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UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K

FOR ANNUAL AND TRANSITION REPORTS
PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE
SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

COMMISSION FILE NUMBER 333-39813

B&G Foods, Inc.
(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)

Registrant's telephone number, including area code: (973) 401-6500
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:    NONE
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:    NONE

        Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes ý    No o.

        Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of registrant's knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K. ý.

        Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an accelerated filer (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes o    No ý

        The aggregate market value of the voting stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant is not applicable as no public market for the voting stock of the registrant exists.

        As of April 2, 2004, B&G Foods, Inc. had one (1) share of common stock, par value $0.01 per share, outstanding, which was owned by an affiliate.

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE:
None

PART I

ITEM 1.    BUSINESS

Overview

        We manufacture, sell and distribute a diverse portfolio of high quality, shelf-stable foods, many of which have leading retail market shares in our relevant markets. In general, we position our retail products to appeal to the consumer desiring a high quality and reasonably priced branded product. In our relevant retail markets, 11 of our branded products hold number one or two retail market share nationally or regionally or are unique products. We complement our retail product sales with a growing institutional and food service business. Our fiscal year is the 52 or 53 week reporting period ending on the Saturday closest to December 31. Our fiscal 2003 ended on January 3, 2004. Over the past five years, we have achieved consistent growth in net sales and EBITDA. In fiscal 2003, our net sales and EBITDA were $328.4 million and $61.9 million, having increased at compound annual growth rates since fiscal 2001 of 8.3% and 6.9%, respectively. Our results over the past five years were achieved through a combination of internal growth plus the addition of eight brands through acquisitions and one brand through a long-term license agreement, our most recent of which was the acquisition of the Ortega line of branded Mexican food products in August 2003. During the three months ended January 3, 2004, which includes the results of the Ortega line of products after the completion of the integration of the acquired assets into our existing business, our net sales, EBITDA and EBITDA margin were $101.2 million, $19.2 million and 19.0%, respectively, compared to net sales, EBITDA and EBITDA margin of $78.7 million, $13.4 million and 17.0% respectively, for the comparable period in the prior year. We use the terms "EBITDA" and "EBITDA margin" which are not indicators of performance or other measures determined in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles in the United States (GAAP) and are fully discussed under Item 7—"Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations."

        We were acquired by Bruckmann, Rosser, Sherrill & Co., L.P. (BRS) in December 1996 from Specialty Foods Corporation, which is not our affiliate. We are wholly owned by B&G Foods Holdings Corp. (B&G Holdings), which in turn is owned by BRS and its affiliates, and members of the Company's management and Board of Directors. See Item 11—"Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters." We maintain our corporate headquarters at Four Gatehall Drive, Suite 110, Parsippany, New Jersey 07054.

        On June 17, 1997, we acquired certain assets relating to the Regina wine vinegars and cooking wines, Wright's liquid smoke hickory flavoring, Brer Rabbit molasses and Vermont Maid syrup brands, including trademarks, inventory and certain equipment used to bottle the Regina wine vinegars and cooking wines, from Nabisco, Inc., which is not our affiliate.

        On August 15, 1997, through a subsidiary, we acquired from E. Mcllhenny's Son Corporation all of the outstanding capital stock of JEM Brands, Inc., the holding company of Trappey's Fine Foods, Inc.

        On July 17, 1998, through a subsidiary, we acquired all of the outstanding capital stock of Maple Grove Farms of Vermont, Inc. and related entities from certain individual investors. The Maple Grove acquisition included the Maple Grove Farms of Vermont and Up Country Naturals labels of pure maple syrup.

        On February 5, 1999, we acquired certain assets of the Polaner and related brands from International Home Foods, Inc. (IHF) and M. Polaner, Inc. Prior to the consummation of the Polaner acquisition, we had been the exclusive manufacturer, or "co-packer," of the Polaner products for IHF, and had distributed the Polaner products regionally under co-packing and distribution contracts that were terminated upon consummation of the Polaner acquisition.

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        On March 15, 1999, through a subsidiary, we acquired the assets of The Heritage Portfolio of Brands from The Pillsbury Company, Indivined B.V. and IC Acquisition Corp. The Heritage Portfolio of Brands includes Underwood meat spreads, B&M baked beans, Ac'cent flavor enhancer, Sa-son Ac'cent flavor enhancer, Las Palmas Mexican sauces and food products and Joan of Arc dry bean products businesses.

        On June 8, 2000, we entered into an agreement with Emeril's Food of Love Productions, LLC (EFLP) pursuant to which we and EFLP agreed to create a signature line of dry grocery products which are marketed under the label Emeril's.

        On January 17, 2001, we completed the sale of our wholly owned subsidiary, Burns & Ricker, Inc., to Nonni's Food Company, Inc. pursuant to a stock purchase agreement of the same date under which we sold all of the issued and outstanding capital stock of Burns & Ricker to Nonni's.

        On August 21, 2003, we acquired certain assets of The Ortega Brand of Business (Ortega) from Nestlé Prepared Foods Company. The Ortega product line includes salsas, peppers, taco sauces, taco kits, Mexican spices and taco shells.

Financial Information

        The consolidated balance sheets at January 3, 2004 and December 28, 2002 and the consolidated statements of operations, stockholder's equity and cash flows for the years ended January 3, 2004, December 28, 2002 and December 29, 2001 and related notes thereto set forth our revenues from external customers, profit (or loss) and total assets. See Item 8—"Financial Statements and Supplementary Data."

Products and Markets

        The following is a brief description of our brands and product lines:

        The Ortega brand has been in existence since 1897 and its products span the shelf-stable Mexican food segment including taco shells, seasonings, dinner kits, taco sauce, peppers, refried beans, salsa and related food products. Ortega products are distributed nationally. Ortega has the leading market share nationally in taco sauce.

        The Maple Grove Farms of Vermont brand is the number two brand of pure maple syrup in the United States. Other products under the Maple Grove Farms of Vermont label include a line of gourmet salad dressings, marinades, fruit syrups, confections and pancake mixes. Maple Grove Farms of Vermont products are distributed nationwide.

        The Bloch & Guggenheimer brand originated in 1889, and its pickle, pepper/pimentos and relish products are the leading brand in the New York metropolitan area. This line consists of shelf-stable pickles, relishes, peppers, olives and other related specialty items.

        The Polaner brand was introduced in 1880 and is comprised of a broad array of fruit-based spreads as well as jarred or bottled wet spices such as chopped garlic and basil. Polaner All Fruit is the leading national brand of fruit-juice sweetened fruit spread. The spreads are available in more than a dozen flavors. Recently, we introduced Polaner Reduced Sugar and Polaner No Sugar Fruit Spreads in Polaner's key markets.

        The Emeril's brand was introduced in September of 2000 under a licensing agreement with celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse. We offer a line of seasonings, salad dressings, marinades, pepper sauces,

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barbecue sauces and pasta sauces under the Emeril's brand name. In addition, we recently introduced mustards and sauces under the Emeril's brand name. Sales of Emeril's products for fiscal year 2003 were $25.4 million.

        The B&M brand was introduced in 1927 and is the original brand of brick-oven baked beans. The B&M line includes a variety of baked beans and brown bread. The B&M brand currently has the leading market share in the New England region.

        The Underwood brand's "Underwood Devil" (logo) is among the oldest registered trademarks for a prepackaged food product in the United States. We market meat spreads of several types, including deviled ham, chicken and roast beef as well as liver pate and sardines under the Underwood brand name. We believe that no competitors offer a directly comparable product to our meat spreads.

        The Las Palmas brand originated in 1922 and primarily includes authentic Mexican enchilada sauce and various pepper products. The Las Palmas brand is the number two brand of enchilada sauce in the United States.

        The Ac'cent brand was introduced in 1947 as an all-natural flavor enhancer for meat preparation and is generally used on beef, poultry, fish and vegetables. We believe that Ac'cent is positioned as a unique flavor enhancer.

        The Trappey's brand includes two major categories of products under the brand, high quality peppers and hot sauces.

        The Regina brand includes vinegars and cooking wines. Vinegars and cooking wines are most commonly used in the preparation of salad dressings as well as in a variety of recipe applications, including sauces, marinades and soups. Regina brand wine vinegar is the number two selling wine vinegar in supermarkets nationwide.

        The Joan of Arc brand includes a full range of canned beans including kidney, chili and other beans under the Joan of Arc brand. Joan of Arc products are sold nationally with significant sales in the Midwest region.

