Mary of Puddin Hill today announced that it will close effective Saturday, May 21st. Efforts to sell or merge with another bakery company will continue.
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Owner Ken Bain further explained that the largest fruitcake company in Texas, Collin Street Bakery of Corsicana has disclosed plans to build a megastore in Greenville similar to their stores in Waco and Corsicana.
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To continue to compete we would have to do extensive remodeling or relocate, equip with the newest baking equipment and add the newest digital age media tools to our marketing efforts.
We are deeply grateful to our many longtime friends and customers throughout Texas and America. We are especially humbled to have been able to continue the rich legacy of the Horton, Lauderdale "Puddin Hill" story over these past ten years.
There doesn't seem to be anything more on their web page, and it is to be hoped that they can find a buyer to carry on the tradition. Seems weird that there actually seems to be a fruitcake competition down there in Texas.
It's a very sad deal, as this is one of the more delicious Southern style fruitcakes I've had. You might want to buy one now!!
7 comments:
Bummer! My wife, who likes non-alcoholic cakes, rated this one the best. I really don't understand why Collin Street coming to town would threaten them. Fruitcakes, the good ones, are not as I can tell a price-competitive business. As with the monastery varieties, you compete with taste and ingredients. Real fruitcake lovers will pay what they have to, for the cake they want. I suspect at MoPH they're just tired, and this is their excuse to get out--if they can't sell out.
I agree completely with you. Fruitcakes aren't like gas stations--you can't get the same thing from each maker. I also agree that it may have just been a convenient excuse.
Isabelle, I was just looking at your "Fruitcake Types Explained," and saw that you say ALL of the mass-produced cakes should be avoided. Grandma's is an exception, I think. It was my personal first introduction to alcoholic fruitcake, and it has become a sentimental favorite. During "The Gladsome Fruitcake Season," I always complement my more sophisticated selections with a Grandma's. (And I think I recall you once said your own family gave it high marks, in a post-holiday fruitcake clean-up.)
Thanks, anonymous 2! I basically copied and pasted an old post onto that new page. I'll take the time to go back and be slightly less vehement on that. Everyone's entitled to their taste!
I was very disappointed with my first and last order from Mary of Puddin Hill. I bought three types of fruitcake and all had significant off-flavors, as though they had used rancid nuts. Disgusting. Possibly they were just trying to sell every last item but even if they were closing, they should not have foisted spoiled fruitcakes onto paying customers.
Mary of Puddin Hill is still open online - you can sign up to get their email notices
Thanks Anonymous - I've sent them to e-mail to confirm whether or not they're going to remain open or not.
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