Beatrice Bakery is a producer famous for its fruitcakes. Based on a family recipe that dates back more than a century, the company ships a slew of these holiday treats across the country when the season rolls around. However, while the nutty concoctions are the “cornerstone” of their business, they produce much more than just fruitcakes—and all of the treats are available to hungry consumers year round.

To learn more about the company and its products, Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery connected with Richard Meyer, president of Beatrice Bakery.

Jenni Spinner: Could you please tell us a bit about the early days of Beatrice Bakery—considering your history dates back to 1917, that’s a long time ago.

Richard Meyer: Our recipe dates to 1917 and has been a beloved tradition ever since. The handmade goodness was first introduced by the Lantz brothers, two German immigrants, who discovered a family fruitcake recipe in their grandmother’s trunk after she passed. The recipe took off, and the Lantz brothers soon found themselves searching for a facility to produce their grandmother’s recipe. In 1964, their search brought them to Beatrice, Nebraska, where our current facility resides today.

This Nebraska bakery changed names and ownership several times before becoming nationally known as Beatrice Bakery Co in 2002. Despite the changes, the original fruitcake recipe remained the same. We even bake all our products in the original oven.

JS: You’re arguably best known for your fruitcakes—could you tell us a bit about that product, your offerings, and how your line includes traditional items as well as some notable innovations in terms of product and packaging?

RM: Our Grandma’s Original Fruitcake is world famous and is the cornerstone of our business. It is a tradition for people during the holidays no matter their age or customs, and brings back warm memories for all who’ve tasted it. Grandma’s Fruitcake is not your typical fruitcake! It is loaded with 67% of the finest fruits and nuts and the only liquids added are Bourbon, Brandy, and Rum. Our handcrafted fruitcake is made in small batches, then hand pressed, hand decorated with hand sorted nuts and fruits. