The original old world crust recipe for our products was passed down from an immigrant baker from Munich Germany to his niece and was first sold commercially in the form of semi-soft, empty pie crusts produced by her and her husband during the 1950’s. The first pie crusts were made entirely by hand and had a shelf life of only 3 days. Before long a rudimentary automated machine was purchased, which stamped out pie crusts and increased production capacity, allowing them to quickly gain a faithful following.
When the business was bought by a small Natchez food distribution company in 1962, state-of-the-art equipment was installed, modifications to the recipe were made which were meant to appeal to the southern customer base, and operations began in historic downtown Natchez, Mississippi.
When Dutch Ann Foods, Inc. purchased the business in 1997, the business was again modernized to increase production and meet high standards in food safety and remains in the Natchez community today.
Dutch Ann Foods currently produces three products – 3 inch tart crusts sold eight to a box or in bulk cartons of 144 crusts, 9 inch standard pan pie crusts sold two to a package or in bulk, and 9 inch deep dish pie crusts sold in twin packs or in bulk. All three types of crusts are sold nationally and can be found on the grocery aisle of large retailers, as well as in large grocery chains and many local food retailers, stretching from Virginia to California. Check out the list of product distribution locations in this site, which is certainly not all comprehensive.
All three of these Dutch Ann hearty, edible crusts are perfect to hold a variety of fruit and nut fillings, vegetables, meats and seafood or delicious creamy desserts. Our 3 inch tart crusts are ideal for individual servings, and whether you choose deep dish or standard pie crusts for your full-size pie crust needs is a matter of preference. We recommend the 9-inch deep dish crust for recipes requiring more than four cups of filling.
We pride ourselves in continuing to remain faithful to our “Homemade Goodness” branding. Our very own Granny, Doris Britt of Minter City, MS provided the “Granny’s Pecan Pie Tarts” recipe found on the box for the retail pie tarts. We still offer all-natural ingredients in every crust, and that is why we have been a top brand name in this industry for more than 50 years and hope to remain strong for many more to come.
If you are interested in learning more about becoming a distributor, or a distribution point, please contact us today!