American Spoon

What American Spoon does

American Spoon is a family-owned specialty food company founded in 1982 in Petoskey, Michigan, by Justin Rashid and Chef Larry Forgione. The business produces artisanal fruit preserves, jams, conserves, compotes, spoon-fruit spreads, nut butters, granola, pancake mixes, honey, maple syrup, cocktail mixes, salsas, BBQ and roasting sauces, mustards, condiments, baked goods, and curated gift boxes under the American Spoon brand. Core production uses a small-batch copper kettle technique that yields roughly 80 jars per batch, combined with hand preparation of fruit by a kitchen crew of roughly a dozen — relying on experience rather than automated process control to determine batch quality. The company sources directly from Michigan farmers and foragers who grow heirloom and specialty fruit varieties (Early Glow Strawberry, Red Haven Peach, Rubel Blueberry, wild thimbleberries, wild elderberries) that are unavailable in mass-market supply.

The business operates three go-to-market channels. Direct-to-consumer e-commerce at spoon.com offers individual SKUs, multi-pack bundles, and a Build Your Own subscription bundle with monthly, bi-monthly and quarterly delivery cadence. A retail channel comprises seven owned stores across Michigan's Lake Michigan resort towns — Petoskey (flagship), Charlevoix, Harbor Springs, Traverse City, Suttons Bay and Saugatuck — most operating seasonally to capture tourist traffic. A dedicated B2B channel at gifts.spoon.com supports corporate and group gifting with multi-recipient shipping up to 200 addresses, bulk ordering, and concierge services for custom gift design. American Spoon ships to all 50 US states, US territories, APO/FPO addresses and Canada. Pricing spans $9.95-$39.95 per unit and $42.00-$375.00 per bundle, with a minimum two-item rule on business gifting orders.

American Spoon is wholly family-owned by Justin Rashid, Kate Marshall and Noah Marshall-Rashid, with Noah Marshall-Rashid now leading the company as a second-generation operator. The company has been entirely bootstrapped since founding, with no external institutional, private equity or venture capital ownership identified. The firm employs 101-250 people and has been recognized by the James Beard Foundation (Who's Who of Food & Beverage in America, 1984) and multiple Good Food Awards (2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019) for products including Wild Thimbleberry Jam, Wild Blueberry Compote, Wild Elderberry Jelly, Chili Jam, and Chocolate Fudge Sauce, with editorial coverage in The New York Times, Bon Appétit, Travel + Leisure, Serious Eats, Saveur, Eater and PBS.

Name

American Spoon

Legal name

American Spoon

Website

https://spoon.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

American Spoon is a family-owned specialty food company founded in 1982 in Petoskey, Michigan, producing small-batch fruit preserves, jams, condiments, cocktail mixes and curated gift boxes via DTC e-commerce with subscriptions, seven Michigan retail stores, and a corporate gifting program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Petoskey

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Direct E-commerce Sales: Direct-to-consumer online sales through spoon.com, featuring individual products, curated bundles, and build-your-own subscription bundles delivered to customers nationwide
2. Retail Store Sales: Physical retail stores located in Michigan's most beloved resort towns along Lake Michigan's coast, including Petoskey, Charlevoix, Harbor Springs, Traverse City, Suttons Bay, and Saugatuck
3. Business Gifting: Corporate and group gift orders with multi-recipient shipping, bulk ordering capabilities, and custom concierge gifting services for business clients

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

American Spoon produces small-batch artisanal fruit preserves, jams, Spoon Fruit spreads, and related specialty foods using traditional copper-kettle techniques in Northern Michigan. The company sells direct-to-consumer via spoon.com, through seven Michigan retail stores, and via a dedicated corporate gifting program with multi-recipient and concierge services.