        The Wright's brand was introduced in 1895 and is an all-natural seasoning that reproduces the flavor and aroma of pit smoking in meats, chicken and fish. Wright's is the number two brand in the United States and is offered in two flavors: Hickory and Mesquite.

        The Sa-són brand was introduced in 1947 as a flavor enhancer used primarily for Puerto Rican and Hispanic food preparation. The product is generally used on beef, poultry, fish and vegetables. The brand is the number three flavor enhancer in Puerto Rico as of 2002, the latest year for which we have data available. The brand's flavor enhancer is offered in four flavors: Original, Coriander and Achiote, Garlic and Onion, and Tomato.

        The Brer Rabbit brand currently offers mild and full-flavored molasses products and a black strap molasses product. Mild molasses is designed for table use and full-flavored molasses is typically used in baking, barbeque sauces and as a breakfast syrup. The Brer Rabbit brand currently holds the number two market share in the United States.

        The Vermont Maid brand has been in existence since 1919 and we offer maple-flavored syrup under the brand name. Vermont Maid syrup is available in regular, lite and butter lite varieties. Vermont Maid is mainly distributed in New England.

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        We sell and distribute our products through a multiple-channel sales and distribution system including the following:

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sales and shipments to supermarket warehouses;



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sales and shipments to distributors and food service accounts;



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sales and shipments to mass merchants, warehouse clubs and other non-food outlets;



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sales and shipments to specialty food distributors;



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direct-store-organization sales and shipments on a regional basis to individual grocery stores in the greater New York Metropolitan area; and



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sales and shipments through export, catalogs and the Internet.

        We believe our presence in these channels allows us to distribute additional product volume cost-effectively. We sell our brands primarily through broker sales networks to supermarket chains, food service outlets, mass merchants, warehouse clubs, non-food outlets and specialty food distributors. Our broker sales network handles the sale of our products at the customer level. Our sales managers supervise our broker activities as well as support our relationship with buyers from our key accounts. We distribute our products in the greater New York metropolitan area primarily through our direct-store-organization sales and distribution system, which we refer to as our DSO system. Our DSO system supports an organization of sales personnel who directly service over 2,000 individual grocery stores.

Processed Food Industry

        The processed food industry is one of the United States' largest industries. Due to its maturity, it is characterized by relatively stable sales growth, based on modest price and population increases. Over the last several years, the industry has experienced consolidation as competitors have shed non-core business lines and made strategic acquisitions to complement category positions, maximize economies of scale in raw material sourcing, production and distribution. A series of large mergers over the last twenty years has led to the formation of a few, very large companies with a presence in a variety of branded product categories.

        Retailers are demanding higher margins, while at the same time reducing inventory levels and increasing their emphasis on private label products in certain categories. The importance of sustaining strong relationships with retailers has become a critical success factor for food companies and is driving many initiatives such as category management and efficient customer response. These two initiatives focus on retailers' need to minimize inventory investment and maximize dollar sales for allocated store shelf space. Food companies with category leadership positions, value-added distribution and strong retail relationships have increasingly benefited from these initiatives as a way to maintain shelf space and maximize distribution efficiencies. In addition, the specialty foods, mass merchandiser, food service and private label markets and channels provide additional opportunities of growth for food companies.

Sales, Marketing, and Distribution

        Sales.    Our sales organization is aligned by distribution channels and consists of 87 employees, 22 regional sales managers and key account managers. Regional sales managers sell our products nationwide through national and regional food brokers, with separate organizations focusing on specialty, food service, grocery chain accounts and special markets. Our sales managers coordinate our

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broker sales efforts and make key account calls with buyers or distributors and supervise retail coverage of the products at the store level through brokers.

        Our sales strategy is centered around the individual brands. We set quotas for our sales force and allocate promotional spending for each of the brands. Regional sales managers coordinate promotions with customers. Additionally, our marketing department works in conjunction with the sales department to coordinate special account activities and marketing support, such as couponing and public relations.

        Over the past several years, we established a national sales force that is capable of supporting our current business as well as potential new acquisitions. We have primarily developed our national sales force internally, and did not integrate sales and marketing personnel from acquired companies in connection with most of our brand acquisitions. In the case of the Maple Grove Farms of Vermont acquisition, management retained the brand's sales force to serve the specialty channel related to that brand and for future specialty-oriented brands that we might develop, license or acquire in the future. This same sales force subsequently launched the Emeril's brand. The current national sales force is very experienced and was able to integrate Ortega within 30 days following the close of the acquisition.

        Our DSO sales force consists of seven managers and 32 sales representatives that work with individual stores in the New York metropolitan area. These sales representatives visit the 2,000 stores within the DSO area on a weekly or bi-weekly basis.

        Marketing.    Our marketing organization is aligned by brand and is responsible for the strategic planning for each of our brands. We focus on deploying promotional dollars where the spending will have the greatest impact. Marketing and trade spending support, on a national basis, typically consists of advertising trade promotions, coupons and cross-promotions with supporting products. Marketing support for the products distributed through the DSO system consists primarily of trade promotions aimed at gaining display activity to produce impulse sales. Consumer promotion and coupons supplement this activity. Our trade spending has remained stable as a percent of sales throughout fiscal 2002 and fiscal 2003, countering industry trends. Our rigorous in-house system tracks spending through the planning and execution phases and is used as a check on customer invoicing and deductions, as well. This system has allowed us to address rapidly any unauthorized deductions, improving the chance of recovering funds.

        Distribution.    We distribute our products through a multiple-channel system that we have developed as we have grown our business. The system operates primarily from three major distribution centers, which ship approximately 72% of orders on a full truckload basis via common carriers. We believe our distribution system has sufficient capacity to accommodate incremental product volume in a cost-effective manner, as demonstrated recently in the Ortega acquisition.

Customers

        Our top ten customers accounted for approximately 37% of our fiscal 2003 pro forma net sales, as if our acqusition of Ortega had occured as of December 29, 2002, and no single customer accounted for more than 6.1% of our fiscal 2003 pro forma net sales.

Seasonality

        Sales of a number of our products tend to be seasonal. In the aggregate, however, our sales are not heavily weighted to any particular quarter due to the diversity of our product and brand portfolio.

        We purchase most of the produce used to make our shelf-stable pickles, relishes, peppers and other related specialty items during the months of July through October, and we purchase all of our maple syrup requirements during the months of April through July. Consequently, our liquidity needs are greatest during these periods.

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Competition

        We face competition in each of our product lines. Numerous brands and products compete for shelf space and sales, with competition based primarily on product quality, convenience, price, trade promotion, consumer promotion, brand recognition and loyalty, customer service, advertising and other activities and the ability to identify and satisfy emerging consumer preferences. We compete with numerous companies of varying sizes, including divisions or subsidiaries of larger companies. Many of these competitors have multiple product lines, substantially greater financial and other resources available to them and may have lower fixed costs and/or be substantially less leveraged than we. Our ability to grow our business could be impacted by the relative effectiveness of, and competitive response to, our product initiatives, product innovation, advertising and promotional activities. In addition, from time to time, we experience margin pressure in certain markets as a result of competitors' pricing practices.

        Our most significant competitors for our pickles and peppers products are Vlasic® and Mt. Olive® branded products. In addition, J.M. Smucker is the main competitor for our fruit spread products marketed under the Polaner label. The Maple Grove Farms of Vermont pure maple syrup competes directly with the SpringTree™ brand in the pure maple syrup category. Our Vermont Maid syrup products also have a number of competitors in the general pancake syrup market, including Aunt Jemima®, Mrs. Buttersworth™ and Log Cabin®. The B&M Baked Bean and Joan of Arc products compete with Bush's® brand products. Ortega products compete with the Old El Paso® and Taco Bell® brands.

        In addition, our products compete not only against other brands in their respective product categories, but also against products in similar or related product categories. For example, our shelf-stable pickles compete not only with other brands of shelf-stable pickles, but also with products found in the refrigerated sections of grocery stores, and all our brands compete against private label store brands to varying degrees.

Inflation

        We do not believe that our operating results have been materially affected by inflation during the preceding three years. There can be no assurance, however, that our operating results will not be affected by inflation in the future.

Raw Materials

        We purchase agricultural products and other raw materials from a variety of suppliers, including growers, commodity processors and other food companies. Our principal raw materials include peppers, cucumbers, other vegetables, fruits, maple syrup, meat and poultry. We purchase our agricultural raw materials in bulk or pursuant to short-term supply contracts. We purchase most of our agricultural products between July 1 and October 31. We also use packaging materials, particularly glass jars and cans.

