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AISLE 2 · SNACKS & CHIPS
Shearer's Potato Chips
by Shearer's Foods
Gone as a brand since the end of 2021. Shearer's Foods itself is thriving, opening its 17th plant in 2026 and making snacks sold under other names — just not its own.
Last verified Nov 8, 2026
Canton, Ohio, grocers Jack and Rosemary Shearer started hand-cooking 'Kettle-Cook'd' chips in 1979, put Grandma Shearer on the bag in 1983, and grew into a manufacturer with plants across the country.
🧾 One more thingThe company didn't die — it got too good at making everyone else's chips. Shearer's dropped its own branded snacks at the end of 2021 to concentrate on private-label and contract manufacturing.
Filed under: Snacks & Chips · the ’70s & earlier
📅 Timeline
- 1974Jack and Rosemary Shearer bought a snack distributorship in Canton, Ohio.
- 1979The Shearers began making their own chips by hand under the Kettle-Cook'd name.
- 1983The Grandma Shearer's logo debuted, honoring Rosemary, who developed the recipe.
- 1986The company installed its first continuous fryer.
- 2004A packaging redesign retired the Grandma and Grandpa characters.
- 2021Shearer's-branded snacks were discontinued at the end of the year, as reported in February 2022.
❓ People also ask
Is Shearer's out of business?
No. Shearer's Foods is a large private-label and contract snack maker; only its own brand of chips was discontinued, at the end of 2021.
Why did Shearer's stop selling its own chips?
The company's private-label business had outgrown its brand. Local coverage noted the branded line no longer made sense for the company.
🧾 Sources
- FundingUniverse, Shearer's Foods, Inc. company history (2006)
- PotatoPro, Shearer's Foods stops making its branded chips to focus on private label business (2022)
- Cleveland Scene, Shearer's, grab 'em while you can (2022)
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