SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

                             Washington, D.C. 20549

                                    FORM 8-K

                                 CURRENT REPORT

                     Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the
                         Securities Exchange Act of 1934

         Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): July 22, 2004

                            THE MIDDLEBY CORPORATION
             (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)

                           Commission File No. 1-9973


                 Delaware                                36-3352497
      (State or Other Jurisdiction of        I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)
      Incorporation or Organization)

        1400 Toastmaster Drive, Elgin, Illinois                60120
       (Address of Principal Executive Offices)             (Zip Code)


    Registrant's Telephone No., including Area Code        (847) 741-3300













                                      -1-

================================================================================


ITEM 7. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS


      (c)  Exhibits.


           99.1 Press release dated July 22, 2004 of The Middleby Corporation.


ITEM 9.  REGULATION FD DISCLOSURE


On July 22, 2004, The Middleby Corporation issued a press release announcing its
financial results for the quarter ended July 3, 2004. A copy of that press
release is attached as Exhibit 99.1.


The information in this Form 8-K is being furnished pursuant to "Item 12.
Results of Operations and Financial Condition" of Form 8-K in accordance with
SEC Release Nos. 33-8216 and 34-47583 (March 27, 2003). Such information,
including any exhibits, shall not be deemed "filed" for purposes of Section 18
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, nor shall it be deemed incorporated by
reference into any filing made under the Securities Act of 1933, except as
expressly set forth by specific reference in such filing.

================================================================================







                                    SIGNATURE

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the
Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned thereunto duly authorized.


                                       THE MIDDLEBY CORPORATION
                                       ----------------------------
                                                         (Registrant)
Date:  July 22, 2004

                                       By:  /s/ Timothy J. FitzGerald
                                              ----------------------------
                                              Timothy J. FitzGerald
                                              Vice President,
                                              Chief Financial Officer




                                       -2-



                                                                    Exhibit 99.1


    The Middleby Corporation Reports Record Second Quarter Results

    ELGIN, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 22, 2004--The Middleby
Corporation (NASDAQ:MIDD), a leading worldwide manufacturer of
restaurant and foodservice cooking equipment, today reported record
sales and earnings for the second quarter and first half year ended
July 3, 2004. Net earnings for the second quarter were $8,289,000 or
$0.82 per share on net sales of $72,913,000 as compared to the prior
year second quarter net earnings of $4,597,000 or $0.49 per share on
net sales of $65,408,000. Net earnings for the six months ended July
3, 2004 were $13,880,000 or $1.39 per share on net sales of
$135,376,000 as compared to net earnings of $7,206,000 or $0.77 per
share on net sales of $121,801,000 in the prior year first half.

    Financial Highlights

        --  Net sales up 11.5% in the second quarter and 11.1% for the
            first half year, reflecting favorable impact of new
            product introductions and continued penetration of fast
            growing segments, such as fast casual and casual dining

        --  Gross margin rate of 39.5% for the second quarter and
            38.4% for the first half year as compared to 34.6% and
            34.2% in the prior year respective periods, reflecting the
            benefits of increased volumes and higher margins on new
            products

        --  Operating income margins of 20.1% for the second quarter
            and 18.3% for the first half year improved from 14.7% and
            13.2%, respectively in the second quarter and first half
            year 2003

        --  Total debt reduced to $48,315,000 for the quarter ended
            July 3, 2004 from $53,650,000 at the end of the first
            quarter of 2004 and $56,500,000 at the end of 2003

    "We are pleased with our strong first half performance for 2004,"
said President and Chief Executive Officer Selim A. Bassoul. "Sales
growth continues to build upon the momentum established in 2003 and
the first quarter of 2004 and reflects the impact of new products
introduced in 2003, such as the Platinum series range lineup with
waterproof controls and non-clogging burners. In addition, after
several years of underinvestment our customers are beginning to
accelerate their replacement cycle of older equipment, which is
becoming more expensive to operate and maintain." Mr. Bassoul
continued, "We introduced a number of patented new products at an
annual national trade show in the second quarter of this year which
were well received by our customers. Our company has been working
closely with customers to develop products that include features any
chef would love, including bigger dials, cool to the touch handles,
and simplified loading designs. These ergonomic features, when
combined with faster cooking speed and energy savings technology have
started to positively impact sales."
    William F. Whitman, Jr., Chairman of the Board, stated, "During
the second quarter we amended our credit agreement, which provides for
increased flexibility and more favorable interest rates. We continue
to generate strong cash flows and we were able to reduce debt during
the second quarter by over $5.3 million while also funding working
capital needs. We were also pleased to declare a $0.40 per common
share special dividend in May of this year which was paid to
shareholders at the beginning of this year's third quarter."

    Reclassification of Shipping and Handling Costs

    Subsequent to the issuance of the consolidated financial
statements for the period ended April 3, 2004, the company determined
that the costs incurred for shipping and handling should have been
classified as a component of cost of sales rather than as a reduction
of net sales. As a result, the statement of earnings for the three and
six month periods ended June 28, 2003 have been restated to reflect
the costs incurred for shipping as a component of cost of sales rather
than a reduction in net sales. The correction in classification of
these costs has no impact on net earnings. The company will amend its
Form 10-Q filings for the quarters ended September 27, 2003 and April
3, 2004, and its Form 10-K/A filing for the year ended January 3, 2004
to restate the financial statements to reflect the correction in the
classification of these costs.