        The profitability of our business relies in part on the prices of raw materials, which can fluctuate due to a number of factors, including changes in crop size, national, state and local government-sponsored agricultural programs, export demand, natural disasters, weather conditions during the growing and harvesting seasons, general growing conditions and the effect of insects, plant diseases and fungi. Although we enter into advance commodities purchase agreements from time to time, we are still exposed to potential increases in raw material costs. Moreover, due to the competitive environment in which we operate, we may be unable to increase the prices of our products to offset any increase in the cost of raw materials. As a result, any such increase could have a material adverse effect on our profitability, financial condition, results of operations or liquidity.

Trademarks and Licensing Agreements

        We own 122 trademarks that are registered in the United States and 241 trademarks that are registered in foreign countries. In addition, we have nine trademark applications pending in the United

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States and foreign countries. Examples of our trademarks and registered trademarks include Ac'cent, B&G, B&G Sandwich Toppers, B&M, Bloch & Guggenheimer, Brer Rabbit, Cozy Cottage, Joan of Arc, Las Palmas, Maple Grove Farms of Vermont, Ortega, Polaner, Regina, Sa-són, Trappey's, Underwood, Vermont Maid and Wright's. We consider our trademarks to be of special significance in our business. We are not aware of any circumstances that would negatively impact our trademarks. Our senior secured credit facility is secured by substantially all of our assets, including our rights to our intellectual property.

        In June 2000 we entered into a license agreement with Emeril's Food of Love Productions, L.L.C. (EFLP). This license agreement grants us an exclusive license to use the intellectual property owned by EFLP relating to Mr. Lagasse, including the name "Emeril Lagasse" and pictures, photographs and other personality material, in connection with the manufacturing, marketing and distribution of dry seasoning, liquid seasoning, condiments, sauces, dressings and certain other products through retail channels in the United States, the Caribbean and Canada. We also have the right of first negotiation with respect to other shelf-stable grocery products. Under the license agreement, EFLP owns all of the recipes that it provides to us and all of our Emeril's brand products and related marketing materials are subject to the prior approval of EFLP, which approval may not be unreasonably withheld. In addition, we are prohibited from entering into similar arrangements with other chefs or celebrities in connection with any of the products covered by our agreement with EFLP.

        The license agreement has been extended through June 2005 and is subject to extension and renewal at our option for an indefinite period if we meet specified annual net sales results. Among other things, we are obligated to introduce and market new products in each year of the license agreement and to pay EFLP royalties based on annual net sales of our Emeril's brand products. The license agreement may be terminated by EFLP if we are in breach or default of any of our material obligations thereunder. We have also agreed to indemnify EFLP with respect to claims under the license agreement, including claims relating to any alleged unauthorized use of any mark, personality or recipe by us in connection with the products in the Emeril's line of products.

Employees and Labor Relations

        As of January 3, 2004, our workforce consisted of 774 employees. Of that total, 529 employees were engaged in manufacturing, 97 were engaged in marketing and sales, 115 were engaged in distribution and 33 were engaged in administration. Approximately 289 of our 774 employees, as of January 3, 2004, were covered by collective bargaining agreements. In general, we consider our employee and union relations to be good.

Government Regulation

        Our operations are subject to extensive regulation by the United States Food and Drug Administration, the United States Department of Agriculture and other federal, state and local authorities regarding the processing, packaging, storage, distribution and labeling of our products. Our processing facilities and products are subject to periodic inspection by federal, state and local authorities. We believe that we are currently in substantial compliance with all material governmental laws and regulations and maintain all material permits and licenses relating to our operations. Nevertheless, there can be no assurance that we are in full compliance with all such laws and regulations or that we will be able to comply with any future laws and regulations in a cost-effective manner. Failure by us to comply with applicable laws and regulations could subject us to civil remedies, including fines, injunctions, recalls or seizures, as well as potential criminal sanctions, all of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, consolidated financial condition, results of operations or liquidity.

        We are also subject to the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder by the FDA. This comprehensive regulatory program governs, among other things, the manufacturing, composition and ingredients, labeling, packaging and safety of food. For example, the FDA regulates manufacturing practices for foods through its current "good manufacturing practices"

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regulations and specifies the recipes for certain foods. In addition, the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act of 1990 prescribes the format and content of certain information required to appear on the labels of food products. We are subject to regulation by certain other governmental agencies, including the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Our management believes that our facilities and practices are sufficient to maintain compliance with applicable governmental regulations, although there can be no assurances in this regard.

        We are also subject to the U.S. Bio-Terrorism Act of 2002 which imposes on us new import and export regulations. Under the Act, among other things, we are required to provide specific information about the food products we ship into the U.S. and to register our manufacturing facilities with the FDA.

Environmental Matters

        Except as described below, we have not made any material expenditures during the last three fiscal years in order to comply with environmental laws or regulations. Based on our experience to date, we believe that the future cost of compliance with existing environmental laws and regulations (and liability for known environmental conditions) will not have a material adverse effect on our business, consolidated financial condition, results of operations or liquidity, except as noted below. However, we cannot predict what environmental or health and safety legislation or regulations will be enacted in the future or how existing or future laws or regulations will be enforced, administered or interpreted, nor can we predict the amount of future expenditures that may be required in order to comply with such environmental or health and safety laws or regulations or to respond to such environmental claims.

        On January 17, 2001, we became aware that fuel oil from our underground storage tank at our Roseland, New Jersey facility had been released into the ground and into a brook adjacent to such property. Since January 17, 2001, together with our environmental services firms, we have worked to clean-up the oil in cooperation with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP). After completion of the work we submitted our findings to the NJDEP along with recommendations for no further action. The NJDEP responded that additional investigation was required before it could agree to the no further action recommendations. The additional work has been conducted and we are awaiting the NJDEP's response. While the NJDEP could assert that more work is required, the cost of such work is not expected to have a material adverse effect on our business, consolidated financial condition, results of operations or liquidity.

        We recorded a charge of $1.1 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2001 to cover the expected cost of the clean-up, which approximates the actual amount spent as of December 29, 2001. In the third quarter of fiscal 2001, we received an insurance reimbursement of $0.2 million and accrued an additional $0.1 million for certain remaining miscellaneous expenses. Our management believes that substantially all estimated expenses relating to this matter have been incurred and paid as of January 3, 2004.

        In January 2002, we were named as a third-party defendant in an action regarding environmental liability under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act, or Superfund, for alleged disposal of waste by White Cap Preserves, an alleged predecessor of our company, at the Combe Fill South Landfill in New Jersey, a Superfund site. In February 2003, we paid $0.1 million in settlement of all asserted claims arising from this matter and in March 2003, a bar order was entered by the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey protecting us, subject to a limited re-opener clause, from any claims for contribution, natural resources damages and certain other claims related to the action until such time that the litigation is dismissed. The $0.1 million and a portion of the legal fees were reimbursed by the purchaser of White Cap Preserves pursuant to an indemnity wherein they acquired that liability.

        We are involved in various other claims and legal actions arising in the ordinary course of business. In the opinion of our management, the ultimate disposition of these other matters will not have a

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material adverse effect on our business, consolidated financial position, results of operations or liquidity.

        We are subject to environmental regulations in the normal course of business. Our management believes that the cost of compliance with such regulations will not have a material adverse effect on our business, consolidated financial position, results of operations or liquidity.

ITEM 2.    PROPERTIES

        Our corporate headquarters are located at Four Gatehall Drive, Suite 110, Parsippany, NJ 07054 in an office building where we lease approximately 21,000 square feet.

        Our manufacturing plants are generally located near major customer markets and raw materials. Of our six manufacturing facilities, five are owned and one is leased, as of January 3, 2004. Approximately 124,000 square feet of our manufacturing facility space is leased. Management believes that our manufacturing plants have sufficient capacity to accommodate our planned growth. As of January 3, 2004, we operated the manufacturing and warehouse facilities described in the table below:

        Co-Packing Arrangements.    In addition to our own manufacturing plants, we source a significant portion of our products under "co-packing" agreements, a common industry practice in which manufacturing is outsourced to other companies. We regularly evaluate our co-packing arrangements to ensure the most cost-effective manufacturing of our products and to utilize Company-owned manufacturing facilities most effectively. Third parties produce Regina, Underwood, Las Palmas and Joan of Arc brand products and certain Emeril's and Ortega brand products under co-packing agreements or purchase orders. Underwood brand products are produced pursuant to a co-packing agreement that expires December 31, 2006, with automatic one-year extensions thereafter unless either party provides at least one year's prior notice. Las Palmas brand products are produced under a co-packing agreement that expires on December 31, 2005, with automatic one-year extensions thereafter unless either party provides at least nine months' prior notice. Joan of Arc brand products are produced under a co-packing agreement that continues in effect unless either party provides written notice to the other party at least eighteen months in advance of a specified final shipment date. Regina brand products and certain Emeril's brand products are produced by co-packers on a purchase order basis. Ortega brand salsa and peppers are co-packed under agreements that expire on December 31, 2006 (after which we have three one-year extension options) and June 30, 2004 (with two automatic one-year extensions), respectively. Each of our co-packers produces products for other companies as well. We believe that there are alternative sources of co-packing production readily available for our products, although we may experience short term disturbances in our operations if we are required to change our co-packing productions.

