Joining a long roster of freshened iconic-female CPG logos that includes Betty Crocker, Aunt Jemima and Wendy of fast-food fame, Little Debbie is getting a modern makeover. The face of the snack-cake brand is being tweaked by owner McKee Foods for just the third time since the iconic logo was introduced in 1960.

The difference between Little Debbie and the other three females is that she's the only real person who is still working in a key role with the company whose eponymous logo she inspired. Debbie McKee-Fowler is still an executive vice president of McKee, a family-owned, Collegedale, Tenn.-based company that was founded by her grandfather, O.D. McKee. Grandpa was inspired by the angelic visage of his three-and-a-half-year-old granddaughter to make her the fresh and appealing face of his new food enterprise.Continue reading...

After filing for bankruptcy protection in November and laying off its workers, Hostess has finally found buyers to pony up about $800 million for the majority of its baked goods brands.

According to Associated Press, a bankruptcy judge has approved the sale of Hostess Brands' iconic Twinkies, Ding Dongs and Ho Hos to two investment firms, Apollo Global Management and Pabst owner Metropoulos & Co., for $410 million. The judge also approved the sale of Hostess-owned Wonder Bread, Nature's Pride, Butternut, Home Pride and Merita bread brands to Tastykakes owner Flowers Foods, for $360M.

Beefsteak, a Hostess-owned regional bread brand, also was approved for a $31.9 million sale to Mexico's Grupo Bimbo, which surfaced early in the Hostess bankruptcy auction as a potential buyer and acquired Sara Lee's North American bakery business in 2010.Continue reading...

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The world has been restored to its rightful order, folks. The snack-cake division of Hostess has accepted a buyer bid from Apollo Global Management Group and Metropoulos & Co. for $410 million. 

Hostess was to conduct an auction later this week for snack brands including Twinkies, CupCakes, Ho Hos and Ding Dongs, however no competing bids were received by the deadline. Apollo, in partnership with veteran food executive Dean Metropoulos, has reportedly said that they are aiming to have the snack cakes back on shelves by summer, according to the Chicago Tribune.Continue reading...

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Flowers Foods set to buy Wonder, other Hostess brands for $390 million.Continue reading...

Lovers of Wonder Bread and Twinkies had heavy hearts back in November when Hostess Brands failed to resolve its labor woes and announced that it didn’t have enough cash to keep on baking and would have to shut down. Wonder fans didn’t have to wait long for their brand to find a new home, though.

Flower Foods, which owns such bread brands as Cobblestone Mill and Nature’s Own, has emerged as the lead bidder for six of the Hostess brands that were put on the block in November, for $390 million.

The bid came in two parts, the Associated Press reports: $360 million for Wonder, Nature’s Pride, Butternut, Home Pride, and Merita as well as $30 million for Beefsteak. It isn’t totally a done deal yet since the bankruptcy court will rule on the bidders later this month.

Twinkie fans, however, will have to wait a bit longer.Continue reading...

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Hostess strikes a deal to sell Wonder Bread and other brands plus production facilities to Flower Foods.

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