Food Factories

Biting into a salty, crunchy pretzel or taking a lick off the top of a cold ice cream cone can instantly put you in a better mood. Everyone has a favorite treat they reach for to satisfy a sweet tooth or a late-night craving. We all know what the packages look like on the grocery-store shelves, but to really know what you’re digging into, take a tour of these group-friendly food factories.

Ever wondered how cheese, pretzels or taffy is made? Find out on a factory tour.By Laura Smith

Food FactoriesThey offer behind-the-scenes looks at the manufacturing of some of America’s favor-ite foods and share their fresh treats with visitors straight from the assembly line.

Cabot CheeseCabot, VermontThe central Vermont woods might not be the first place that comes to mind when

thinking of dairy products, but that’s where Cabot Creamery is creating award-winning cheddar cheese, rich butter and more. Tours begin with a short film on the history of the creamery, which is also a farmers’ co-op, and the town. Visitors then head down a long hall, nicknamed Ched-dar Hall, to see large vats and a finishing table where cheese is sliced. No hairnets are

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Sweet’s Candy Ben and Jerry’s tabasco Sauce Factory

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required — the view is through windows. Guests then visit the towers where cheese curds are pressed into solid form and the packaging area where products are sent down the assembly line and prepared for final shipment.

Throughout the tour, guests sample all Cabot specialty cheeses, mustards, jams, pretzels and more. The creamery’s store sells sour cream, cottage cheese, yogurts, cheddar powder (for popcorn) and, of course, 31 types of cheese. Some of Cabot’s popular cheddar flavors include smoky bacon, garlic and herb, habanero, chipotle and chili-lime.

“I think they enjoy the whole thing,” Laurie Callahan, senior manager of retail stores and tourism, says about tour guests. “If they’re coming to the plant in Cabot, they love cheese [and] we have the world’s best cheddar,” she says. Proof is in the many awards the creamery has received.

Cabot CreameryWhere: 2878 Main St., Cabot, VermontWhen: Monday-Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. (changes seasonally)How much: $2 for anyone 12 and olderNeed to know: Reservations for large motorcoach tours are encouraged; call ahead to confirm cheese-making days, 800-837-4261 More info: cabotcheese.coop

Snyder’S of Hanover PretzelSHanover, PennsylvaniaSnyder’s of Hanover has been making crunchy, salty pretzels since 1909 when Harry V. Warehime, founder of Hanover Canning Company (Snyder’s parent company until 1980), began producing the legendary snack. Today, Synder’s is a top pretzel baker in the world, selling 10 million bags a week. A Snyder’s of Hanover tour, which has been offered for 24 years, gives guests a look at what it takes to make the famous Hanover pretzels and chips.

A factory guide leads guests on the hour-long tour through the mezzanine level, giving guests a bird’s-eye view of the factory. The tour begins overlooking the warehouse, where guests watch robots bag and box pretzels while hearing fun facts about the factory. For example, the factory uses more than 100 tons of pretzel salt per month, and 25,000 pounds of flour is delivered every day. Guests then head to the packaging room to see seven of the largest ovens in the world, measuring 150 feet long. The tour concludes in the potato-chip processing area where pota-toes are washed and peeled and Synder’s tortilla chips are cooked. Guests receive a complimentary bag of mini pretzels at the conclusion of the tour.

Snyder’s of Hanover Pretzel BakeryWhere: 1250 York St., Hanover, PennsylvaniaWhen: Tuesday, Wednesday and Thurs-day at 10 a.m., 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.How much: FreeNeed to know: Reservations required at least 24 hours in advance; 800-233-7125, Ext. 8592 More info: snydersofhanover.com

Sweet’S CandySalt Lake City, UtahFamily owned for five generations, Sweet’s Candy is the product of the Utah-based Sweet family, a fitting last name for the company that produces more than 200 types of candy and is a top maker of salt-water taffy.

Curtis Anderson, who runs the 5-year-old Sweet’s Candy tour, says guests get excited about the family ownership of the company as much as the candy itself. More than 30,000 people take the tour each year, getting an inside look at the candy-making process. They walk the floor of the factory, getting close enough to the sweets that they can smell them.

