White Lily
| Company type | Brand |
|---|---|
| Industry | Food processing |
| Founded | 1883 in Knoxville, Tennessee, United States |
| Founder | J. Allen Smith |
| Fate | Production moved to Midwest mills in 2008 |
| Headquarters | United States |
Area served | United States |
| Owner | Hometown Food Company |
White Lily is a United States-based brand of versatile flour owned by Hometown Food Company.
History
Established in 1883 in Knoxville, Tennessee by J. Allen Smith, White Lily was named in honor of his wife, Lillie. Often referred to as the "Sunday flour" because of its customary use in special occasion cooking, it features a protein content of 9%, aligning it more closely with pastry flour and making it particularly suitable for producing tender, airy biscuits. This flour is made exclusively from the endosperm portion of the grain and undergoes chlorine bleaching to both whiten the product and reduce protein strength. The packaging is taller than typical all-purpose flour bags, reflecting its lower weight per cup; it is milled from soft red winter wheat traditionally cultivated in the Southeastern United States.
Prior to 2018, White Lily was rarely found beyond Washington, D.C.'s northern regions. However, during the 2020 pandemic, its retail presence expanded westward to cities such as Seattle, Washington and San Jose, California, likely driven by a surge in home baking and changes in supply chain distribution.
In 2006, The J.M. Smucker Company purchased White Lily, subsequently shutting down the Knoxville milling facility in 2007 and transferring production to two mills located in the Midwest by 2008. The brand later changed hands to Hometown Food Company in 2018.