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ITEM 3.    LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

        In the ordinary course of business, we are involved in various legal proceedings. We do not believe the outcome of these proceedings will have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial condition, results of operations or liquidity.

        In January 2002, we were named as a third-party defendant in an action regarding environmental liability under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act, or Superfund, for alleged disposal of waste by White Cap Preserves, an alleged predecessor of our company, at the Combe Fill South Landfill, a Superfund site. In February 2003, we paid $0.1 million in settlement of all asserted claims arising from this matter, and in March 2003 a bar order was entered by the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey protecting us, subject to a limited re-opener clause, from any claims for contribution, natural resources damages and certain other claims related to the action until such time that the litigation is dismissed. The $0.1 million and a portion of the legal fees were reimbursed by the purchaser of White Cap Preserves pursuant to an indemnity wherein they acquired that liability.

ITEM 4.    SUBMISSION OF MATTERS TO A VOTE OF SECURITY HOLDERS

        During fiscal 2003, no matters were submitted to a vote of stockholders through the solicitation of proxies or otherwise.

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PART II

ITEM 5.    MARKET FOR REGISTRANT'S COMMON EQUITY AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS

        As of April 2, 2004, we had one share of common stock, par value $0.01 per share, outstanding, which was owned by B&G Holdings.

ITEM 6.    SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA

        The following selected historical consolidated financial data should be read in conjunction with "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" and our audited consolidated financial statements and related notes to those statements included in this report. The selected historical consolidated financial data as of and for the years ended January 3, 2004 (fiscal 2003), December 28, 2002 (fiscal 2002), December 29, 2001 (fiscal 2001), December 30, 2000 (fiscal 2000) and January 1, 2000 (fiscal 1999) has been derived from our consolidated financial statements.

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(1)

The purchase method of accounting was used to account for (a) the acquisition of certain assets of the Polaner and related brands from International Home Foods, Inc. on February 5, 1999; (b) the acquisition of the Heritage Portfolio of Brands from the Pillsbury Company, Indivined B.V. and IC Acquisition on March 15, 1999 and (c) the acquisition of Ortega from Nestlé Prepared Foods Company on August 21, 2003. We completed the sale of our wholly owned subsidiary, Burns & Ricker, Inc. to Nonni's Food Company, Inc. on January 17, 2001. Burns & Ricker sales for fiscal 2000 were $26.4 million.

(2)

Certain amounts in fiscal 2001 aggregating $52.7 million have been reclassified from sales, marketing and distribution expenses to a reduction of net sales in accordance with EITF Issue No. 00-14, "Accounting for Certain Sales Incentives," and EITF Issue No. 00-25, "Vendor Income Statement Characterization of Consideration to a Purchaser of the Vendor's Products or Services," as codified by EITF Issue 01-09. These EITF pronouncements, which we adopted in 2002, require us to classify certain coupon and promotional expenses as a reduction of net sales. The reclassification has no effect on operating income. Due to the specificity of similar information not being available in our information systems for fiscal 1999 and 2000, we are unable to determine what the reclassification amounts should be for those years.

(3)

We adopted the provisions of SFAS No. 142, "Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets," as of December 30, 2001. Effective December 30, 2001, we ceased the amortization of goodwill and trademarks. Amortization expenses related to goodwill and trademarks were $8.5 million, $9.5 million and $9.2 million in fiscal 2001, 2000 and 1999, respectively.

(4)

General and administrative expenses include an unusual bad debt expense incurred for 2003 of $0.6 million ($0.4 million, net of taxes) relating to Fleming Companies, Inc., which filed for chapter 11 Bankruptcy on April 1, 2003.

(5)

Derivative gain reflects the change in fair value over the life of our interest rate swap agreement from the date we entered into the agreement to the date the swap agreement was terminated.

(6)

The gain on sale of assets of $3.1 million relates to the sale of our wholly owned subsidiary, Burns & Ricker, to Nonni's Food Company, Inc. on January 17, 2001.

(7)

We define EBITDA as income before interest, income taxes, depreciation and amortization. We believe that the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure to EBITDA is net cash provided by operating activities. We present EBITDA because we believe it is a useful indicator of our historical debt capacity and ability to service debt. EBITDA is not a substitute for operating income or net income, as determined in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. EBITDA is not a complete net cash flow measure because EBITDA is a measure of liquidity that does not include reductions for cash payments for an entity's obligation to service its debt, fund its working capital, capital expenditures and acquisitions and pay its income taxes and dividends. Rather, EBITDA is one potential indicator of an entity's ability to fund these cash requirements. EBITDA also is not a complete measure of an entity's profitability because it does not include costs and expenses for depreciation and amortization, interest and related expenses and income taxes. Set forth below is a reconciliation of net income to EBITDA. We present a reconciliation of EBITDA to net cash provided by operating activities for fiscal 2003, 2002 and 2001 in Item 7—"Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations."

(8)

We have calculated the ratio of earnings to fixed charges by dividing earnings by fixed charges. For the purpose of this computation, earnings consist of income before income taxes plus fixed charges. Fixed charges consist of the sum of interest on indebtedness, amortized expenses related to indebtedness and an interest component of lease rental expense.

(9)

Net working capital is current assets excluding cash and cash equivalents minus current liabilities.

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ITEM 7.    MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

        The following Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Our actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of certain factors, including those set forth under the heading "Forward-Looking Statements" and elsewhere in this report. The following discussion should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements and related notes thereto included elsewhere in this report.

General

        We manufacture, sell and distribute a diversified portfolio of high quality, shelf-stable, branded food products, many of which have leading regional or national retail market shares. In general, we position our branded products to appeal to the consumer desiring a high quality and reasonably priced branded product.

        Our business strategy is to continue to increase sales, profitability and free cash flow by enhancing our existing portfolio of branded shelf-stable products and by capitalizing on our competitive strengths. We intend to implement our strategy through the following initiatives: profitably growing our established brands, leveraging our unique multiple-channel sales and distribution system, introducing new products, capitalizing on the higher growth Mexican segment of the food industry, and expanding our brand portfolio with new licensing arrangements.

        Since 1996, we have successfully acquired and integrated 16 separate brands into our operations. We believe that successful future acquisitions, if any, will enhance our portfolio of existing businesses, further leveraging our existing platform.

        We completed the acquisition of certain assets of The Ortega Brand of Business from Nestlé Prepared Foods Company on August 21, 2003, which we refer to in this report as "Ortega" or the "Ortega acquisition." The Ortega acquisition has been accounted for using the purchase method of accounting and, accordingly, the assets acquired, liabilities assumed and results of operations of the acquired business are included in our consolidated financial statements from the date of the acquisition.

        On January 17, 2001, we completed the sale of our wholly owned subsidiary, Burns & Ricker, Inc., to Nonni's Food Company, Inc. pursuant to a stock purchase agreement of the same date under which we sold all of the issued and outstanding capital stock of Burns & Ricker to Nonni's. The Ortega acquisition and the application of the purchase method of accounting and sale of Burns & Ricker affect comparability between periods.

        We are subject to a number of challenges that may adversely affect our businesses. These challenges, which are discussed below and under the headings "Forward-Looking Statements" and "Business" and elsewhere in this report, include:

        Fluctuations in Commodity Prices:    We purchase raw materials, including agricultural products, meat and poultry from growers, commodity processors, other food companies and packaging manufacturers. Raw materials are subject to fluctuations in price attributable to a number of factors. We manage this risk by entering into short-term supply contracts and advance commodities purchase agreements from time to time, and if necessary, by raising prices.

        Consolidation in the Retail Trade and Consequent Inventory Reductions:    As the retail grocery trade continues to consolidate and our retail customers grow larger and become more sophisticated, our retail customers may demand lower pricing and increased promotional programs. These customers are also reducing their inventories and increasing their emphasis on private label products. To date we have

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been able to offset these trends by using our marketing expertise, unique products and category leadership to maintain and increase volume.

