Broadline co-packer Lakeside Foods invests in meat snack opportunities

The company -- long known for its natural casing hot dogs and heat-and-serve cocktail sausages -- bolsters its meat stick packing capabilities.

By Fred Wilkinson, Chief Editor, The National Provisioner

A stack of Lakeside Foods snack sticks on a table, a small cup of barbecue sauce on a small plate with a basting brush, and a cut onion with a coriander leaf above it. — Image courtesy Lakeside Foods

Lakeside Foods, a longtime producer and supplier of frozen and canned food products for the retail, foodservice and industrial sectors is strengthening its proteins position.

Black and white photo of a vintage delivery truck for Lakeside Early June Peas, parked on a street. — (Click image to enlarge)
Lakeside Foods’ founding dates to 1887, and the company has grown to produce a diverse portfolio including smoked sausages, canned meat and a growing focus on meat stick production. *Image courtesy Lakeside Foods*

Based in Manitowoc, Wisc., family-owned Lakeside Foods operates 15 production facilities and eight distribution centers in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Ohio and Oregon. Lakeside Foods’ founding dates to 1887, and the company has grown to produce a diverse portfolio including smoked sausages, canned meat, canned and frozen vegetables, canned dry beans, frozen whipped toppings, and frozen appetizers.

The company — long known for its natural casing hot dogs and heat-and-serve cocktail sausages crafted in Wisconsin — is significantly bolstering its meat stick packing capabilities, with the co-manufacturer for both national brands and private labels recently installing new single-stick packaging technology and building on current multi-pack options to meet growing consumer demand for convenient, protein-packed snacks.

"While we’ve long had the capability to produce meat and sausage sticks to any specifications our customers might have, our recent investments have focused on the packaging side of the operation," said Nick Brisch, vice president of sales and supply chain for Lakeside Foods. "Understanding that multi-packs are but just one format that shoppers are picking up, our new line will not only produce delicious meat snacks, but it will also efficiently package them in convenient singles. Multi-pack, multi-serve and single-serves are all in demand by varying degrees across our mix of co-manufacturing and private-label customers."

Nick Brisch, vice president of sales and supply chain for Lakeside Foods. Image courtesy Lakeside Foods

Lakeside Food’s customers compete across the retail, industrial and foodservice channels, Brisch said, and Lakeside Foods helps them succeed by supplying safe, high-quality food products across many categories

"Smoked meat snacks, to include a variety of meat sticks, represent a newer category for us with tremendous growth potential," he said. "Our smokehouse team has the skills and expertise to deliver any customer specifications, from the protein source itself -- be it beef, pork, turkey or wild game -- to both premium, specialized, recipes as well as conventional formulations with more inclusive retail price points."

As a co-packing partner for private brands, Lakeside Foods’ portfolio has been rooted in carbohydrate-forward items rather than animal protein, Brisch said.

"Meat sticks and summer sausage lines fit naturally within our broader protein portfolio, serving different consumption occasions and need-states," he said. "The end-users of our co-manufacturing and private-label customers are increasingly looking for protein-rich options, typically to be enjoyed outside of traditional mealtimes. Our other items — like natural casing hot dogs or Polish sausage — also meet this need in retail and foodservice."

Lakeside Foods’ protein offerings are not limited to animal products such as the company’s meat sticks or our smoked sausage line.

The front and back of a packaged Lakeside Foods CHER-MAKE Game Time Beef Snack Sticks. — *Image courtesy Lakeside Foods*

"We also see strong growth opportunities in whole-plant proteins -- which often have the vital advantage of contributing to fiber intake -- and fiber is a health and wellness topic that will be dominating the conversation in the coming year," Brisch said. "As the company behind some of the most beloved store and national consumer brands, we produce meat products across the value spectrum. Our positioning -- whether value-driven, premium or somewhere in between -- is determined by our customers’ brand strategy and the needs of their target market. This allows us to deliver the right product and price point for each unique customer."