Paul Newman: The Food Entrepreneur

Hartford Courant:

To a younger generation, Paul Newman wasn’t Butch Cassidy or Cool Hand Luke or Fast Eddie Felson. He was a witty guy who ran a food company that made popcorn, salsa and spaghetti sauce.

Newman and his friend, the writer A.E. Hotchner, went from bottling homemade salad dressing as Christmas gifts to creating a successful company, Newman’s Own, that became known as much for the food products and cartoons of Newman on the label as for its philanthropic goals. Even if Newman had not left an impressive body of work as an actor and director, his success as an entrepreneur would have ensured fame.

The company, based in Westport, has donated more than $200 million in profits to charities in the United States and in other parts of the world since 1982. The actor was a hands-on director of the company, whether the task was taste-testing new products or presiding over the finals of a Newman’s Own recipe contest.

“He really loved good food, so he was really involved in the business,” said Kirsten McKamy, who worked for Newman’s Own for eight years. “He wasn’t just a figurehead; he came up with ideas.”

Photo by Stan Honda.

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