Herr's Snack Factory wins best factory tour for USA Today readers
From potato chips to ice cream to hot sauce, companies from around the USA open up their facilities to allow consumers to get a behind-the-scenes look at where their favorite foods come from. We asked USA TODAY 10Best readers to help find the nation's best food factory tours, and after four weeks of voting, the results are in!
Savory flavors reigned supreme, with a close battle for the top spot between Herr's Snack Factory and TABASCO® Pepper Sauce Factory. In the end, the Pennsylvania potato chip giant came out on top.
The top 10 winners in the category Best Food Factory Tour are as follows:
- Herr's Snack Factory - Nottingham, Penn.
- TABASCO® Pepper Sauce Factory - Avery Island, La.
- Hammond's Candies Factory - Denver
- Hershey's Chocolate World - Hershey, Penn.
- Celestial Seasonings Tea Factory - Boulder, Colo.
- PEZ Visitor Center - Orange, Conn.
- Cabot Visitor Center - Cabot, Vt.
- Greenwell Kona Coffee Farms - Kealakekua, Hawaii
- Jelly Belly Visitor Center - Fairfield, Calif.
- Boudin Bakery - San Francisco
A panel of experts picked the initial 20 nominees, and the top 10 winners were determined by popular vote. Experts Eric Grossman, Megy Karydes, M. Linda Lee (10Best), Akila McConnell (The Road Forks), Larry Olmsted (Great American Bites) and Kim Sunee were chosen based on their extensive knowledge of food and travel.
Other nominated factory tours included Ben & Jerry's Factory, Bob's Red Mill World Headquarters, Cape Cod Potato Chip Factory, Cold Hollow Cider Mill, Cooper's Mill, Goody's Chocolates, Snyder's of Hanover Bakery, Tillamook Cheese Factory, Utz Factory and World of Coca-Cola.
10Best and USA TODAY extend their congratulations to all the winners.