The sound and smell of sweet kettle corn fills the night air as a long line of students wait for the Campus Activities Board (CAB) Cinema event last week in the auditorium. Students pick up a complimentary bag of pastel colored kettle corn, then enter the 22 Jump Street movie screening.
CAB Student Programmer Dennison Ocampo explains that they coordinated the event with Old Time Kettlekorn, as they have done before for other events. “A lot of students love the kettle corn, as you can see by the mess! It’s not really a movie night without popcorn,” he says.
But how many students actually know who is behind these delicious bags of crunchy goodness?
Old Time Kettlekorn owner Doug Cromwell has worked on UC Merced’s campus for about six years alongside co-worker Nancy Martinez. Cromwell himself popped kettle corn for 20 years and counting; you could very well call him a kettle corn pro.
“We get told no matter where we go that our kettle corn is better than anybody else’s, so that’s nice to hear,” he says.
What makes this kettle corn different is the various flavors including caramel-glaze, buttered, blue raspberry, strawberry, cinnamon, sassy apple, cheddar cheese, and more.
Karla Gomez, a UC Merced student and CAB member who helped with the movie night, shares that her favorite flavor is strawberry. “I put a ribbon around the kettle corn bag for my friend’s birthday and she loved it!” she remembers.
When asked what makes Old Time Kettlekorn “simply the best available,” Cromwell answers, “Maybe it’s that I make sure that we get rid of the smallest kernels in the bags. It’s the extra care we take.” Cromwell shows and describes his customized popcorn bin that he had drilled holes into, which allows the extra kernels to be disposed.
But why kettle corn?
Cromwell says that he was friends with the first man who brought kettle corn to California. “He always had a line of people, so I thought it would be a good business to get into,” he recalls.
Cromwell used to sell wind chimes and small figurines, among other things. Food like kettle corn, on the other hand, promised returning customers who are hungry for more.
Now, he says, he likes joking with other students while popping kettle corn. “Business is very hard work, so I find that my other personality comes in. It makes doing this a whole lot less tedious. I try and make it fun,” he says with a smile.
The next chance you have to pick up a bag of rainbow flavored kettle corn, whether you are attending a fun CAB event or it’s just another beautiful day on campus, say hello to Doug Cromwell and Nancy Martinez of Old Time Kettlekorn.
Allie Teaze
News Editor
ateaze@ucmerced.edu