Justin's

Justin's is an American food brand best known for natural and organic nut butters, portable squeeze packs, and organic peanut butter cups. The business was founded in Boulder, Colorado, in 2004 by Justin Gold, who had moved to Colorado after graduating from Dickinson College in 2000. Gold, a vegetarian and active outdoors enthusiast, began preparing nut butters for personal use as a convenient source of protein and energy. After roommates repeatedly ate his homemade products, he began selling them at the Boulder Farmers' Market. The products subsequently gained placement at Whole Foods Market, helping establish the brand in the natural-food retail channel. The name Justin's came from the labels Gold used on jars of nut butter made for himself and his roommates. The company initially financed its growth through money raised from friends and family. Its early proposition combined recognizable ingredients, natural and organic positioning, portable formats, and packaging designed for use outside the home. In 2006, Justin's introduced single-serve squeeze packs. The format became one of the brand's defining innovations and was described as the first single-serve nut-butter squeeze pack marketed by a nut-butter brand. The packs allowed consumers to use nut butter with fruit, toast, snacks, or meals without carrying a jar or utensil. Justin's later expanded beyond traditional nut-butter jars and squeeze packs. Its spread portfolio came to include peanut butter, almond butter, chocolate hazelnut butter, maple almond butter, and other flavors. The company also developed organic peanut butter cups in dark, milk, and white chocolate varieties. Its peanut butter cups are USDA-certified organic and use cocoa certified by the Rainforest Alliance. This combination of indulgent confectionery and natural-food credentials broadened the brand's appeal beyond the specialist health-food market. The company experienced rapid growth during the early 2010s. In 2011, its peanut butter cups were recognized by Progressive Grocer as one of the best product rollouts of that year. By 2012, the business was selling approximately 25 million squeeze packs and 1.6 million jars of nut butter, and its growth qualified it for the Inc. 5000 list of fast-growing American companies. By 2014, Justin's had approximately 30 employees, seven nut-butter flavors, and three peanut butter cup varieties, while reporting triple-digit growth. The brand's products were distributed through retailers including Whole Foods Market, Wegmans, Sprouts Farmers Market, Starbucks, and Target in the United States. In 2016, Justin's published the cookbook Justin My Kitchen, which contained more than 50 recipes using the company's products. In May of that year, Hormel Foods acquired Justin's for $286 million, adding the brand to its portfolio of consumer food businesses. Justin's continued to operate as a distinct consumer brand rather than being replaced by a Hormel masterbrand. In October 2025, Hormel announced a strategic partnership with Forward Consumer Partners under which Forward would acquire a 51% majority stake in Justin's nut-butter and chocolate-snacks business, while Hormel would retain a 49% minority interest. The announced transaction was presented as part of Hormel's effort to simplify its portfolio and concentrate more closely on protein-related businesses. Justin's has also maintained social-impact activities. It was a founding participant in the Whole Planet Foundation's Microloan-a-Month program and has worked with Conscious Alliance on hunger-related awareness and relief initiatives, including volunteer trips to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. The brand's market identity therefore combines natural and organic food credentials, portable snack convenience, premium confectionery, and cause-oriented consumer messaging.

Justin's originated in Boulder, Colorado, where founder Justin Gold began making nut butter for personal use after moving to the state in 2002. Gold had graduated from Dickinson College in 2000 with a focus on environmental studies and followed a vegetarian, outdoor-oriented lifestyle. His homemade nut butters were intended to provide convenient protein for everyday life and outdoor activities. When roommates repeatedly consumed the products, Gold recognized that the recipes could have commercial potential. Gold began selling the products at the Boulder Farmers' Market and obtained an important early retail opportunity when Whole Foods Market agreed to stock them. The business was initially funded by friends and family. The Justin's name derived from labels Gold placed on jars prepared for his own use and for his roommates. The early brand was associated with natural ingredients, small-scale entrepreneurship, and the developing natural-food retail sector. A significant product-format milestone came in 2006, when Justin's introduced single-serve squeeze packs. The portable packs differentiated the company from conventional jarred nut-butter brands and made the product suitable for lunches, travel, outdoor recreation, and on-the-go snacking. The company subsequently broadened its range with additional nut-butter flavors, including chocolate hazelnut and maple almond varieties, and entered the confectionery category with organic peanut butter cups in dark, milk, and white chocolate. Growth accelerated during the early 2010s. Progressive Grocer selected the peanut butter cups as a notable 2011 product rollout. By 2012, Justin's was selling about 25 million squeeze packs and 1.6 million jars of nut butter, and its growth resulted in recognition on the Inc. 5000 list. By 2014, the company had approximately 30 employees, seven nut-butter flavors, and three peanut butter cup varieties. Distribution expanded through major natural, grocery, mass-market, and food-service channels, including Whole Foods Market, Wegmans, Sprouts Farmers Market, Starbucks, and Target. Justin's supplemented product expansion with brand and community activities. In 2016, it self-published Justin My Kitchen, a cookbook containing more than 50 recipes based on its products. The same year, Hormel Foods acquired the company for $286 million. The acquisition placed Justin's within a larger packaged-food portfolio while preserving its distinct brand identity and product positioning. In October 2025, Hormel Foods announced a strategic partnership with Forward Consumer Partners involving the sale of a 51% majority stake in Justin's nut butters and chocolate snacks. Hormel stated that it would retain a 49% minority interest and that Justin's would operate as a standalone company. The move formed part of Hormel's broader portfolio-simplification strategy and its stated effort to focus more heavily on protein. The brand's social-impact history includes founding participation in the Whole Planet Foundation's Microloan-a-Month program, which supports microfinance institutions and entrepreneurs in developing countries. Justin's has also partnered with Conscious Alliance on hunger-awareness work and participated in annual volunteer trips to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. Recognition associated with the brand and its founder includes Justin Gold's 2013 Ernst & Young Consumer Products Entrepreneur of the Year award, a 2013 Clean Choice Award for Justin's nut butter, inclusion among Prevention magazine's clean packaged foods in 2014, and further trade and industry recognition in 2015.

