This season provides the perfect opportunity to reflect and recognize that we have a great deal to celebrate. 2023 gave us special moments featuring our beloved brands showing up, giving back and supporting communities around the world. As those experiences turn into memories, we remain grateful for our inspired fans and look forward to 2024 with confidence and optimism for all to come!
We have a longstanding commitment to education for our team members, their families and the communities where we operate. Earlier this year, Hormel Foods announced a new opportunity open to eligible team members in the United States to earn their degree or complete non-degree programs for free. This benefits expansion is in partnership with Workforce Edge, a complete employee education management platform powered by Strategic Education, Inc.
Hormel Foods was named to Barron’s list of the 100 most sustainable U.S. companies for 2023. The company ranked No. 23 on the prestigious list, which is the sixth ranking by Barron’s of the 1,000 largest publicly traded companies across 200-plus environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance indicators. This is all possible through our award-winning efforts known as Our Food Journey™. We are committed to producing food responsibly for customers and consumers by investing in our people and partners, improving communities and the world, and creating products that enrich the lives of people.
We upped the stakes in the pizza game yet again thanks to the launch of FONTANINI® Cup & Char Sausage, a first-of-its-kind product in the pizza topping industry. This cutting-edge foodservice product, which features Italian flavors and uniquely crispy, caramelized edges, promises to add a distinctive touch to any pizza pie.
To celebrate National Pepperoni Pizza Day, HORMEL® Pepperoni opened a one-of-a-kind online pop-up shop full of custom items designed to help pepperoni pizza fans celebrate this holiday in style. Fans purchased pepperoni-themed products unveiled daily by category, such as wearables, home decor, outdoors and work. From a crossbody bag to carry a slice of pepperoni pizza to a custom set of pepperoni pizza-themed rims, we helped fans showcase their pepperoni love in style. And just earlier this month, the makers of HORMEL® Pepperoni did their part to make the holiday season extra merry with the launch of an all new, limited-edition Ultimate Pepperoni Bloody Mary Cocktail Kit, featuring pepperoni-flavored bloody mary mix, pickle pepper-flavored vodka, hot sauce, HORMEL® Pepperoni Stix and HORMEL® Chorizo, and pepperoni and dill pickle rim seasoning.
@hormelpepperoni The perfect Bloody Mary cocktail kit doesn’t exi —Introducing, THE ULTIMATE PEPPERONI BLOODY MARY COCKTAIL KIT for the pepperoni lovers on your gift list. Whether you are stocking up on flavorful beverages for holiday gatherings and gift giving, or getting ready for National Bloody Mary Day on Jan. 1, the Ultimate Pepperoni Bloody Mary Cocktail Kit should be on everyone’s holiday shopping list. Pepperoni-Flavored Bloody Mary Mix: Bloody Mary enthusiasts will love Lovejoy’s hand-crafted, original recipe; a full-flavored, savory, well-balanced Bloody Mary Mix featuring real HORMEL® Pepperoni. The Bloody Mary Mix you didn’t know you needed! Pickle Pepper-Flavored Vodka: True Bloody Mary fans will love mixing up their favorite cocktail with Lokal Vodka from 10,000 Drops Distillery. This small-batch spirit is infused with pickled-pepper brine and Cry Baby Craig’s hot sauce, which is sure to take any Bloody Mary to the next level. Habanero and Garlic Hot Sauce: For those wanting to spice up their life (and their drinks), kick it up by adding Cry Baby Craig’s, a gourmet habanero and garlic hot sauce. HORMEL® Pepperoni Stix and HORMEL® Chorizo: Fans who want to make their drink a meal will be delighted to find that the box includes a package of HORMEL® Pepperoni Stix (stir stick anyone?) and HORMEL® Chorizo. Use them as a perfectly paired accoutrement for the classic cocktail, or set them aside and enjoy as an appetizer. Pepperoni and Dill Pickle Rim Seasonings: Bloody Mary and pepperoni lovers alike can spice up their glasses or add some fun to their favorite recipes with Lovejoy’s Pepperoni and Dill Pepperoni flavored seasonings! These little jars are packed with flavor and will add a zesty punch to all your favorite dishes. Get yours at www.PepperoniShop.com beginning Dec. 11th while supplies last.
Nuts About Nuts and Nut Butters
When TSA shared a post declaring peanut butter is classified as a liquid, SKIPPY® brand social team knew we had to jump into the conversation. The brand was featured in People Magazine for poking fun at the guidelines with a clever video showing a person packing a carry-on filled with SKIPPY® Creamy Peanut Butter Individual Squeeze Packs for travel.
@skippybrand POV: me packing my carry on after TSA announced Peanut Butter is a liquid #traveltiktok #vacationmode #traveltips #travelwithme #packing #peanutbutter #tsaguidelines #airportsecurity #skippypeanutbutter
Peanut butter and jelly are undoubtedly the perfect pair, but opinions differ when it comes to assembling the classic sandwich, from order of operations to tools and techniques. For National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day, SKIPPY® brand stepped up to help with the creation of an impressively specific gadget, PBJ X Pro. This multitool contains a small spoon and a spreader with color-coded sides to prevent double-dipping, a custom stamp for engraving PB&J sandwiches, a flashlight for making late-night snacks and a music speaker. Several lucky winners received the game-changing gagdet.
