Vermont Smoke & Cure

What Vermont Smoke & Cure does

Vermont Smoke & Cure (legal entity VSC Holdings, Inc.) is a Hinesburg, Vermont-based manufacturer of hand-crafted meat sticks and charcuterie products, founded in 1962 and operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Johnsonville since 2020. The company's core production technology is a small-batch, 18+ hour slow-cooking and hardwood smoking process (maple and hickory chips) carried out at a single Vermont smokehouse, with no liquid smoke or artificial shortcuts. Products are formulated as clean-label, free from synthetic nitrates, artificial flavors, MSG, gluten, and major allergens, using antibiotic- and hormone-free meats.

The product portfolio spans turkey sticks (the company's category-leading line in the Northeast), beef and beef-pork sticks, pork sticks, mini meat sticks (0.5oz format), and charcuterie items (uncured pepperoni and summer sausage). Recent product strategy includes co-branded SKUs through licensing partnerships — A.1. and Lea & Perrins smoked premium beef sticks with Kraft Heinz launching in 2026, and a WhistlePig Whiskey cocktail-inspired pork stick unveiled at Expo West 2025.

The company operates a multi-channel revenue model: (1) direct e-commerce through a Shopify storefront (store.vermontsmokeandcure.com) including a Subscribe & Save program with 10% recurring discounts on 1/3/6 month cadences, (2) national retail distribution at chains including Walmart, Kroger, and Giant Food, and (3) Amazon marketplace presence. Pricing spans $7.99-$12.49 for 6-count pouches, $48.99 for 24-count boxes, and $111-$222 for 96-192 count bulk mini stick boxes. Customers are primarily health-conscious active consumers seeking high-protein, clean-label snacks, with a secondary B2B segment of national grocery retailers seeking differentiated premium meat snack SKUs. The company employs 51-100 people and serves the continental United States.

Name

Vermont Smoke & Cure

Legal name

VSC Holdings, Inc.

Website

https://store.vermontsmokeandcure.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1962

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Vermont Smoke & Cure is a Vermont-based craft manufacturer of hand-smoked, clean-label meat sticks and charcuterie products, serving health-conscious consumers and national grocery retailers (Walmart, Kroger, Giant Food) via DTC e-commerce, subscriptions, and co-branded licensing with Kraft Heinz.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Smoked Meat Snacks

SIC

Sausages & Other Prepared Meat Products (2013)

akta.pro primary industry

Smoked & Cured Seafood (Salmon, Herring, Lox) (AFANALAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Fermented & Air-Dried Charcuterie (Salami, Pepperoni, Prosciutto-Style) (AFANAEAE)

Keywords

• Smoked meat sticks
• Meat snack products
• Charcuterie meats
• Clean-label snacks
• High-protein snacks

Headquarters

HQ city

Hinesburg

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Direct E-commerce Sales: Products sold directly to consumers through the company's Shopify-powered online store (store.vermontsmokeandcure.com). Offers one-time purchases and Subscribe & Save subscriptions with 10% recurring discount.
2. Retail/Physical Storefront Sales: Products sold through major retail chains including Kroger, Walmart, Giant Food, and other national and regional grocery stores.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Vermont Smoke & Cure manufactures and markets hand-crafted, small-batch meat sticks and charcuterie products at its Hinesburg, Vermont smokehouse. Products are slow-cooked for over 18 hours and smoked with real maple and hickory hardwood chips, using clean-label ingredients free from artificial flavors, preservatives, synthetic nitrates, and major allergens. The company sells through owned e-commerce (with a Subscribe & Save program), Amazon, and national grocery retailers including Walmart, Kroger, and Giant Food.

