Knott's Berry Farm Indefinitely Shuts Down Production, "Absolutely Disturbing"

2024 is shaping up to be a rough start for Knott’s Berry Farm, and fans of the park are speaking out on some of the tragic changes. Not only has the theme park already undergone an unprecedented closure, but with the retirement of their jam from stores worldwide, fans have been expressing their devastation for the brand’s death online.

Knott’s Berry Farm, located in Buena Park, California, has a rich history dating back to the 1920s, and it all began with fruit.

The farm originally started as a roadside stand by Walter and Cordelia Knott, who sold berries, preserves, and pies in the 1020’s.

In the 1940s, Walter Knott introduced the famous boysenberry, a hybrid berry, and the restaurant known as Mrs. Knott’s Chicken Dinner Restaurant (which still stands today), featuring Cordelia’s fried chicken recipe, which quickly gained popularity.

The famous boysenberry preserves originated from Knott’s Berry Farm’s berry market. Walter Knott’s introduction of the boysenberry and the success of the restaurant and preserves paved the way for the growth of Knott’s Berry Farm into a renowned theme park.

That is why when J.M. Smucker had announced it would no longer sell Knott’s Berry Farm jams, jellies, preserves and cookies at grocery stores after 100 years, fans were stunned.

As stated by the Orange County Register, “In a press release issued this week, Frank Cirillo, a spokesman for the Ohio-based food company, said he realizes the products are well-liked among consumers.

“We greatly appreciate the fans of the brand and look forward to continuing to serve them through our other offerings,” he said. “The decision to discontinue Knott’s Berry Farm was in alignment with our strategy to continuously review our portfolio and prioritize support to the areas of the business with the greatest growth potential.”

“The decision to discontinue our Knott’s Berry Farm products is in alignment with our strategy to continuously evaluate our portfolio and ensure we are dedicating resources to the areas with the greatest growth potential,” the J.M. Smucker Company told FOX Business in a statement. “We appreciate the fans of the brand and look forward to continuing to serve them through our other offerings.”

Fans have spoken out when the news came about, sharing their sadness as this marks the end of an era for them.

Boysenberry lover P-Town (@2P3Amn) wrote, “This is absolutely disturbing. Boysenberry with seeds will never be the same 😞”.

California local, First of all (@SpicyUm) said. “Tell me about it! I have two jars of Knotts boysenberry preserves left, and my daughter went to Knotts Berry Farm, and could not find the jelly and that’s when they told her and I was absolutely shocked and disappointed 😔”. On top of the jam, the cookie brand is no longer available in stores, either.

 The Knott’s Berry Farm jam is still listed on their website; however, with the rebrand, the jelly no longer has the Knott’s logo on it.

When we initially shared the news, readers of Inside the Magic shared their disappointment, as well. Samantha Maynard said, “Say it ain’t so! Good to know we can still order from Knott’s directly or purchase on a visit. Long live the boysenberry!”

Fred shared his fear that Knott’s is transforming from its roots, “Knott’s has been slowly mutating into a Six Flags-style thrill park for decades. starting back in the ’90s when they tore down half of the Marketplace to build the giant Ghostrider coaster, and then ripped out Reflection Lake to put in another giant coaster. So far, they’ve kept their hands off Ghost Town, the original heart of Knott’s Berry Farm, but they’ve surrounded it with such a collection of towering, noisy coasters, that it’s hard to lose yourself in the Western atmosphere.”

In the 1950s, Walter Knott invited Walt Disney to visit the farm, and their friendship led to a collaboration. Disney sought advice from Knott regarding the development of Disneyland. Later, Knott’s Berry Farm became a key influence on the creation of Disney’s theme parks, emphasizing themed areas and immersive experiences. Now, Knott’s Berry Farm has been bought out by Six Flags during the Cedar Fair merger, and with the loss of the berry jam in which the park was founded on, it feels as if the Knott’s that Walter built, and Walt learned from, may be gearing up for a new adventure.

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Granny also spoke out, and it appears, according to them, the new jam does not taste the same as the discontinued version, “So disappointed after being a happy Knott’s Berry Farm patron for many years…We went after covid to discover everything had changed. The chicken dinner was awful, the good jelly was gone (we bought the new stuff and were sorely disappointed). We discovered it had been sold and now was like all the other commercial amusement parks…high prices, low quality. Even the gift shop was a disappointment. So sad.”

Earlier this week, the storm that hit Southern California caused Knott’s Berry Farm to close down with little warning. Guests with tickets can use their tickets for entry until February 25, 2024.

Are you sad to hear of the Knott’s Berry Farm jam no longer being sold in stores?