• 2025

  Forward Consumer Partners takes majority stake

  [1]Justin'sen.wikipedia.org

  Hormel announced a transaction under which Forward Consumer Partners would hold 51% of Justin's, with Hormel retaining 49%.

• 2016

  Justin My Kitchen cookbook published

  [1]Justin'sen.wikipedia.org

  Justin's released a cookbook with more than 50 recipes incorporating its nut butters and peanut butter cups.

• 2016

  Hormel Foods acquires Justin's

  [1]Justin'sen.wikipedia.org

  Hormel Foods acquired the brand in a transaction valued at $286 million.

• 2014

  Brand expands its product portfolio

  [1]Justin'sen.wikipedia.org

  The company had approximately 30 employees and was reporting triple-digit growth across seven nut-butter flavors and three peanut butter cup varieties.

• 2012

  Rapid growth reaches Inc. 5000

  [1]Justin'sen.wikipedia.org

  Justin's reported sales of approximately 25 million squeeze packs and 1.6 million jars of nut butter and was included on the Inc. 5000 list.

• 2011

  Peanut butter cups receive rollout recognition

  [1]Justin'sen.wikipedia.org

  Progressive Grocer named Justin's peanut butter cups among the strongest product rollouts of the year.

• 2006

  Single-serve squeeze packs introduced

  [1]Justin'sen.wikipedia.org

  Justin's introduced portable single-serve nut-butter squeeze packs, a format that became central to the brand's convenience and outdoor-use proposition.

• 2004

  Justin's is founded in Boulder

  [1]Justin'sen.wikipedia.org

  Justin Gold formally launched Justin's after selling homemade nut butters at the Boulder Farmers' Market and securing early retail distribution through Whole Foods Market.

A natural and organic snack and spread brand combining portable nut-butter formats with premium peanut butter cups. Justin's emphasizes ingredient transparency, convenience, outdoor and active lifestyles, and certified-organic confectionery.

• Nut butter · 2004

  Jarred nut butters

  Justin's core jarred range includes natural and organic nut-butter products, with examples including peanut butter, almond butter, chocolate hazelnut butter, and maple almond butter. These products established the original brand platform and are sold through natural-food, grocery, mass-market, and food-service channels.

• Portable snack · 2006

  Single-serve squeeze packs

  Introduced in 2006, Justin's squeeze packs package individual portions of nut butter in a portable format. They are designed for lunchboxes, travel, outdoor activities, and use with fruit, bread, crackers, or other foods without the need to carry a jar and knife.

• Chocolate snack

  Organic peanut butter cups

  Justin's organic peanut butter cups combine peanut butter with dark, milk, or white chocolate. The products are USDA-certified organic and use Rainforest Alliance Certified cocoa, giving the confectionery line a premium and sustainability-oriented positioning alongside its indulgent use case.

• Whole Planet Foundation Microloan-a-Month program

  International philanthropic program

  Justin's was a founding member of the Whole Planet Foundation's Microloan-a-Month program and provided recurring support for microfinance and entrepreneurs in developing countries.

  Outcome. The program supported microfinance institutions and small-business borrowers; a Justin's-specific cumulative impact figure is not provided.

  Source
• Conscious Alliance hunger-relief partnership

  United States

  Justin's partnered with Conscious Alliance to raise awareness of severe hunger and participate in related relief activities.

  Outcome. The cited material does not provide a quantified campaign outcome.

  Source
• Pine Ridge Reservation volunteer activities

  South Dakota · United States

  The company participated in annual volunteer trips to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota in support of hunger-relief work.

  Outcome. A quantified result is not specified in the cited material.

  Source

• 2025

  Majority-stake divestment to Forward Consumer PartnersM&A

  Background

  Hormel announced a portfolio-simplification strategy intended to sharpen its focus on protein-related businesses.

  Action taken

  Hormel announced that Forward Consumer Partners would acquire a 51% majority stake in Justin's, while Hormel would retain 49% and the brand would operate as a standalone company.

  Aftermath

  The announced ownership structure shifted control of Justin's away from Hormel while preserving Hormel's minority investment.

  Source

• 2016

  Sale to Hormel FoodsM&A

  Background

  Justin's had developed a growing portfolio of nut butters and organic peanut butter cups with broad retail distribution.

  Action taken

  Hormel Foods acquired Justin's for $286 million.

  Aftermath

  Justin's became part of Hormel's branded food portfolio while continuing to operate under its own consumer identity.

  Acquisition value. $286 million (May 2016)

  Source

• 2006

  Launch of single-serve squeeze packsProduct launch

  Background

  The original business was centered on jarred nut butters, but consumers needed a more portable format for snacks, travel, and outdoor activities.

  Action taken

  Justin's introduced individual squeeze packs and marketed them as a convenient way to carry and consume nut butter.

  Aftermath

  The format became a signature part of the brand and contributed materially to its early growth.

  Source

1. 1Justin'sen.wikipedia.org