Knott's

What Knott's does

Knott's Fine Foods, Inc. is a privately held, family-owned manufacturer of refrigerated dips, spreads, salads, and pickled products, founded in 1947 by Cedric and Mildred Knott in Paris, Tennessee. The company operates from a single production site at 125 North Blakemone Street in Paris and continues to be led by the Knott family. Its product portfolio spans four categories — chicken salads, pimiento cheeses, dips, and pickled items — with 18+ active SKUs including a Clean Label Certified gluten-free sub-brand called Knott Yo Grandma's.

The company's underlying production is conventional refrigerated food manufacturing rather than a technology platform; no proprietary software, AI, or digital infrastructure is described. Distribution is split between two channels: retail consumer sales through grocery refrigerated deli sections nationwide (the primary channel), and direct food service bulk sales in 5lb and 12lb containers to delis, restaurants, and institutional buyers. Marketing is built around an extensive recipe-driven content hub on knottsfoods.com, a store locator, and active Instagram engagement.

Knott's monetizes via one-time product sales at retailer-set prices through grocery distribution, plus direct food service bulk sales at undisclosed pricing. With 11-50 employees, a single manufacturing site, and national retail reach through standard grocery distribution, the business operates as a focused niche CPG brand built on multi-generational family heritage, original Tennessee recipes, and real-ingredient positioning rather than scale, technology, or external capital.

Name

Knott's

Legal name

Knott's Fine Foods, Inc.

Website

https://knottsfoods.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1947

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Knott's Fine Foods is a family-owned manufacturer of refrigerated dips, spreads, salads, and pickled products, founded in 1947 in Paris, Tennessee. It sells to grocery retail consumers nationwide through refrigerated deli placement and to food service operators in bulk.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Refrigerated Deli Foods

SIC

Food And Kindred Products (2000), Sausages & Other Prepared Meat Products (2013)

akta.pro primary industry

Prepared salads, sandwiches & wraps manufacturing (AFAKAHAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Refrigerated Dips & Spreads (Cream Cheese, Hummus, Salsa, Guacamole) (CRADACAG), Freshly Made Grab-and-Go (Sandwiches, Wraps, Salads) (CRAHAKAA), Eggs & Egg Products (Shell, Liquid, Value-Added) (CRADACAJ)

Keywords

• Refrigerated dips
• Pimiento cheese
• Chicken salad
• Pickled products
• Deli prepared foods

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Retail Consumer Product Sales: Knott's generates revenue through the sale of branded refrigerated food products (dips, spreads, chicken salads, pimiento cheeses, pickled items) via retail grocery store placement in the refrigerated deli section. Consumers purchase products off-shelf for home consumption.
2. Food Service Bulk Sales: The company sells products in large-format 5lb and 12lb containers to food service operators (delis, restaurants, institutions) for use in their operations and resale to end consumers.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Knott's Fine Foods manufactures and sells refrigerated dips, spreads, chicken salads, pimiento cheeses, and pickled items under the Knott's brand and the Knott Yo Grandma's sub-brand. Products are distributed nationwide through grocery retail refrigerated deli sections for individual consumers and in bulk 5lb and 12lb containers sold directly to food service operators such as delis and restaurants.