        Changing Customer Preferences:    Consumers in the market categories in which we compete frequently change their taste preferences, dietary habits and product packaging preferences. By anticipating, identifying or developing and marketing products that respond to these changes in consumer preferences, we have largely been able to offset this challenge.

        Consumer Concern Regarding Food Safety, Quality and Health:    The food industry is subject to consumer concerns regarding the safety and quality of certain food products, including the health implications of genetically modified organisms, obesity and trans fatty acids. By complying with applicable food and safety laws and regulations, we have been able to produce food products that generate consumer confidence in the safety and quality of our food products.

        Changing Valuations of the Canadian Dollar in Relation to the U.S. Dollar:    We purchase most of our maple syrup requirements from manufacturers located in Quebec, Canada. Over the past year the U.S. dollar has weakened against the Canadian dollar, which has in turn increased our costs relating to the production of our maple syrup products.

        To confront these challenges, we continue to take steps to build the value of our brands, to improve our existing portfolio of products with new product and marketing initiatives, to reduce costs through productivity and to address consumer concerns about food safety, quality and health.

        Fluctuations in commodity prices can lead to retail price volatility and intensive price competition, and can influence consumer and trade buying patterns. In fiscal 2003, our commodity costs for maple syrup, cucumbers and peppers have been higher than those incurred in fiscal 2002.

Critical Accounting Policies; Use of Estimates

        The preparation of financial statements in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires our management to make a number of estimates and assumptions relating to the reporting of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Some of the more significant estimates made by management involve trade and consumer promotion expenses, allowances for excess, obsolete and unsaleable inventories, and the recoverability of goodwill, trademarks, property, plant and equipment and deferred tax assets. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

        Our significant accounting policies are described in note 2 to our consolidated financial statements. We believe the following critical accounting policies involve the most significant judgments and estimates used in the preparation of our consolidated financial statements.

        Trade and Consumer Promotion Expenses.    We offer various sales incentive programs to customers and consumers, such as price discounts, in-store display incentives, slotting fees and coupons. The recognition of expense for these programs involves use of judgment related to performance and redemption estimates. Estimates are made based on historical experience and other factors. Actual expenses may differ if the level of redemption rates and performance vary from estimates.

        Inventories.    Inventories are valued at the lower of cost or market value and have been reduced by an allowance for excess, obsolete and unsaleable inventories. The estimate is based on our management's review of inventories on hand compared to estimated future usage and sales.

        Long-Lived Assets.    Long-lived assets, such as property, plant and equipment, are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. Recoverability of assets to be held and used is measured by a comparison of

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the carrying amount of an asset to estimated undiscounted future cash flows expected to be generated by the asset. If the carrying amount of an asset exceeds its estimated future cash flows, an impairment charge is recognized by the amount by which the carrying amount of the asset exceeds the fair value of the asset.

        Goodwill and intangible assets (trademarks) not subject to amortization are tested annually for impairment, and are tested for impairment more frequently if events and circumstances indicate that the asset might be impaired. An impairment loss is recognized to the extent that the carrying amount exceeds the asset's fair value.

        Income Tax Expense Estimates and Policies.    As part of the income tax provision process of preparing our consolidated financial statements, we are required to estimate our income taxes. This process involves estimating our current tax exposure together with assessing temporary differences resulting from differing treatment of items for tax and accounting purposes. These differences result in deferred tax assets and liabilities. We must then assess the likelihood that our deferred tax assets will be recovered from future taxable income and to the extent we believe the recovery is not likely, we must establish a valuation allowance. Further, to the extent that we establish a valuation allowance or increase this allowance in a financial accounting period, we must include a tax provision, or reduce our tax benefit in our consolidated statement of operations. We use our judgment to determine our provision or benefit for income taxes, deferred tax assets and liabilities and any valuation allowance recorded against our net deferred tax assets.

        We have recorded deferred tax assets, a portion of which represents net operating loss carryforwards. A valuation allowance has been recorded for certain state net operating loss carryforwards.

        There are various factors that may cause those tax assumptions to change in the near term, and we may have to record a valuation allowance against our deferred tax assets. We cannot predict whether future U.S. federal income tax laws and regulations might be passed that could have a material effect on our results of operations. We assess the impact of significant changes to the U.S. federal and state income tax laws and regulations on a regular basis and update the assumption and estimates used to prepare our financial statements when new regulation and legislation is enacted.

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Results of Operations

        The following table sets forth the percentages of net sales represented by selected items reflected in our Consolidated Statements of Operations. The year-to-year comparisons of financial results are not necessarily indicative of future results.

        As used in this section the terms listed below have the following meanings:

        Net Sales.    Our net sales represents gross sales of products shipped to customers plus amounts charged customers for shipping and handling, less cash discount, coupon redemption, slotting fees and trade promotional spending.

        Gross Profit.    Our gross profit is equal to our net sales less cost of goods sold. The primary components of our cost of goods sold are cost of internally manufactured products, purchases of finished goods from co-packers plus freight costs to our distribution centers and to our customers.

        Sales, Marketing and Distribution Expenses.    Our sales, marketing and distribution expenses include costs for marketing personnel, consumer programs, internal sales forces, brokerage costs and warehouse facilities.

        General and Administrative Expenses.    Our general and administrative expenses includes administrative employee compensation and benefit costs, as well as information technology infrastructure and communication costs, office rent and supplies, professional services, management fees and other general corporate expenses.

Year Ended January 3, 2004 Compared to Year Ended December 28, 2002

        Net Sales.    Net sales increased $34.7 million or 11.8% to $328.4 million for the period ended January 3, 2004, ("fiscal 2003"), from $293.7 million for the period ended December 28, 2002, ("fiscal 2002"). The Ortega acquisition accounted for $33.4 million of the sales increase during fiscal 2003. Sales of our Maple Grove Farms of Vermont, Underwood, Emeril's and Bloch & Guggenheimer brands increased $2.2 million, $1.0 million, $0.9 million and $0.8 million or 4.8%, 4.7%, 3.7% and 1.7%,

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respectively, largely reflecting higher unit volume. Sales of our Joan of Arc, Regina, Ac'cent, Polaner and Sa-són brands decreased by $0.8 million, $0.7 million, $0.6 million, $0.5 million and $0.3 million, or 6.4%, 5.8%, 3.5%, 1.3% and 6.6%, respectively, largely reflecting lower unit volume. All other brands decreased, in the aggregate $0.7 million or 0.9%.

        Gross Profit.    Gross profit increased $12.2 million or 13.6% to $102.2 million in fiscal 2003 from $90.0 million in fiscal 2002. Gross profit expressed as a percentage of net sales increased to 31.1% in fiscal 2003 from 30.6% in fiscal 2002. The increase in gross profit percentage was primarily the result of the favorable business impact of the Ortega acquisition and a reduction in co-pack costs for our Underwood, Joan of Arc and Las Palmas brands, partially offset by higher costs of maple syrup, the increased costs of pickle and pepper production and an increase in trade spending.

        Sales, Marketing and Distribution Expenses.    Sales, marketing and distribution expenses increased $3.6 million or 10.1% to $39.5 million for fiscal 2003 from $35.9 million for fiscal 2002. These expenses expressed as a percentage of net sales decreased to 12.0% in fiscal 2003 from 12.2% in fiscal 2002. The Ortega acquisition accounted for $3.3 million of the increase in sales and marketing expenses for fiscal 2003. For brands other than Ortega, marketing costs increased $0.2 million or 2.2% relating to additional spending on consumer marketing programs, and brokerage expenses increased $0.4 million or 6.7% during fiscal 2003 as compared with prior year. All other expenses decreased $0.3 million during fiscal 2003.

        General and Administrative Expenses.    General and administrative expenses and management fees increased $1.4 million or 25.9% to $6.8 million in fiscal 2003 from $5.4 million in fiscal 2002. Included in fiscal 2003 is a bad debt write-off of $0.6 million relating to Fleming Companies, Inc., which filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy on April 1, 2003. Transitional expenses related to the Ortega acquisition accounted for $0.2 million of the increase, incentive compensation increased $0.4 million and computer equipment depreciation increased $0.2 million during fiscal 2003 as compared with prior year.

        Environmental Clean-Up Expenses.    We recorded a charge of $0.1 million, in fiscal 2002, relating to the Combe Fill South Landfill in New Jersey as described under Item 1—"Business-Environmental Matters."

        Operating Income.    As a result of the foregoing, operating income increased $7.3 million or 15.0% to $55.9 million in fiscal 2003 from $48.6 million in fiscal 2002. Operating income expressed as a percentage of net sales increased to 17.0% in fiscal 2003 from 16.6% in fiscal 2002.

