10 Fun Facts About Middleswarth Potato Chips That Every Pennsylvania Snack Fan Should Know
If you grew up in Pennsylvania, chances are you have a Middleswarth story.
Maybe it was a giant bag of Bar-B-Q chips at a family picnic. Maybe it was fighting with your siblings over the last handful in the Weekender bag. Or maybe you moved away from Pennsylvania years ago and still get a craving for that unmistakable Middleswarth crunch.
Whatever your connection, Middleswarth Potato Chips aren't just another snack. They're a piece of Pennsylvania food history.
And after more than 80 years, there's a lot of history, and plenty of fun facts, behind that famous Weekender bag.
So grab a snack and let's dig in!
1. Middleswarth Potato Chips Started With Just ONE Kettle
It's hard to imagine today, but Middleswarth Potato Chips started in 1942 with a single kettle.
Bob Middleswarth began making chips in a tiny two-room building next to his family's home in Beavertown, Pennsylvania. Bob, his mother Lottie, and two other employees produced about 15 pounds of chips per hour.
Today? That's a very different story.
Middleswarth now produces approximately 3,400 pounds of chips every hour at its Middleburg facility.
That's a whole lot of potatoes!
2. They're a Middleburg, PA Original
While Middleswarth is strongly associated with Middleburg today, that's not where the story began.
The company started in Beavertown before moving to a larger facility on Orange Street in 1959. Then, in 1961, Middleswarth built its current manufacturing facility in Middleburg, Pennsylvania.
The original Middleburg plant was 40,000 square feet and employed 44 people.
Today, the company employs around 90 people and continues making chips in Middleburg.
3. They've Gone From 15 Pounds an Hour to 3,400
Here's a fun little piece of Middleswarth math:
1942: 15 pounds of chips per hour
1959: 350 pounds of chips per hour
1961: 2,600 pounds of chips per hour
Today: About 3,400 of chips pounds per hour
That's an incredible transformation from a tiny operation in Beavertown to a beloved regional snack company.
And somehow, the chips still taste like the ones people remember from childhood.
4. The "& Son" in the Name Is a Real Person
The official company name is Ira Middleswarth & Son, Inc.
So who exactly is the "Son"?
That's Bob Middleswarth, the founder who started the company in 1942.
Bob's father, Ira, eventually joined the business, which led to the company becoming incorporated as Ira Middleswarth & Son.
So yes, the "& Son" isn't just old-fashioned branding. It's literally part of the family's story.
5. Middleswarth BBQ Chips Have a Serious Following
Ask a Pennsylvania chip fan to name their favorite Middleswarth flavor and there's a very good chance you'll hear:
"Bar-B-Q."
Middleswarth's signature Bar-B-Q seasoning has become one of the company's most recognizable flavors, with a sweet, smoky taste that's hard to confuse with anything else.
It's the kind of chip where you tell yourself:
"I'll just have one more."
And then suddenly the bag is empty.
Middleswarth's own ingredient information lists ingredients including sugar, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika extract, and hickory smoke flavor in its Bar-B-Q seasoning.
6. Middleswarth Has Its Own Distribution Network
Middleswarth isn't just sitting in a factory waiting for people to show up.
The company's trailers deliver chips to distributors throughout Pennsylvania, including areas such as Sunbury, Lewistown, Altoona, Harrisburg, Wilkes-Barre, Reading, State College, the Lehigh Valley, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Sayre.
7. Middleswarth Fans Live All Over the Country
Here's one of the best things about regional snacks:
Sometimes you don't realize how much you love them until you can't get them anymore.
Middleswarth has a loyal following among former Pennsylvanians who have moved away and still crave the chips they grew up eating.
Luckily, you don't have to make a road trip back to Pennsylvania every time a Middleswarth craving hits.
That's where Northeast Snacks comes in.
At NortheastSnacks.com, you can order Middleswarth chips online and have your favorite Pennsylvania snacks shipped right to your door.
8. The Weekender Is Basically a Pennsylvania Tradition
There are regular chip bags.
And then there's the Weekender.
The oversized Weekender bags are made for exactly what their name suggests: weekends, parties, family gatherings, camping trips, cookouts, and basically any situation where a normal bag of chips simply isn't enough.
Northeast Snacks carries Middleswarth Weekender bags in multiple flavors, including Regular, Bar-B-Q, Kettle, Kettle Bar-B-Q, and Party Style Bar-B-Q.
Because let's be honest...
Nobody has ever said, "We bought too many Middleswarth chips."
9. You Can Get Middleswarth Even If You Don't Live in Pennsylvania
One of the biggest challenges with regional snacks is actually finding them.
If you're lucky enough to live near Middleswarth's traditional distribution area, you might spot them at your local grocery store, convenience store, deli, or market.
But what if you live in Florida?
Texas?
California?
Or anywhere else outside the Northeast?
You can still get your Middleswarth fix.
Northeast Snacks ships Pennsylvania favorites nationwide, making it easy for homesick Pennsylvanians and curious snack fans to enjoy Middleswarth no matter where they live.
10. Middleswarth Potato Chips Make a Pretty Great Pennsylvania Food Gift
Know someone who moved away from Pennsylvania?
Send them Middleswarth.
Have a friend who insists Pennsylvania makes the best snacks?
Send them Middleswarth.
Need a gift for someone who already has everything?
You guessed it.
Send them Middleswarth.
NortheastSnacks offers everything from individual bags to larger quantities, including Weekender bags, 3-pound bulk boxes, snack packs, and other Middleswarth favorites.
It's basically a little taste of Pennsylvania delivered straight to their doorstep.
The Best Part? You Don't Have to Be From Pennsylvania to Love Middleswarth
There's a reason Middleswarth Potato Chips have survived for more than eight decades.
It isn't just the potatoes.
It isn't just the seasoning.
It's the memories.
Middleswarth has been there for birthday parties, family reunions, football games, road trips, backyard barbecues, hunting camps, beach vacations, and countless late-night trips to the snack cabinet.
For generations of Pennsylvanians, Middleswarth tastes like home.
And if you've never tried them?
Well, there's only one way to find out what all the fuss is about.
Ready for a Taste of Pennsylvania?
Whether you're a lifelong Middleswarth fan or you're discovering these legendary Pennsylvania chips for the first time, Northeast Snacks makes it easy to get your favorite Pennsylvania snack foods delivered right to your door.
Stock up on Middleswarth Bar-B-Q, Original, Weekender bags, 3-pound boxes, snack packs, and more.
Because sometimes you don't need a vacation to Pennsylvania.
You just need a bag of Middleswarth Potato Chips.
👉 Shop Middleswarth Potato Chips at NortheastSnacks.com
Northeast Snacks — bringing a taste of Pennsylvania to snack lovers everywhere.