    Conference Call

    A conference call will be held at 10:30 a.m. Eastern time on
Friday, July 23 and can be accessed by dialing 1(800) 374-0538 and
providing password 8922138. Members of the financial community who
participate in the question and answer session will receive a separate
call-in number. A webcast of the conference call can be accessed
through investor services at www.middleby.com. A digital replay of the
call will be available approximately one half hour after its
completion and can be accessed by calling 1(800) 642-1687 and
providing password 8922138. A transcript of the call will also be
posted on the company website.

    Statements in this press release or otherwise attributable to the
company regarding the company's business which are not historical fact
are forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor
provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.
The company cautions investors that such statements are estimates of
future performance and are highly dependent upon a variety of
important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially
from such statements. Such factors include variability in financing
costs; quarterly variations in operating results; dependence on key
customers; international exposure; foreign exchange and political
risks affecting international sales; changing market conditions; the
impact of competitive products and pricing; the timely development and
market acceptance of the company's products; the availability and cost
of raw materials; and other risks detailed herein and from
time-to-time in the company's SEC filings.

    The Middleby Corporation is a global leader in the foodservice
equipment industry. The company develops, manufactures, markets and
services a broad line of equipment used for cooking and food
preparation in commercial and institutional kitchens and restaurants
throughout the world. The company's leading equipment brands include
Blodgett(R), Blodgett Combi(R), Blodgett Range(R), CTX(R),
MagiKitch'n(R), Middleby Marshall(R), Pitco Frialator(R),
Southbend(R), and Toastmaster(R). Middleby's international subsidiary,
Middleby Worldwide, is a leading exporter and distributor of
foodservice equipment in the global marketplace. Middleby's
international manufacturing subsidiary, Middleby Philippines
Corporation, is a leading supplier of specialty equipment in the Asian
markets.

    For further information about Middleby, visit www.middleby.com.



                       THE MIDDLEBY CORPORATION
             CONSOLIDATED CONDENSED STATEMENTS OF EARNINGS
             ---------------------------------------------
           (Amounts in 000's, Except Per Share Information)
                              (Unaudited)

                            Three Months Ended     Six Months Ended
                            2nd Qtr,   2nd Qtr,   2nd Qtr,   2nd Qtr,
                              2004      2003(1)     2004      2003(1)
                           ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------
Net sales                   $ 72,913   $ 65,408   $135,376   $121,801
Cost of sales                 44,120     42,758     83,407     80,099
                           ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------

    Gross profit              28,793     22,650     51,969     41,702

Selling & distribution
 expense                       8,327      7,780     15,703     14,942
General & administrative
 expense                       5,813      5,226     11,509     10,709
                           ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------

    Income from operations    14,653      9,644     24,757     16,051

Interest expense and
 deferred financing
 amortization, net               794      1,623      1,691      3,337
Loss (gain) on acquisition
 financing derivatives             2        (42)         -       (111)
Other expense (income), net       78        148        272        283
                           ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------

    Earnings before income
     taxes                    13,779      7,915     22,794     12,542

Provision for income taxes     5,490      3,318      8,914      5,336
                           ---------- ---------- ---------- ----------

    Net earnings            $  8,289   $  4,597   $ 13,880   $  7,206
                           ========== ========== ========== ==========


Net earnings per share:

    Basic                   $   0.90   $   0.51   $   1.50   $   0.80
                           ========== ========== ========== ==========

    Diluted                 $   0.82   $   0.49   $   1.39   $   0.77
                           ========== ========== ========== ==========

Weighted average number
 shares:

    Basic                      9,237      9,033      9,228      9,031
                           ========== ========== ========== ==========

    Diluted                   10,048      9,353     10,008      9,325
                           ========== ========== ========== ==========

(1) Subsequent to the issuance of the consolidated condensed financial
    statements for the period ended April 3, 2004, the company
    determined that the costs incurred for shipping and handling
    should have been classified as a component of cost of sales rather
    than as a reduction of net sales. As a result, net sales for the
    three and six month periods ended June 28, 2003 were restated from
    $63,595,000 and $118,362,000 in the previously reported results to
    $65,408,000 and $121,801,000, respectively. Cost of sales for the
    three and six month periods ended June 28, 2003 were restated from
    $40,945,000 and $76,660,000 in the previously reported results to
    $42,758,000 and $80,099,000, respectively.



                       THE MIDDLEBY CORPORATION
                 CONSOLIDATED CONDENSED BALANCE SHEETS
                 -------------------------------------
                          (Amounts in 000's)
                              (Unaudited)


                                            July 3, 2004  Jan 3, 2004
                                            ------------  ------------
 ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents                      $  2,952      $  3,652
Accounts receivable, net                         30,597        23,318
Inventories, net                                 28,855        25,382
Deferred tax assets                              12,872        12,839
Other current assets                              1,102         1,776
                                            ------------  ------------
    Total current assets                         76,378        66,967

Property, plant and equipment, net               23,607        24,921

Goodwill                                         74,761        74,761
Other intangibles                                26,300        26,300
Other assets                                      1,563         1,671
                                            ------------  ------------

    Total assets                               $202,609      $194,620
                                            ============  ============


LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY

Current maturities of long-term debt           $      -      $ 14,500
Accounts payable                                 15,118        11,901
Accrued expenses                                 37,267        37,076
                                            ------------  ------------
    Total current liabilities                    52,385        63,477

Long-term debt                                   48,315        42,000
Long-term deferred tax liability                  8,264         8,264
Other non-current liabilities                    17,148        18,789

Shareholders' equity                             76,497        62,090
                                            ------------  ------------

    Total liabilities and shareholders'
        equity                                 $202,609      $194,620
                                            ============  ============




    CONTACT: The Middleby Corporation
             Darcy Bretz, 847-429-7756
             David Baker, 847-429-7915
             Timothy FitzGerald, 847-429-7744