Over 20 Years of Deliciousness
TERRA Chips were the brainchild of two New York chefs with the sort of entrepreneurial spirit that keeps one's ingenuity and imagination cooking. Dana Sinkler and Alex Dzieduszycki each left their jobs at four-star Manhattan restaurants to begin a modest catering business that would soon grow to cater some of the most elite parties in the Big Apple.
Since main dishes must be tailored to each event, they knew a signature entree would not suffice for every occasion. The focus turned to the bar, where guests characteristically made their first visit to order a drink and nibble on appetizers. The two chefs went to work creating a versatile dish that could be enjoyed as a flavorful snack at the bar, a beautiful and delicious accompaniment to any meal or a welcomed addition to the fanciful plate of hors d'oeuvres.
In February of 1990, within Dana's tiny apartment kitchen, TERRA Chips were born.
Soon, the two chefs began selling their chips to catering customers — taking a risk by packaging their new exciting creations in contrastingly simple silver and black bags. Apparently, simplicity sold. One of their first clients was Saks Fifth Avenue. Saks was so enthusiastic about this new retail opportunity that they ordered 50 cases right away. With current production at only 5 cases a day, this was quite the endeavor!
By 1993, production was up to 150 cases a day, and orders for TERRA Exotic Vegetable Chips were pouring in from over 20 states. Having outgrown its storefront location, and on the verge of releasing a sweet potato line of specialty chips, the company moved into a much larger facility in Brooklyn.
Though the TERRA brand has grown quite a bit from these modest beginnings, it has not lost its passion for creating top quality, delicious chips. Each vegetable is still hand selected, prepared in small batches and packaged in simple black and silver bags — a nod to the brand's roots.
Today the TERRA brand is housed within The Hain Celestial Group family of brands. The Hain Celestial Group is a leading natural and organic food and personal care products company in North America and Europe.