Product overview

Knott's Fine Foods is a food products company offering a portfolio of dips, spreads, salads, and pickled items. The product line includes Chicken Salads (Chicken Salad, Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad), Pimiento Cheeses (Pimiento Cheese, Mild Jalapeño Pimiento Cheese, Chipotle Jack Pimiento Cheese, Smoked Gouda Pimiento Cheese, Knott Yo Grandma's Pimento Cheese, Knott Yo Grandma's Jalapeño Pimento Cheese), Dips (Bacon Cheddar Ranch Dip, Buffalo Chicken Dip, Fried Pickle Dip, Jalapeño Popper Dip, Spicy Chicken Taco Dip, Cowboy Caviar), and Pickled Items (Pickled Bologna, Pickled Bologna Bites, Pickled Eggs, Pickled Peeps). The company also offers bulk 5lb and 12lb containers for food service customers. Products are available in various sizes and are marketed as made with real ingredients, with some products carrying Clean Label Certified and Gluten-Free certifications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bacon Cheddar Ranch Dip Bacon and cheddar flavored ranch dip sold in refrigerated grocery deli packaging; can be served hot or cold for holiday cheese balls, snack spreads, and party use. Targeted at grocery shoppers seeking ready-to-eat dips.
• Buffalo Chicken Dip Buffalo chicken flavored dip sold refrigerated in 12oz containers; served hot or cold as a dip or used in recipes such as macaroni and cheese. Targeted at grocery shoppers seeking bold, ready-to-eat party and game day dips.
• Chicken Salad All-white-meat chicken salad sold refrigerated in 12oz containers; used as a sandwich filling or spread on crackers or fresh tomato. Targeted at grocery shoppers seeking ready-to-eat chicken salad.
• Chipotle Jack Pimiento Cheese Pimiento cheese combining mild smokiness with chipotle flavor, made with real cheese and sold refrigerated in 12oz containers. Targeted at grocery shoppers seeking flavored pimiento cheese varieties.
• Cowboy Caviar Fresh dip made with beans, corn, and peppers, sold refrigerated for use with chips, tacos, or southwest-flavored dishes. Targeted at grocery shoppers seeking vegetable-forward dip options.
• Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad Chicken salad with cranberries and pecans sold refrigerated; positioned as a snack, meal, or sandwich filling. Targeted at grocery shoppers seeking flavored chicken salad varieties.
• Fried Pickle Dip Gluten-free dip combining creamy texture with zesty pickle flavor, sold refrigerated for use with chips, crackers, or recipes. Targeted at grocery shoppers seeking gluten-free dip options.
• Jalapeño Popper Dip Spicy jalapeño popper-flavored dip sold refrigerated in 8oz containers; served hot or cold for quick snacks or game day spreads. Targeted at grocery shoppers seeking bold-flavored dips.
• Knott Yo Grandma's Jalapeño Pimento Cheese Clean Label Certified, gluten-free jalapeño pimento cheese made with real cheese, sold refrigerated in 12oz containers under the Knott Yo Grandma's sub-brand. Targeted at ingredient-conscious grocery shoppers.
• Knott Yo Grandma's Pimento Cheese Clean Label Certified, gluten-free pimento cheese made with real cheese, sold refrigerated in 12oz containers for spreads, dips, or baking under the Knott Yo Grandma's sub-brand. Targeted at ingredient-conscious grocery shoppers.
• Mild Jalapeño Pimiento Cheese Pimiento cheese with mild heat from jalapeños, sold refrigerated in 12oz containers for dips, sandwiches, or cheeseburgers. Targeted at grocery shoppers seeking mild flavored pimiento cheese.
• Pickled Bologna Red ring bologna packed in spiced vinegar, sold refrigerated in 16oz containers; positioned as a game day, picnic, and hunting-camp snack for more than 50 years. Targeted at grocery shoppers seeking Southern pickled snacks.
• Pickled Bologna Bites Bite-size red ring bologna packed in spiced vinegar, sold refrigerated in 8oz containers as a high-protein snack with the perceived health benefits of vinegar. Targeted at grocery shoppers seeking convenient pickled snacks.
• Pickled Eggs Hard-boiled eggs packed in spiced vinegar, sold refrigerated in 16oz containers as a long-standing pickled snack. Targeted at grocery shoppers seeking traditional pickled items.
• Pickled Peeps Hard-boiled eggs packed in spiced vinegar without red dye, sold refrigerated in 9oz containers as a natural pickled egg snack. Targeted at grocery shoppers seeking natural-ingredient pickled items.
• Pimiento Cheese Knott's flagship 'REAL CHEESE' pimiento cheese, sold refrigerated in 12oz containers for use as a dip, topping, stuffing, or sandwich filling. Targeted at grocery shoppers seeking classic Southern pimiento cheese.
• Smoked Gouda Pimiento Cheese Pimiento cheese blending gouda and smoky cheddar flavors, sold refrigerated in 8oz containers for use as a dip, stuffing, topping, or recipe ingredient. Targeted at grocery shoppers seeking premium pimiento cheese varieties.
• Spicy Chicken Taco Dip Spicy chicken taco-flavored dip sold refrigerated in 8oz containers; served hot or cold and used rolled in tortillas or with chips. Targeted at grocery shoppers seeking bold, Mexican-inspired dips.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Market position

Competitive moat3 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/knottsfoods
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@knottsfoods
• Facebookfacebook.com/knottsfoods
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/knotts-foods
• Instagraminstagram.com/knottsfoods

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Knott's