Vermont Smoke & Cure debuts snack sticks at Whole Foods
The brand recently expanded into Walmart, Kroger, and Giant Food stores.
Courtesy of Vermont Smoke & Cure
Smoked meat product maker Vermont Smoke & Cure has announced an expansion into Whole Foods Market locations nationwide. Its Mini Stick Variety Pack will be hitting shelves in more than 500 Whole Foods stores starting in late July.
"We are excited to partner with Whole Foods to introduce our artisanal, all-natural meat snacks to their customers," says Michael Schafer, commercial business lead at Vermont Smoke & Cure. “Our Mini Stick Variety Pack is a great fit for Whole Foods shoppers—made with hormone-free, responsibly sourced meat and hand-cut in our Vermont smokehouse. Our meat snacks are naturally allergen- and gluten-free, and offer a great source of protein to children and adults alike."
The Customer Favorites Mini Stick Variety Pack features a dozen .5-oz meat sticks in three varieties, including BBQ Beef, Original Beef & Pork, and Hickory-Smoked Uncured Bacon Pork. The BBQ Beef flavor is seasoned with molasses and paprika and slow smoked for a tangy and sweet barbecue flavor. The Original Beef & Pork is a classic meat stick that combines premium cuts of beef and pork with natural ingredients like fresh cracked pepper, garlic, and mustard seed. The Hickory-Smoked Uncured Bacon Pork is a lightly sweetened stick with Vermont maple syrup, smoked over hickory chips for a balance of smoky, salty, and sweet, the company says.
This distribution follows the brand’s recent multiretailer expansion into Walmart, Kroger, and Giant Food stores in Q2 2025, which represented the largest distribution growth in the company’s history. Earlier in 2025, they announced growth in Costco’s Northeast Division, which introduced the brand's new Hickory Smoked Premium Beef Stick to Costco members across the region.
“It’s encouraging to see strong interest from major national retailers,” says Schafer. “Consumers today want high-quality protein snacks made with clean ingredients, and our handcrafted, slow-cooked meat snacks deliver on that promise. Vermont Smoke & Cure is driving strong unit velocity in the fast-growing meat snacks category.”
Vermont Smoke & Cure products maintain the brand's strict quality standards, it says, using meats free from antibiotics and added hormones, with no artificial colors, preservatives, or flavors. Each meat stick is crafted in small batches, slow cooked for over 18 hours, and smoked with real hardwood chips in the company's Vermont smokehouse.
"Cutting corners just isn’t in our nature," says Schafer. "We take our time to craft meat sticks that not only replenish, they reward. Our retail partners appreciate our commitment to craftsmanship, and consumers recognize the difference in every bite."
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