Product overview

Vermont Smoke & Cure is a hand-crafted meat snack company producing premium meat sticks and charcuterie products. The product portfolio centers on three core meat stick lines: Turkey Meat Sticks (Uncured Turkey Pepperoni, Oven Roasted Seasoned, and Hickory Smoked Hot & Spicy varieties), Beef & Pork Meat Sticks (Original Cracked Pepper, Hickory Smoked Premium Beef, BBQ, and Smoked Chipotle), and Pork Meat Sticks (Hickory Smoked Uncured Bacon). The company also offers Mini Meat Sticks in the same flavor varieties in smaller 0.5oz portions ideal for lunchboxes and on-the-go snacking. Charcuterie offerings include Smoked Uncured Pepperoni and Uncured Summer Sausage. In 2026, the company launched collaboration products with Kraft Heinz — A.1.™ and LEA & PERRINS™ Inspired Smoked Premium Beef Sticks. Additional services include a Subscribe & Save program with 10% savings and Gift Cards. All products are characterized by slow-cooking (over 18 hours), real hardwood smoking, and clean-label ingredients free from antibiotics, hormones, artificial preservatives, and major allergens.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Turkey Meat Sticks Premium turkey meat sticks in multiple varieties including Uncured Turkey Pepperoni, Oven Roasted Seasoned, and Hickory Smoked Hot & Spicy. Made from antibiotic- and hormone-free turkey, slow-cooked and hardwood smoked. Sold as 1oz sticks (6-count pouches or 24-count boxes) and mini 0.5oz sticks.
• Beef & Pork Meat Sticks Beef and beef-and-pork combination meat sticks in Original Cracked Pepper, Hickory Smoked Premium Beef, BBQ, and Smoked Chipotle varieties. Crafted with premium cuts and slow-smoked for deep flavor. Sold as 1oz sticks (6-count pouches or 24-count boxes).
• Pork Meat Sticks Hickory smoked uncured bacon pork sticks, lightly sweetened with maple sugar and spices for a salty-sweet balance. Made from pork raised without antibiotics or added hormones. Sold as 1oz sticks (24-count boxes).
• Mini Meat Sticks Smaller-sized meat sticks (0.5oz) in turkey pepperoni, original beef & pork, BBQ beef, and bacon pork varieties. Available in 3oz pouches, 96-count bulk boxes, and 192-count bulk boxes, ideal for lunchboxes and on-the-go snacking.
• Charcuterie Crafted charcuterie meats including Smoked Uncured Pepperoni (6oz) and Uncured Summer Sausage (6oz), made with classic seasonings and real meat, designed for sharing on boards and platters.
• Kraft A.1. Inspired Smoked Premium Beef Sticks Premium beef sticks crafted with the bold, savory, tangy flavor of iconic A.1. Steak Sauce. Made with high-quality beef and simple ingredients in a convenient, on-the-go 1oz format (6-count pouches).

Quantifiable outcome

• Top-selling turkey stick brand in the Northeast with the most turkey SKUs in the category
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Kraft Heinz (Licensing)coreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerVermont Smoke & Cure entered into a licensing partnership with Kraft Heinz to create branded meat stick products using the iconic A.1. and Lea & Perrins brands. This is the first-ever collaboration between the companies. Two SKUs were launched: A.1. Original Sauce Smoked Beef Sticks and Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Smoked Beef Sticks, both made with 100% premium beef, slow-cooked for over 18 hours, and smoked with real hardwood chips. Products launched nationwide at Kroger with additional retailers planned.
• WhistlePig WhiskeyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVermont Smoke & Cure collaborated with WhistlePig Whiskey to create the world's first cocktail-inspired pork stick, crafted with WhistlePig Whiskey. The product was unveiled at Expo West 2025, representing a unique brand crossover into the craft spirits-meat snacks space.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Perky Jerky: Smaller premium jerky and meat snack brand emphasizing low-sugar, high-protein formulations. Overlaps on health-conscious positioning and snack-aisle presence.
• Wild Zora Foods: Smaller clean-label meat snack brand emphasizing paleo-friendly, allergen-free ingredients. Comparable on clean-label, allergen-free positioning though at smaller scale and narrower distribution.
• Field Trip Snacks: Emerging clean-label meat stick brand focused on better-for-you snacking. Comparable product format and clean-label philosophy, with growing but still limited national distribution.

Direct peers

• Chomps: Direct competitor in clean-label, high-protein meat sticks sold through natural and mainstream grocery channels. Comparable on product format, clean-label positioning, and DTC + retail distribution model.
• Tillamook Country Smoker: Direct competitor in premium smoked meat sticks sold through grocery and convenience channels. Comparable on hardwood smoking process and consumer positioning around authentic, crafted meat snacks.
• Country Archer Provisions: Direct competitor in premium, clean-label jerky and meat sticks emphasizing real ingredients and no artificial preservatives. Overlaps on retail grocery distribution and high-protein snack positioning.
• KRAVE Jerky: Direct competitor in premium, clean-label meat snacks including jerky and sticks. Comparable on product format, premium positioning, and now operates under a major CPG parent (Tyson).

Broad incumbents

• Duke's: Hormel-owned meat snack brand spanning sausages, sticks, and smoked meats across mainstream grocery. Broad incumbent in the same category with wider portfolio and deeper retail penetration.
• Slim Jim: Conagra-owned mainstream meat stick brand with mass-market distribution. Competes in the same meat stick format but at a value price point, defining the low end of the category.
• Jack Link's: Largest incumbent in the meat snacks category with broad mainstream distribution across grocery, convenience, and mass channels. Competes across price tiers but occupies shelf space adjacent to Vermont Smoke & Cure.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/VTSmoke
• Instagraminstagram.com/vtsmoke
• Xx.com/VTsmoke

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

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 Vermont Smoke & Cure