        Derivative Gain.    Income of $2.5 million was recorded in fiscal 2002 reflecting the change in fair value of our interest rate swap agreement since the date we entered into the agreement (March 21, 2002). The interest rate swap was terminated during the latter part of fiscal 2002.

        Interest Expense.    Interest expense increased $4.6 million to $31.2 million in fiscal 2003 from $26.6 million in fiscal 2002. The increase is due primarily to the write-off of $1.8 million of deferred financing costs in connection with the payment in full during fiscal 2003 of the term loan B under our then-existing term loan agreement dated as of March 15, 1999. In addition, total debt increased due to term loan borrowings under a senior secured credit facility in connection with the purchase of the Ortega acquisition.

        Income Tax Expense.    Income tax expense increased $0.2 million to $9.5 million in fiscal 2003 from $9.3 million in fiscal 2002. Our effective tax rate for fiscal 2003 was 38.6% as compared with 37.8% for fiscal 2002. Cash taxes due were $5.1 million in fiscal 2003 and $3.7 million in fiscal 2002.

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Non-GAAP Financial Measures

        Certain disclosures in this report include "non-GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles) financial measures." A non-GAAP financial measure is defined as a numerical measure of a company's financial performance that excludes or includes amounts so as to be different than the most directly comparable measure calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP in our consolidated balance sheets and related consolidated statements of operations, stockholder's equity and cash flows. We present EBITDA because we believe it is a useful indicator of our historical debt capacity and ability to service debt.

        A reconciliation of EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) and "free cash flow" with the most directly comparable GAAP measure is included below for the fifty-three weeks ended January 3, 2004, the fifty-two weeks ended December 28, 2002 and the fifty-two weeks ended December 29, 2001 (dollars in millions) along with the components of EBITDA.

        EBITDA margin is calculated as a percentage of net sales.

        Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures.    

(1)

Net income includes an unusual bad debt expense incurred for fiscal 2003 of $0.6 million ($0.4 million, net of tax) relating to Fleming Companies, Inc. which filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy on April 1, 2003.

(2)

We define EBITDA as earnings before interest, income taxes, depreciation and amortization. We believe that the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure to EBITDA is net cash provided by operating activities. The table above presents a reconciliation of EBITDA to net cash provided by operating activities. We present EBITDA because we believe it is a useful indicator of our historical debt capacity and ability to service our debt. EBITDA is not a substitute for operating income, net income or net cash flows provided by operating activities, as determined in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. EBITDA is not a complete net cash flow measure because EBITDA is a measure of liquidity that does not include reductions for cash payments for an entity's obligation to service its debt, fund its working capital, acquisitions and capital expenditures and pay its income taxes and dividends. Rather, EBITDA is one potential indicator of an entity's ability to fund these cash requirements. EBITDA also is not a complete measure of an entity's profitability because it does not include costs and expenses for depreciation and amortization, interest and related expenses and income taxes. EBITDA, as we define it, may differ from similarly named measures used by other entities.

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(3)

We disclose free cash flow because we believe that it is a measure of cash flow generated that is available for investing and financing activities. Free cash flow is defined as net cash provided by operating activities less capital expenditures. We believe that the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure to free cash flow is net cash provided by operating activities. Free cash flow represents cash generated after paying for interest on borrowings, income taxes, capital expenditures and changes in working capital, but before repaying outstanding debt, investing cash to acquire businesses, paying dividends and making other strategic investments. Thus, key assumptions underlying free cash flow are that we will be able to refinance our existing debt when it matures with new debt and that we will be able to finance any new acquisitions we make by raising new debt or equity capital.

In computing our current taxable income for free cash flow purposes, we are able to amortize certain intangible assets within the meaning of section 197 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986. This enables us to amortize approximately $16.0 million annually through 2011, approximately $14.4 million for fiscal 2012, approximately $12.9 million for fiscal 2013 and 2014, and approximately $7.1 million for fiscal 2015 through 2018. Assuming that there is no impairment of our intangible assets, we project that this tax deduction will have a positive impact on free cash flow of approximately $6.4 million annually through 2011, $5.6 million for fiscal 2012, $4.8 million for fiscal 2013 and fiscal 2014, and $2.8 million for fiscal 2015 through 2018.

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Year Ended December 28, 2002 Compared to Year Ended December 29, 2001

        Net Sales.    Net sales increased $13.9 million or 5.0% to $293.7 million fiscal 2002 from $279.8 million for the period ended December 29, 2001 ("fiscal 2001"). Sales of our Emeril's, Las Palmas, Maple Grove Farms of Vermont, Ac'cent, Trappey's, Wright's and Polaner brands increased $7.6 million, $2.6 million, $2.2 million, $2.2 million, $0.6 million, $0.3 million and $0.3 million or 45.1%, 14.5%, 5.1%, 13.5%, 4.2%, 6.0% and 0.7%, respectively, largely reflecting higher unit volume. Sales of our B&M baked beans and Sa-són brands decreased by $0.7 million and $0.5 million, or 2.6% and 9.3%, respectively. Our fiscal 2002 net sales increase was offset by $0.7 million, reflecting the disposition of the Burns & Ricker brand early in fiscal 2001.

        Gross Profit.    Gross profit increased $2.7 million or 3.1% to $90.0 million for fiscal 2002 from $87.3 million in fiscal 2001. Gross profit expressed as a percentage of net sales decreased to 30.6% in fiscal 2002 from 31.2% in fiscal 2001. The decrease in gross profit percentage resulted from higher costs of maple syrup, increased costs from the co-packers of the Underwood, Joan of Arc and Las Palmas brands and an increase in trade spending which is now included as a reduction to net sales. These cost increases were offset by a mix shift of products sold by us and a reduction in delivery expenses in an amount equal to 0.4% of net sales.

        Sales, Marketing and Distribution Expenses.    Sales, marketing and distribution expenses increased $0.9 million or 2.7% to $35.9 million for fiscal 2002 from $34.9 million for fiscal 2001. These expenses expressed as a percentage of net sales decreased to 12.2% in fiscal 2002 from 12.5% in fiscal 2001. Selling expenses increased $1.0 million or 8.4% relating to sales compensation and brokerage. Marketing costs increased $0.6 million or 7.5% relating to additional spending on consumer programs. These increases were partially offset by a decrease in warehousing costs of $0.8 million or 14.7% due to reductions in headcount and the elimination of one distribution center. All other costs increased $0.1 million or 1.2%.

        General and Administrative Expenses.    General and administrative expenses (including amortization of goodwill and trademark intangibles in fiscal 2001) and management fees decreased $9.2 million or 63.0% to $5.4 million in fiscal 2002 from $14.6 million in fiscal 2001. Amortization of goodwill and trademark intangibles with indefinite useful lives decreased from $8.5 million in fiscal 2001 to $0.0 in fiscal 2002 as a result of the implementation of the provisions of the Financial Accounting Standard Board's (FASB) Statement No. 142. All other general and administrative expenses collectively decreased $0.7 million due to a decrease in incentive compensation costs in fiscal 2002.

        Environmental Clean-Up Expenses.    As further described in Item 1—"Business—Environmental Matters," we recorded a charge of $0.1 million, in fiscal 2002, relating to the Combe Fill South Landfill in New Jersey. We recorded a charge of $1.0 million, net of insurance proceeds, in fiscal 2001 relating to the fuel oil tank leak at our Roseland, New Jersey facility.

        Operating Income.    As a result of the foregoing, operating income increased $11.8 million or 32.2% to $48.6 million in fiscal 2002 from $36.8 million in fiscal 2001. Operating income expressed as a percentage of net sales increased to 16.6% in fiscal 2002 from 13.1% in fiscal 2001.

        Gain on Sale of Assets.    As further described in note 1 to our consolidated financial statements, we recorded a $3.1 million gain on the Burns & Ricker disposition in fiscal 2001.

        Derivative Gain.    Income of $2.5 million was recorded in fiscal 2002 reflecting the change in fair value of our interest rate swap agreement since the date we entered into the agreement (March 21, 2002). The interest rate swap was terminated during the latter part of fiscal 2002.

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        Interest Expense.    Interest expense decreased $3.2 million to $26.6 million in fiscal 2002 from $29.8 million in fiscal 2001 as a result of lower outstanding debt balances and reduced interest rates in fiscal 2002.