On the tour, groups see orange sticks (orange jelly covered in chocolate), cinna-mon bears, taffy and all things chocolate. The tour takes a spin through the raw materials area, taffy kitchen (where guests see taffy being whipped and poured over giant cooling wheels), chocolate-melting room, jelly bean room, enrober (a chocolate waterfall) and three packaging areas, where 300 pieces of candy are packaged each minute. Guests get to try free samples of candy fresh off the line, and can purchase overstock sweets in the factory store at a slight discount.

Sweet’s FactoryWhere: 3780 West Directors Row, Salt Lake City, UtahWhen: Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.How much: Free Need to know: As many as 100 people can take a tour at one time and appointments are required; 801-886-1444. Parking lot has designated spaces for buses.More info: sweetcandy.com/factorytour

Ben and Jerry’S iCe CreamWaterbury, VermontCherry Garcia. Half Baked. Chubby Hubby. Ben and Jerry’s might be known as much for wacky ice cream names as it is for the ice cream itself. The factory tour in Water-bury takes guests through colorful halls with a mooing cow soundtrack in the back-ground to the Cow Over the Moon Theater, which shows a short film about the company history and fun facts about the ice cream. Guests are then led to a mez-zanine level to look out over the produc-tion floor where the approximately 60 dif-ferent types of ice cream are made. Finally, guests head to the flavor room where they receive a generously-sized free sample of the Ben and Jerry’s ice cream of the day.

After the tour, visitors can also taste current flavors at the Scoop Shop, see the

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cow pasture and stock up on souvenirs at the gift shop. One popular attraction is the flavor graveyard, where each retired ice cream flavor has a tombstone dedicated to the tasty legacy it left. The tour, which has been in operation since 1986, can accom-modate 40 people and usually gets about 300,000 to 500,000 guests a year.

Ben and Jerry’s Waterbury FactoryWhere: 1281 Waterbury-Stowe Road, Waterbury, VermontWhen: Daily, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (with some seasonal changes); ice cream is made Monday to Friday.How much: $3 adults, $2 seniors, chil-dren free; packages that include coupons and a T-shirt are $21.Need to know: Adults get in free if they check in on Foursquare before visiting. A large parking lot can hold several motor-coaches. Reservations for groups of 10 or more are highly encouraged.More info: benjerry.com/scoop-shops/factory-tours

Tabasco pepper sauce Avery Island, LouisianaOne drop of world-famous Tabasco Pepper Sauce can leave a person sweating with its combination of tabasco peppers, vinegar and salt. In Louisiana, everything is made with a little kick to it and Avery Island’s most famous product is no exception. The Tabasco Sauce factory is surrounded by the Cajun bayou and offers up-close tours of how the spicy condiment is made.

The tour begins in the lobby where guests can watch clips of commercials and TV programs that feature Tabasco products. They then head to an exhibit area where a guide explains the process of making the sauce from picking peppers to completion. Visitors then watch an eight-minute film on the history of the company and Avery Island, and move to the produc-tion room where they see the machinery that bottles the sauce. The tour ends in the interactive room. Here, guests can play games related to Tabasco and see one of the actual vats stirring the pepper sauce.

Guests receive three miniature Tabasco bottles — original, green pepper and chipo-tle — upon completion of the tour.

Guests can visit the country store after the tour is over and buy all things Tabasco, including Tabasco-branded clothing, kitch-enware, decorations, cookbooks, golf bags and Cajun food such as crawfish etouffee. Free samples of unusual Tabasco-infused products like spicy Tabasco Coca-Cola and Tabasco ice cream are also available.

Tabasco Sauce FactoryWhere: Avery Island, LouisianaWhen: Daily, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; tours run every 15 to 20 minutes.How much: Free; $1 to enter islandNeed to know: Tours can take up to 40 people at a time. The factory has a large parking lot that can fit a motorcoach.More info: tabasco.com


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Get a tabasco-branded cookbook, t-shirt or golf bag at the tabasco Country Store following a factory tour in Avery island, La.

Find more creative tours and trips for foodies on groupawaytravel.com.



