Watching dainty fortune cookies get made at Golden Gate Fortune Cookies factory in San Francisco’s Chinatown is mesmerising. The cookies are baked on rotating copper griddle wheels, then twisted by hand, before a message is slipped inside. The factory air is filled with the tempting smell of vanilla and you can try one while it’s still hot.
Fancy visiting a farm? At Bates Nut Farm it’s walnuts rather than vegetables that are produced. Learn about the history of California nut agriculture and check out the roasting, packaging and storage rooms. Don’t worry you can still take a hayride and get your cute animal fix as the farm is home to a herd of friendly goats.
Ever wondered how candy is made? Find out at Hammond’s Candies where you can see raw ingredients turn into bubbling pots of molten sugar which get pulled, twisted and shaped into lollipops and candy canes. The process is done by hand just as it was 100 years ago and you can learn about the company’s fascinating history along the way.
A treat for the senses, Celestial Seasonings tea factory displays beautiful tea box art, lets you see into the factory where tea bags are produced and sample many of its flavours. Not to mention the infamous mint room – a special space where the mint gets stored to prevent it contaminating other teas. The factory has temporarily closed the tours, so double check before you go to see when they restart.
Take a trip down memory lane at PEZ Visitor Center which holds the world’s largest collection of PEZ memorabilia, including president and movie character candy dispensers, and a giant dispenser. During the week you can see into the production floor where candy is created and packaged.
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Want to know more about the magical process of coffee making? A tour of Greenwell Farms on the island of Hawaii will get you up to speed. A knowledgeable guide will walk you around the plantation and processing facilities while answering your coffee-related questions. It finishes with a sampling so you can work out your favourite products.
A place steeped in history, the Tabasco factory on Avery Island is a must-visit for lovers of hot sauce. Marvel at peppers growing in the greenhouse, check out the barrel warehouse where the pepper mash ages and visit the blending room where it’s transformed into Tabasco. Keep an eye out for the alligators skulking around the botanical gardens.
Bold and satisfying, Taza Chocolate is stone ground with granite millstones to achieve its complex flavour and unrefined texture. If you want to learn more about the process, book on to one of its tours. Typically, they feature a talk on harvesting cacao, tour of the grinding rooms and tasting of stone-ground chocolate.
Visiting Cape Cod? Schedule a stop at Cape Cod potato chip factory. You get to see how kettle chips are made from start to finish and how the process differs from other kinds of chips (the clue is in the name – it involves giant kettles to get that extra-crunchy texture). You’ll also get a free sample of chips at the end. Check before you visit, as it has had to close due to demands related to COVID-19.
Home of the beloved American baking products, Jiffy Mix Plant is where Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix, Jiffy Fudge Brownie Mix and Jiffy Buttermilk Pancake & Waffle Mix get made. During a tour of the plant you will watch a video presentation, walk through the packaging area and sample some of its products.
A trolley ride like no other, Spangler Candy Company manufacturing plant tour carts guests around the Dum Dums factory where its most iconic candy is produced while teaching them about its 100-year plus history. It starts in the store and museum, takes riders through the candy packing and warehouse areas, and screens videos from the kitchen. Be sure to check before you go, as tours have been put on hold due to the pandemic.
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Get two experiences for the price of one with a visit to Braum’s Processing Plant and Bakery. Here you can see how milk is processed and bottled, how fresh ice cream is made, and cookies and ice cream cones getting baked in the bakery. It’s an eye-opening experience seeing food production on such a scale. Be sure to check before you go, as tours have been on hold in relation to COVID-19.
For a delicious day out, head to Tillamook Creamery where you’ll learn all about how milk is turned into Cheddar. Find out how its cows are pampered, watch the daily delivery of milk get processed and see how the cheese wheels age. No visit is complete without stopping by the café to try more cheese products, plus the unmissable ice cream.
Love these crunchy pretzels and want to know how they’re made? At Snyder’s of Hanover bakery you’ll visit the raw material warehouse, smell the freshly-baked scent wafting from the oven room, see robotics at work and visit its state-of-the-art packing room. You’ll also get treated to a free bag of pretzels.
A self-guided tour of the Utz potato chip factory is a must for fans of the brand’s salty snacks. From the observation gallery you can see onto the factory floor where whole potatoes are transformed into perfectly fried chips. You’ll leave with a new found knowledge of the iconic company’s 100-year history.
Peek behind the scenes at pretzels and potato chips getting made at Herr’s Snack Factory. Catch a movie on the company’s history in the screening room then take a stroll around the factory buildings. For an extra special visit, go during the holiday season when it has a spectacular Christmas light display. Check the factory's website before you visit, as aspects of the experience might be temporarily closed.
America’s largest working tea garden, Bigelow's Charleston Tea Garden is sure to impress tea drinkers and non-tea drinkers alike. See how the beverage is made from start to finish with a scenic trolley ride around 127 acres of tea fields, learn about how the best plants are selected and cloned, and finish with a factory tour.
Make sure you arrive hungry to Blue Bell Creameries. If not you need to work up an appetite learning about the brand’s history (it has a delivery truck from 1936) and seeing what's happening on the production floor. Then you can make the most of the Ice Cream Parlor which offers divine flavours such as mint chocolate chip, cherry vanilla and banana pudding.
Who doesn't love iconic ice cream brand Ben & Jerry’s? Known for its chunky texture and far-out flavours, notable products include Phish Food (featuring marshmallow, caramel and fudge fishes) and Half Baked (featuring cookie dough and brownie bits). Its factory in Waterbury, which opened in 1985, allows the public to wander inside and has an incredibly well-stocked scoop shop.
Maple syrup production leader Goodrich’s Maple Farm got its start in 1840 and is unbelievably still family-run. Visit its pristine premises and their spectacular surroundings to see how the sweet stuff is harvested from trees and boiled into maple syrup using high-tech equipment. Be sure to take home a bottle from the farm shop.
Watching fresh peanut brittle get made and truffles get rolled, dipped and packaged at Boehm’s Candies & Chocolates factory is a tantalising experience. To see it happen visit within production hours or book onto a guided tour. The chalet shop where you can buy freshly-made confections is also a sight to behold.
Everyone knows the best part of visiting a factory is being able to taste the products and at Theo Chocolate factory you can try a wide range of its bestsellers. But first you must learn about the origins of cacao and responsible farming, and watch how the chocolate is made.
What better reason to visit Beecher’s Cheese in Seattle's Pike Place Market than being able to see one of the country’s favourite Cheddars made before your eyes? Through the glass-walled kitchen you’ll see the milk delivery from the farms and how it's manufactured into cheese. Founder Kurt Beecher designed his shop this way as he wanted customers to know where their food comes from.