        Income Tax Expense.    Income tax expense increased $5.2 million to $9.3 million in fiscal 2002 from $4.0 million in fiscal 2001. Our effective tax rate for fiscal 2002 was 37.8% as compared with 40.2% for fiscal 2001. The decrease in the effective rate reflects the effect of the amortization of nondeductible goodwill and other intangibles and the implementation of state tax planning initiatives, resulting in the reduction in current and deferred state tax liabilities. Cash taxes due were $3.7 million in fiscal 2002 and $0.2 million in fiscal 2001. Cash taxes due in each year are less than GAAP income tax expense due to the favorable impact of goodwill amortization expense deductible for tax-purposes resulting from our previous acquisitions.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

        Our primary liquidity requirements include debt service, capital expenditures, working capital needs and financing for acquisitions. See, also, "Commitments and Contractual Obligations" below. We will fund our liquidity needs primarily through cash generated from operations and to the extent necessary, through borrowings under our revolving credit facility.

        Cash Flows.    Cash provided by operating activities increased $1.0 million or 3.8% to $27.4 million in fiscal 2003 from $26.4 million in fiscal 2002. This increase was primarily due to an increase in accounts payable, amortization of deferred debt issuance costs and depreciation partially offset by increases in accounts receivable and inventory. Working capital at January 3, 2004 was $67.3 million, a decrease of $2.7 million over working capital at December 28, 2002 of $70.0 million.

        Net cash used in investing activities for fiscal 2003 was $124.6 million compared to net cash used in investing activities for fiscal 2002 of $6.3 million. Capital expenditures during fiscal 2003, which included purchases of manufacturing and computer equipment, were $6.4 million compared to $6.3 million for fiscal 2002. Investment expenditures during fiscal 2003 included $118.2 million for the Ortega acquisition.

        Net cash provided by financing activities for fiscal 2003 was $89.5 million compared to net cash used in financing activities for fiscal 2002 of $19.4 million. During fiscal 2003, we entered into a $150.0 million term loan in connection with the Ortega acquisition. The net cash provided by this financing activity was reduced by $54.9 million, $5.3 million and $0.3 million to pay-off existing debt under our previous credit facility, to pay new deferred debt issuance costs and to make a required payment toward the new term loan, respectively. The net cash used by financing activities for fiscal 2002 included payments of deferred debt financing fees of $3.7 million, a payment of $38.3 million toward the remaining balance of the term loan A and a partial prepayment of $75.8 million toward the term loan B, which such payments were partially offset by proceeds from the issuance of long-term debt of $98.8 million. The payments made toward term loan A and term loan B totaled $114.1 million, and included $95.8 million in prepayments of term loan A and term loan B, our required $0.4 million quarterly payments under term loan B and an additional prepayment of $17.9 million under term loan B. In addition, a payment of $0.3 million was made toward capital leases in fiscal 2002.

        We believe, based on a number of factors including our trademark and goodwill amortization from our prior acquisitions, our call premium on our outstanding subordinated notes, other write-offs of existing deferred financing costs and the compensation expense associated with the exercise of certain management stock options, that we will realize a significant reduction in cash taxes in 2004, and further, we will realize a benefit to our cash taxes payable from the depreciation of our acquired trademarks and goodwill for the taxable years 2004 through 2018, which will result in a further significant reduction in our cash taxes from 2005 through fiscal 2018.

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        Acquisitions.    Our liquidity and capital resources have been significantly impacted by acquisitions and may be impacted in the foreseeable future by additional acquisitions. We have historically financed acquisitions with borrowings and cash flows from operations. Our interest expense has increased significantly as a result of additional indebtedness we have incurred as a result of our recent acquisitions, and will increase with any additional indebtedness we may incur to finance potential future acquisitions, if any. To the extent future acquisitions, if any, are financed by additional indebtedness, the resulting increase in debt and interest expense could have a negative impact on liquidity.

        On August 21, 2003, we consummated the Ortega acquisition for approximately $118.2 million in cash, including transaction costs, from Nestlé Prepared Foods Company. In connection with this transaction, we entered into a $200.0 million senior secured credit facility comprised of a $50.0 million five-year revolving credit facility and a $150.0 million six-year term loan facility. The proceeds of such senior secured credit facility were used to fund the Ortega acquisition and refinance our then-existing credit facility.

        In connection with the Ortega acquisition, we paid transaction fees to Bruckmann, Rosser, Sherrill and Co., Inc., a related party, aggregating $1.0 million for financial advisory services. We recorded such transaction fees as part of the transaction costs included in the Ortega purchase price.

        The Ortega acquisition has been accounted for using the purchase method of accounting and, accordingly, the assets acquired, liabilities assumed, and results of operations are included in the consolidated financial statements from the date of the Ortega acquisition. The excess of the Ortega purchase price over the fair value of identifiable net assets acquired represents goodwill. Trademarks are deemed to have an indefinite useful life and are not amortized.

        The following table sets forth the allocation of the Ortega purchase price. The cost of the Ortega acquisition has been allocated to tangible and intangible assets as follows:

        Environmental Clean-Up Costs.    See Item 1—"Business—Environmental Matters," for a description of environmental matters.

        Debt.    We have outstanding $220.0 million of 9⁵/8% senior subordinated notes due 2007 with interest payable semiannually on February 1 and August 1 of each year.

        On August 21, 2003, we entered into a newly amended and restated $200.0 million senior secured credit facility, which was further amended and restated as of September 9, 2003, comprised of a $50.0 million five-year revolving credit facility and a $150.0 million six-year term loan facility. The proceeds of the term loan and of certain drawings under the revolving credit facility were used to fund the Ortega acquisition and to pay related transaction fees and expenses and to fully pay off our remaining obligations under term loan B of our then-existing term loan agreement dated as of March 15, 1999. In connection therewith, we capitalized approximately $5.3 million of new deferred debt issuance costs related to the senior secured credit facility and, in accordance with the applicable guidance of the FASB's Emerging Issues Task Force, wrote off $1.8 million of deferred financing costs related to the our then-existing term loan B. For the senior secured credit facility, interest is

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determined based on several alternative rates, including the base lending rate per annum plus an applicable margin, or LIBOR plus an applicable margin (4.52% at January 3, 2004). The senior secured credit facility is secured by substantially all of our assets. The senior secured credit facility provides for mandatory prepayment based on asset dispositions and certain issuances of securities, as defined. The senior secured credit facility contains covenants that restrict, among other things, our ability to incur additional indebtedness, pay dividends and create certain liens. The senior secured credit facility also contains certain financial maintenance covenants, which, among other things, specify maximum capital expenditure limits, a minimum interest coverage ratio and a maximum senior and total leverage ratio, each ratio as defined. Proceeds of the senior secured credit facility are restricted to funding our working capital requirements, capital expenditures and acquisitions of companies in the same line of business as our company, subject to specified criteria. The outstanding balances for the revolving credit facility and the term loan at January 3, 2004 were $0.0 million and $149.6 million, respectively. The available borrowing capacity under the revolving credit facility, net of outstanding letters of credit of $1.3 million, was approximately $48.7 million at January 3, 2004.

Future Capital Needs

        We are highly leveraged. On January 3, 2004, our total long-term debt was $368.8 million and our stockholder's equity was $93.2 million.

        Our ability to generate sufficient cash to fund our operations depends generally on the results of our operations and the availability of financing. Our management believes that cash flows from operations in conjunction with the available borrowing capacity under the revolving credit facility, net of outstanding letters of credit, of approximately $48.7 million at January 3, 2004 will be sufficient for the foreseeable future to fund operations, meet debt service requirements, make future acquisitions, if any, and fund capital expenditures. We expect to make capital expenditures of between $7.0 million to $8.0 million for each of fiscal 2004 and 2005.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

        In 2003, the FASB revised Statement No. 132 "Employers' Disclosures about Pensions and Other Postretirement Benefits". This Statement requires new annual disclosures about the types of plan assets, investment strategy, measurement date, plan obligations, and cash flows as well as the components of the net periodic benefit cost recognized in interim periods. In addition, SEC registrants are now required to disclose its estimates of contributions to the plan during the next fiscal year and the components of the fair value of total plan assets by type (i.e. equity securities, debt securities, real estate, and other assets). We adopted the provisions of this Statement, except for expected future benefit payments, which must be disclosed for fiscal years ending after June 15, 2004.

Off-balance Sheet Arrangements

        As of January 3, 2004, we did not have any off-balance sheet arrangements as defined in Item 303(a)(4)(ii) of Regulation S-K.

