5 Ingles Finds North Georgians Secretly Hoard

Ingles calls its apple fritters world famous, and they make them fresh every day.

If you shop Ingles in North Georgia, you probably have favorites like fritters you stock up.

Here are the Ingles finds locals secretly hoard.

1. Milk From Milkco

If you pour a glass of Ingles milk, there’s a solid chance the chain’s dairy plant filled the jug.

That plant, Milkco, supplies about 65% of the milk products Ingles supermarkets sell, according to the chain’s fiscal 2025 annual report.

Ingles bought the operation from Sealtest in 1982.

Ingles’ Milkco page says production grew from 5 million gallons that year to over 60 million.

The same page says Milkco packages 100% of its products in recyclable corrugated boxes, one of the few U.S. dairies to do so.

Milkco also makes organic milk, fruit juices and bottled water.

About 81% of its products go to other retailers, food service distributors and grocery warehouses.

The Milkco page lists dairy, citrus, tea, ice cream mix and bottled water among what it sells them.

Many shoppers stock up on it, and your fridge could hold a jug from that plant.

2. Deli Fried Chicken

Many Ingles stores offer fried chicken among their daily prepared meals, the annual report says.

The Kitchn asked Southern chefs for their favorite grocery fried chicken in a March 2026 story, and Ingles made the list of three.

Jon Buck, executive chef at Soby’s New South Cuisine in Greenville, took part in a taste test of grocery chicken with 10 other chefs.

He told the site the seasoning was perfect, the breading very crispy and the chicken juicy.

He also said he skips the condiments.

Buck has gone back a few times to buy a box for himself.

If you’d like to judge it yourself, the deli counter is the place to start.

3. Apple Fritters

Ingles' departments page calls its apple fritters world famous and says they're made fresh every day.

A 3-ounce fritter lists at 450 calories on the chain's bakery nutrition page.

The bakery makes most of its items on site, including donuts and other pastries.

Add a loaf to the bag, and you'll find the page says breads are sliced while you watch.

Organic breads, Rosemary Garlic and Tuscan loaves, and gluten-free items at select stores round out that list.

The page also mentions seasonal fruit pies and specialty items to top off a meal.

4. Crème Cakes

Eight crème cakes appear on Ingles' bakery nutrition list, from 7-Up and Italian to Orange Pineapple.

Strawberry, vanilla, chocolate and Apple Walnut versions are listed too.

Ingles' bakery makes cakes to order in various sizes, the annual report says.

The chain's cake page says you can order online and pick up at your closest store.

The departments page says you can choose from hundreds of cake options.

5. Rotisserie Chicken Salad

Ingles calls its Rotisserie Chicken Salad a signature deli item.

If you're counting, a 3.5-ounce serving lists at 250 calories and 19 grams of protein.

Next to it, the Gourmet Deli Chicken Salad lists at 280 calories for the same serving.

The deli also runs salad, chicken wing and olive bars, along with an expanded offering of cheeses.

The departments page adds that the deli makes salads in the store, so you can build a lunch around them.

Small-Town Roots

Robert Ingle opened the first Ingles supermarket in Asheville, North Carolina, in 1963.

He aimed at smaller towns and rural communities that large grocery chains weren't serving well, according to the company's history page.

If you're curious how a Carolina chain reached North Georgia, the company says expansion into similar communities in Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama and Virginia soon followed.

Store Brands

Ingles sells private-label items under the Laura Lynn and Harvest Farms trademarks, which its annual report counts among its most important.

Those private labels cover milk, bread, organic products, soft drinks and canned goods, the report says.

In the chain's words, private label is a value-priced alternative to national brands.

If you're weighing Laura Lynn against a national brand, Ingles says its products are equal or superior and guaranteed by the company.

Ingles says the Laura Lynn name comes from founder Robert Ingle's daughter, Laura Lynn Ingle.

If you're after organic, Ingles describes Harvest Farms as its certified organic store brand.

Ingles also offers organic and locally sourced items throughout its market areas.

Georgia's Share of Sales

Ingles had 64 supermarkets in Georgia at the end of fiscal 2025, down from 65 a year earlier, its annual report shows.

Only North Carolina has more, with 72 of the chain's 194 supermarkets.

South Carolina has 35, Tennessee has 21, and Virginia and Alabama have one each.

Across the chain, Ingles operated 112 pharmacies and 106 fuel stations at the end of fiscal 2025.

If you fill a prescription or a tank at your Ingles, you're using one of them.

Georgia brought in 32% of Ingles' net sales that year, second to North Carolina's 41%.

That's nearly a third of its sales.

If you shop an Ingles in Georgia, you're in the chain's second-biggest state by store count and by sales.

The Asheville Warehouse

Ingles' warehouse and distribution facilities near Asheville cover 1.65 million square feet.

Those facilities supply about 58.8% of the goods Ingles stores sell.

The other 41.2% comes from third parties and generally arrives directly at the stores.