Product overview

American Spoon is a family-owned specialty food company founded in 1982, specializing in artisanal preserves, jams, and fruit-based products made in small batches using copper kettles in Northern Michigan. The product portfolio centers on fruit preserves and Spoon Fruit spreads (over 20 varieties including Sour Cherry, Red Haven Peach, Early Glow Strawberry, and seasonal limited releases), complemented by nut butters (peanut and almond), granola and breakfast items (pancake mixes, maple syrup, honey), cocktail mixers (Bloody Mary, Margarita, Paloma, and seasonal punches), condiments (salsas, BBQ sauces, mustards, and specialty jams), and prepared foods (curds, pie fillings, compotes). The company offers subscription bundle services for recurring delivery, extensive gift box options ranging from single-item bundles to premium curated collections, and a business gifting program for corporate clients. Products are sold through company-owned retail stores in Michigan resort towns, direct-to-consumer e-commerce, and a business-to-business channel.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Artisanal Fruit Preserves & Jams Small-batch fruit preserves and jams made in copper kettles from Michigan-grown heirloom and specialty fruit varieties, including seasonal and limited releases; for home cooks, gift buyers, and food enthusiasts seeking premium artisanal flavors.
• Spoon Fruit Spreads Whole-fruit spreads including Sour Cherry Spoon Fruit, Red Raspberry Spoon Fruit, Blueberry Spoon Fruit, and fruit butters (Apple Butter, Pumpkin Butter, Red Raspberry Butter); minimally processed spreads with intense fruit flavor.
• Nut Butters
• Honey, Maple Syrup & Maple Cream
• Maple Granola
• Pancake & Baking Mixes
• Cocktail Mixes
• Salsas & Grilling Sauces
• Specialty Condiments & Mustards
• Sauces & Chocolate
• Pie Fillings, Compotes & Preserved Fruits
• Curds & Marmalades
• Bestseller Bundle Packs
• Curated Gift Boxes
• Custom Gift Box Builder
• Build Your Own Bundle & Subscribe
• Business & Corporate Gifting Service

Quantifiable outcome

• Featured in The New York Times: 'American Spoon was ahead of the curve when it comes to the artisanal movement.' - Florence Fabricant, September 2010
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Michigan Farmers and ForagerscoreOthersLongstanding relationships with Michigan farmers who grow specialty fruit varieties like Early Glow Strawberry, Red Haven Peach, and Rubel Blueberry bred over generations for unparalleled taste. Also works with wild foragers for unique ingredients. These partnerships ensure longevity of rare varieties and livelihoods of growers.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Stonewall Kitchen: Premium specialty food brand offering artisanal jams, preserves, sauces, baking mixes, and gift collections. Directly comparable to American Spoon in product portfolio (preserves-led, multi-category), premium positioning, DTC + wholesale + corporate gifting, and gift-box-centric merchandising.
• Sarabeth's: Premium fruit preserves and jam brand founded by a James Beard-recognized chef. Directly competes in the same artisan preserves category, with comparable price points, DTC distribution, and gift-oriented merchandising.
• Wilkin & Sons (Tiptree): Heritage British preserves manufacturer specializing in small-batch jams, marmalades, and condiments. Comparable in craft production philosophy, multi-category portfolio (jams, curds, sauces), and premium gift positioning.
• Mackays: Scotland-based premium preserves and marmalade brand. Comparable as a family-owned, multi-generational preserves maker with traditional small-batch techniques and gift-oriented retail distribution.
• Crofter's Organic: Organic fruit spreads and preserves brand comparable in category positioning, multi-flavor portfolio, and DTC/wholesale distribution, with a focus on natural and organic ingredients.
• Harry & David: Premium mail-order gourmet food and gift brand famous for fruit-based gifts, gift towers, and corporate gifting. Comparable in DTC gifting model, premium price points, and reliance on the corporate gifting channel as a growth lever.

Broad incumbents

• Bonne Maman: Iconic French preserves brand with broad national distribution across grocery and mass channels. Competes in the same preserves category but at mass-premium scale; serves as a benchmark for category pricing and a key competitor on shelf and in gifting.
• J.M. Smucker (Smucker's, Jif, Knott's): Large packaged food conglomerate whose Smucker's brand dominates the jams/preserves category at mass retail. Represents the scale competitor that defines price baselines and shelf placement norms American Spoon must work around.

Emerging players

• Goldbelly: Online marketplace for regional and artisanal foods, including preserves and small-batch makers. Comparable as a distribution channel for premium artisanal food gifting; partially competitive (curated marketplace exposure) and partially complementary (potential wholesale partnership).

Regional players

• Dundee Jam: Heritage preserves brand known for citrus marmalades and small-batch jams. Comparable in craft preserves manufacturing, gift merchandising, and brand heritage; primarily serves different geographic retail channels.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/americanspoon
• Xx.com/americanspoon
• Facebookfacebook.com/americanspoon

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

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 American Spoon