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Commitments and Contractual Obligations

        Our contractual obligations and commitments principally include obligations associated with our outstanding indebtedness and future minimum operating lease obligations as set forth in the following table:

Forward-Looking Statements

        This report includes forward-looking statements, including without limitation the statements under "Business" and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations". The words "believes," "anticipates," "plans," "expects," "intends," "estimates," "projects" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, performance and achievements, or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by any forward-looking statements. We believe important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from our expectations include the following:

•

our substantial leverage;



•

intense competition, changes in consumer preferences, demand for our products, the effects of changing prices for our raw materials and local economic and market conditions;



•

our continued ability to promote brand equity successfully, to anticipate and respond to new consumer trends, to develop new products and markets, to broaden brand portfolios in order to compete effectively with lower priced products and markets in a consolidating environment at the retail and manufacturing levels, to improve productivity and to maintain access to credit markets;



•

the risks associated with the expansion of our business;



•

our possible inability to integrate any businesses we acquire;



•

our borrowing costs and credit ratings, which may be influenced by the credit ratings of our competitors;



•

factors that affect the food industry generally, including:



•

recalls if products become adulterated or misbranded, liability if product consumption causes injury, ingredient disclosure and labeling laws and regulations and the possibility that consumers could lose confidence in the safety and quality of certain food products, as well as recent publicity concerning the health implications of obesity and trans fatty acids; and



•

the effects of currency movements in Canada and fluctuations in the level of our customers' inventories and credit and other business risks related to our customers operating in a challenging economic and competitive environment; and



•

other factors discussed elsewhere in this report.

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        Developments in any of these areas, which are more fully described elsewhere in this report and which descriptions are incorporated into this section by reference, could cause our results to differ materially from results that have been or may be projected by or on our behalf.

        All forward-looking statements included in this report are based on information available to us on the date of this report. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. All subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements attributable to us or persons acting on our behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements contained in this report.

        We caution that the foregoing list of important factors is not exclusive. We urge you not to unduly rely on forward-looking statements contained in this report.

ITEM 7A.    QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK

        In the normal course of operations, we are exposed to market risks arising from adverse changes in interest rates. Market risk is defined for these purposes as the potential change in the fair value of financial assets or liabilities resulting from an adverse movement in interest rates. As of January 3, 2004, our only variable rate borrowings were under the term loan and the revolving credit facility, which bear interest at several alternative variable rates as stipulated in the senior secured credit facility. A 100 basis point increase in interest rates, applied to our borrowings at January 3, 2004, would result in an annual increase in interest expense and a corresponding reduction in cash-flow of approximately $0.9 million.

        We also have outstanding $220 million of 9⁵/8% senior subordinated notes due August 1, 2007 with interest payable semiannually on February 1 and August 1 of each year, of which $120 million principal amount was originally issued in August 1997 and $100 million principal amount was issued by us through a private offering of the notes completed on March 7, 2002. The fair value of the $220 million senior subordinated notes at January 3, 2004, based on quoted market prices, was $226.6 million.

ITEM 8.    FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA

        The consolidated balance sheets at January 3, 2004 and December 28, 2002 and the consolidated statements of operations, stockholder's equity and cash flows for the years ended January 3, 2004, December 28, 2002 and December 29, 2001 and related notes thereto are set forth below.

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Independent Auditors' Report

The Board of Directors and Stockholder of
B&G Foods, Inc.:

        We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of B&G Foods, Inc. and subsidiaries as of January 3, 2004 and December 28, 2002, and the related consolidated statements of operations, stockholder's equity and cash flows for the years ended January 3, 2004, December 28, 2002 and December 29, 2001. In connection with our audits of the consolidated financial statements, we also have audited the schedule of valuation and qualifying accounts for the years ended January 3, 2004, December 28, 2002 and December 29, 2001. These consolidated financial statements and financial statement schedule are the responsibility of the Company's management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these consolidated financial statements and financial statement schedule based on our audits.

        We conducted our audits in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted in the United States of America. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. An audit also includes assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

        In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the consolidated financial position of B&G Foods, Inc. and subsidiaries as of January 3, 2004 and December 28, 2002, and the results of their operations and their cash flows for the years ended January 3, 2004, December 28, 2002 and December 29, 2001, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. Also, in our opinion, the related financial statement schedule, when considered in relation to the basic consolidated financial statements taken as a whole, presents fairly, in all material respects, the information set forth therein.

/s/ KPMG LLP

New York, New York
February 10, 2004

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B&G FOODS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

Consolidated Balance Sheets

(Dollars in thousands)

See accompanying Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

28

B&G FOODS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

Consolidated Statements of Operations

(Dollars in thousands)

See accompanying Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

29

B&G FOODS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

Consolidated Statements of Stockholder's Equity

(Dollars in thousands, except per share data)

See accompanying Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

30

B&G FOODS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows

(Dollars in thousands)

See accompanying Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

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B&G FOODS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
January 3, 2004 and December 28, 2002
(Dollars in thousands)

(1)    Nature of Operations

Organization

        B&G Foods, Inc. and subsidiaries ("B&G" or the "Company") is a wholly owned subsidiary of B&G Foods Holdings Corp. ("Holdings"), which in turn is majority owned by Bruckmann, Rosser, Sherrill & Co., L.P. ("BRS"), a private equity investment firm, and minority owned by management, directors and certain other investors.

Nature of Operations

        The Company operates in one industry segment and manufactures, sells and distributes a diverse portfolio of high quality branded, shelf-stable food products. The Company's products include pickles, peppers, jams and jellies, canned meats and beans, spices, syrups, hot sauces, maple syrup, salad dressings, taco shells, seasonings, dinner kits, taco sauces, refried beans, salsa and other specialty food products which are sold to retailers and food service establishments. The Company distributes these products to retailers in the greater New York metropolitan area through a direct-store-organization sales and distribution system and elsewhere in the United States through a nationwide network of independent brokers and distributors. Sales of a number of the Company's products tend to be seasonal; however, in the aggregate, the Company's sales are not heavily weighted to any particular quarter. Sales during the first quarter of the fiscal year are generally below that of the following three quarters.

Business and Credit Concentrations

        The Company's exposure to credit loss in the event of non-payment of accounts receivable by customers is represented in the amount of such receivables. The Company performs ongoing credit evaluations of its customers' financial condition. As of January 3, 2004, the Company does not believe it has any significant concentration of credit risk with respect to its trade accounts receivable. The Company had no customers in fiscal 2003, 2002 or 2001 that exceeded 10% of consolidated net sales.

Disposition

        On January 17, 2001, the Company completed the sale of its wholly owned subsidiary, Burns & Ricker, Inc. ("Burns & Ricker"), to Nonni's Food Company, Inc. ("Nonni's") (the "B&R Disposition") pursuant to a stock purchase agreement of the same date under which the Company sold all of the issued and outstanding capital stock of Burns & Ricker to Nonni's for $26,000 in cash. The gain on the sale, net of transaction expenses, was approximately $3,100. The Company applied the net cash proceeds from the B&R Disposition toward the partial prepayment of term loans, as required under the Company's then existing credit facility.

Acquisition and Accounting

        On August 21, 2003, the Company acquired certain assets of The Ortega Brand of Business ("Ortega" or the "Ortega Acquisition") for approximately $118,179 in cash (the "Ortega Purchase Price"), including transaction costs, from Nestlé Prepared Foods Company ("Nestlé"). The Ortega Purchase Price was subject to a final adjustment based upon a defined inventory calculation in the related purchase agreement. In connection with this transaction, the Company entered into a $200,000 senior secured credit facility comprised of a $50,000 five-year revolving credit facility and a $150,000

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B&G FOODS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
January 3, 2004 and December 28, 2002
(Dollars in thousands) (Continued)

(1)    Nature of Operations (Continued)

six-year term loan facility. The proceeds of such senior secured credit facility were used to fund the Ortega Acquisition and refinance the Company's then-existing credit facility. See Note 6 (Long-term Debt).

        In connection with the Ortega Acquisition, the Company paid transaction fees to Bruckmann, Rosser, Sherrill and Co., Inc., a related party, aggregating $1,000. The Company recorded such transaction fees as part of the Ortega Purchase Price.

        The Ortega Acquisition has been accounted for using the purchase method of accounting and, accordingly, the assets acquired, liabilities assumed, and results of operations are included in the consolidated financial statements from the date of the Ortega Acquisition. The excess of the Ortega Purchase Price over the fair value of identifiable net assets acquired represents goodwill. Trademarks are deemed to have an indefinite useful life and are not amortized.

        The following table sets forth the allocation of the Ortega Purchase Price. The cost of the Ortega Acquisition has been allocated to tangible and intangible assets as follows: