakland, California, by Matthew Barr in 1946. In 1993, the company acquired the Laura Scudder brand from Borden, Inc., but still could not make a profit due to intense competition from PepsiCo's Frito-Lay and Anheuser-Busch's Eagle Snacks, so the entire company was put up for sale in 1995.[1] The company moved most of its operations from its corporate headquarters in Oakland to Kaysville, Utah in 2000. In 2000, Snak King acquired the West Coast-based Granny Goose snack label.[5]

The brand was claimed by Snack Alliance, Inc.,[2] who also produced and marketed chips under the Laura Scudder brand. Several products formerly produced by the original Oakland-based Granny Goose were also available from their new owners, such as the Hawaiian Kettle Style line from Tim's Cascade Snacks.

On March 1, 2010, Snack Alliance, Inc. was acquired by Shearer's Foods, Inc.[3]

In Popular Culture

Its logo and mascot, also named Granny Goose, is an anthropomorphic cartoon goose. In a series of television commercials first aired in the 1960s, the company's spokesperson, who self-identified as "Granny Goose", was portrayed by actor Philip Carey as a tough James Bond-style spy.[4]

A Granny Goose potato chip radio advertisement is mentioned in Chapter 8 of Philip K. Dick's mainstream novel The Broken Bubble (written 1956; published 1988 by Arbor House).

Former Hells Angels Motorcycle Club president Ralph "Sonny" Barger worked at the original Oakland plant in his youth.

In 'Sanford and Son' season 5 episode 10 'Sanford and Rising Son', Pat Morita's character offers Fred Sanford some teriyaki. Sanford turns him down saying "I'd rather eat some 'Granny Goose-iyaki'" as he is eating a bag of potato chips.

References

  1. ↑ Granny Goose Pressured By Industry Giants
  2. ↑ Snack Alliance
  3. ↑ "Shearer’s Foods, Inc. Acquires Snack Alliance, Inc.". Business Wire, March 1, 2010.
  4. ↑ Philip Carey - Other works

External links

See also