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wine country? Liberty Bell and Independence Hall quickly come to mind when thinking Pennsylvania, but wine? In the past five years, the state’s wineries have grown to more than 130, and the number of visitors to them has doubled, according to The New York Times. The state has 11 wine trails, ranks fourth in the nation in grapes grown and ranks eighth in wine production, with approximately 14,000 acres of grapes. Some of the state’s wineries include:Crossing Vineyards and Winery — Part of the Bucks County Wine Trail (buckscounty-winetrail.com). Visitors go behind-the-scenes to taste wine for $8 in the barrel room. The renovated tasting room looks out onto 15 acres of vineyards. crossingvineyards.comBlack Walnut Winery — Part of the Brandywine Valley Wine Trail (bvwinetrail.com). This winery is located in a 200-year-old barn in Chester County and guests pay $6 for tastings of both red and white wines. blackwalnutwinery.comKog Hill Winery — Part of the Berks County Wine Trail (berkscountywinetrail.com). At $3 for unlimited tastings, this winery is affordable and the testing includes a souvenir glass. The winery sits on a main road and is as much of a shop as a winery. koghillwinery.com

cleveland’s culinary expansionWith award-winning chefs, internation-ally recognized wines and innovative new restaurants, Cleveland, Ohio, is beginning to take on culinary tourism full force.

This Midwestern area is known for several different food items, including ice wine (sweet dessert wine), pierogi, Polish boy sandwiches, walleye and yellow perch. It’s also known for its beer brewing, and Great Lakes Brewing Company, the first microbrewery in the state, wins awards year-in and year-out for its lagers and ales. Love grilled cheese? Check out Melt Bar and Grilled. It has just what its name implies: grilled cheese sandwiches — and lots of them. From its gourmet grilled cheese to its hot Italian grilled cheese to its mushroom melt grilled cheese, this place is always busy.

It’s not all about savory foods. One of the city’s sweet shops, The Chocolate Bar, has a menu of cakes, crepes, fondue, chocolate martinis and ice cream. The area’s other epicurean attractions include the Loretta Paganini School of Cooking and the Lake Erie Creamery, which produces award-winning goats-milk cheese.

at cleveland’s melt Bar and grilled, there’s one thing almost everything on the menu has in common: melted cheese.

pennsylvania has a growing number of wineries and 11 wine trails throughout the state.



App for AleHave a group interested in hitting the hops spots in New York City? Beer gardens are popping up all over the city, offering drink tickets and traditional German food like pretzels and sausages. And if you own an iPhone or iPod Touch, the Beer Gardens NYC app lists all the gardens, listed by borough, neighborhood, beer selection and price range. The app costs $1.99 and also includes a directory of more than 900 beers, searchable by venue and brand.

Some of the more popular beer gardens include: Bohemian Hall and Beer Garden, bohemianhall.com; Radegast Hall and Biergarten, radegasthall.com; Bier Interna-tional, bierinternational.com; Biergarten at the Standard Hotel, standardhotels.com/new-york-city/bars/biergarten; Loreley, loreleynyc.com; Der Schwarze Kölner, ex49.com/dsk; and Beer Garden at Studio Square, studiosquarenyc.com.

eAt, Drink, DisplAyTo most, dishware is used for serving and eating, but for a museum in New York City, it’s the stuff of art. The Museum of Arts and Design has brought back its “Eat Drink Art Design” exhibit, featuring all types of dishware. It includes dinnerware from big names like Roy Lichtenstein, Keith Haring and James Rosenquist and glassware from Sol LeWitt. The rarest piece, “Melting Teapot” by Myra Mimlitsch-Gray, is a silver teapot that looks like it’s melting away. The exhibit is open through March 27, 2011. collections.madmuseum.org

BreAkfAst of ChAmpionsIf you’re traveling through Dayton, Ohio, during late hours of the night and hunger strikes, you’re in luck. Domino’s Pizza is open. And if you need a pick-me-up in the morning, it’s open then, too, serving a breakfast pizza with toppings such as eggs, cheese and bacon. It’s the first 24-hour Domino’s in the country and only the fourth in the world. Franchise owner Tristan Koehler told the Dayton Daily News the main drive for the all-hours store is University of Dayton students, who eat pizza at any time of the night … or day.

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Food Factories