LesserEvil

The kernel

LesserEvil built a grocery business on organic popcorn that does not taste like a compromise. The flagship is Himalayan Gold: organic corn, extra-virgin olive oil, Himalayan salt. The salt color is marketing. The bag is not. You get a light butterfly flake, real crunch, and a finish that reads as corn instead of cheese powder.

The pot

Ready-to-eat popcorn lives or dies on oil and staleness. LesserEvil stays on the right side of both more often than the big flavor houses. The pieces are not greasy. They are not dusted into a neon crust. If you have been living on kettle-corn sweetness or "white cheddar" that stains a napkin, this bag is the reset. They also make flavor extensions. The Atlas cares most about the simple salt, because that is where you can still taste the kernel.

Hulls

This bag is built on organic butterfly corn, not a thin-hull variety, and it makes no hull claim. Expect the hulls that come with ordinary butterfly kernels.

Who it is for

The person who buys organic as a default and is tired of popcorn that tastes like a seasoning plant. Also the desk-lunch crowd. A bag of this is a meal if you let it be. It will not replace a home-popped Tiny But Mighty or a jar of Amish Country. It will replace the sad office vending option.

FAQ

Is LesserEvil scored on Popcorn Atlas?

Yes. It is #04 at 4.3. We keep it high among national ready-to-eat bags because the Himalayan Gold bag still tastes like corn, oil, and salt. Farm kernels still sit above it. Tiny But Mighty stays #01.

Is Himalayan Gold better than home-popped kernels?

No. A bag that does not get in the way is not a farm jar. LesserEvil replaces the sad office vending option. It does not replace a home-popped Tiny But Mighty bowl or an Amish Country jar. Read how to pop and kernel types when you are ready to own the pot.

Who owns LesserEvil?

The Hershey Company closed the acquisition on 19 Nov 2025. Charles Coristine remains the operator the coverage still names. Hershey now owns both LesserEvil and SkinnyPop. The Atlas still scores the bag, not the parent ticker.

Where does LesserEvil sit against SkinnyPop?

LesserEvil is #04. SkinnyPop is #12. Both are national RTE. LesserEvil keeps more corn in the finish. SkinnyPop made simple popcorn a diet-aisle product. Farms first, then the bags that do not get in the way.

Company

Organic RTE bag. Hershey now owns both this and SkinnyPop. The corn is still the listing.

Founder

Michael A. Sands (2004). Charles Coristine bought the company in 2011.

Since

2004

CEO / operator

Charles Coristine, CEO (Hershey says the LesserEvil leadership team stayed after close).

Parent

The Hershey Company (NYSE: HSY). Acquisition closed 19 Nov 2025.

HQ / farm

Danbury, Connecticut (factory / HQ cited in coverage of the sale)

Sources: Hershey closes LesserEvil

Where to buy

• lesserevil.com
• Amazon search

• Hershey: major retailers nationwide. Grocery organic aisle is the usual find.

No affiliate hop. No Stripe. Official and search links only.

How we score

Editorial, 0.0 to 5.0. We score the bowl and whether the pitch is true. This listing sits at #04 with 4.3. Farm varieties outrank flavor labs. Read the method in the how we score guide and on the about page.

The record

We score it high among national RTE brands and still below the farm-kernel work. That is the Atlas order. Farms first. Then the bags that do not get in the way. LesserEvil is the bag that does not get in the way.

The cleanest national RTE bag we keep in the record. Corn, oil, salt. The Himalayan pink is theater. The eat is not.

Brand site: lesserevil.com.