Did you know that 1 in 3 bites of food we eat depends on pollinators? JUSTIN’S® set out to show people how big a part these pollinators play in putting food on our plates with a clever restaurant stunt that left diners with 1/3 less of their desired food and drink to illustrate an important point. Without bees, and pollinators like them, there would BEE no JUSTIN’S® products. The campaign encouraged consumers to learn more about what we’re doing to support pollinator conservation and to get involved as well.
In nearly 100 years of NUTmobiles, arguably none have been as inviting as the glow-up into a “rundown” dive bar. For one week in July, lucky and nutty fans in Milwaukee, Wis., booked a coveted spot in the NUTmobile to enjoy a few snacks and drinks at “The Nuttiest Dive Bar.” The collaboration between the PLANTERS® brand and Miller High Life took reservations to score the entire bar for 90 minutes at a cost of just $3.99, including free warm peanuts and cold beer.
To help you feel cozy this fall, we introduced a limited time offering of PLANTERS® Apple Cider Donut Cashews. Kettle roasted to perfection with artificial flavored apple and cinnamon, these cashews make the perfect seasonal snack. A classic guest at cocktail parties, family game nights and holiday get-togethers, these flavored cashews are also delicious for road trips, lunch boxes or the office.
Delighting cookie and peanut-butter lovers everywhere, we announced three new variations of SKIPPY® P.B. Bites, all featuring Girl Scout Cookie™ inspired flavors. This portable, poppable snack offers a whole new indulgent taste experience for Girl Scout Cookie™ lovers that tastes like dipping those beloved cookies into a fresh jar of creamy SKIPPY® peanut butter, creating an irresistible treat that is sure to please. The new bite-size snacks come in three different flavors: Coconut Caramel, Chocolate Peanut Butter and Adventurefuls™.
Have Charcuterie Will Travel
It’s no coincidence that some of our best memories are made while enjoying food and traveling. With that in mind, Columbus Craft Meats created a new YouTube series, “Search for the Perfect Bite,” featuring adventures to explore craft food and beverages with the makers behind them. From the vibrant streets of San Francisco to the foodie haven of Portland and the innovative kitchens of San Diego, our host Evan Inada uncovers West Coast treasures that take charcuterie to new heights.
Columbus Craft Meats achieved a new a GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ title for the largest charcuterie board. In partnership with Boarderie and several other partners, the tasty and historical experience took place in Palm Beach and coincided with an episode filming of Shark Tank. The incredible charcuterie board, which spanned an entire ballroom and weighed over 1,000 pounds, featured our craft salumi alongside artisanal cheeses, delicious nuts and jams. The team also provided an array of Perfect Charcuterie Bites for attendees to enjoy throughout the evening.
The brand also launched its Directors of the Boards — charcuterie and entertaining experts and content creators who serve as ambassadors for Columbus Craft Meats, providing inspiration and education to their followers, the media and the public at large. We went viral when content created by a member of our Directors of the Boards collective received over 20.3M+ views and 950,000+ engagements on Instagram. Meg Quinn’s charcuterie skeleton features our Italian Dry Salami and Calabrese Salami, along with complementary cheeses and accoutrements from our Charcuterie Tasting Board.
Big Corn Energy
We have been crunching quite a bit with innovations from the CORN NUTS® brand. The new perfect fit flavor, CORN NUTS® Mexican Street Corn flavor crunchy corn kernels, is inspired by elotes, a classic Mexican corn snack roasted and served right on the cob. The chili and citrus flavors pair perfectly with the distinct crunch of CORN NUTS® snacks and quickly became a favorite.
To pay homage to the delicious elotes that inspired the brand’s Mexican Street Corn innovation, CORN NUTS® achieved a GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ title for largest piñata featuring a massive display filled with CORN NUTS® products. The piñata measured 6.161 meters wide, 18.015 meters long and 30.448 meters tall and was designed by the Masa Collective and ACES HIGH in celebration of this exciting flavor from the brand.
@cornnutsbrand being subtle? never heard of her #CornNuts #guinnessworldrecords #piñata #corn #meme
To keep it spicy, we also launched a limited-time flavor that was perfect for summer: mango habanero. This contrasting combination married the sweet taste of mangoes with the intense heat of habanero peppers, which pairs perfectly with the signature CORN NUTS® crunch.
A Triumphant Return for Bacon
Bacon lovers were invited to visit Denny’s locations nationwide to satisfy cravings with the triumphant return of its Baconalia menu after a 10-year hiatus. The limited-time menu featured seven bacon-centric creations, starring HORMEL® BLACK LABEL® Bacon for the first time to elevate the pork-tastic menu. Hardwood smoked, HORMEL® BLACK LABEL® Bacon is the mother of all bacon, which Denny’s declared as the perfect Baconalia side dish, topping, and main event.
@blacklabelbacon Baconalia™ is officially here at Denny’s®. But hurry! This bacon lovers’ event doesn’t last forever. @Denny’s Diner #bacon #baconlovers #diner #fyp #foryou
America’s fastest-growing bacon brand met the trendiest flavor of the fall season with the debut of limited time offering HORMEL® BLACK LABEL® Apple Cider Bacon. Everyone’s new favorite fall taste proved a perfect salty-meets-savory companion for HORMEL® BLACK LABEL® bacon.
From our family to yours, have a wonderful holiday season and a very happy new year! Thank you for being alongside us on this exciting journey!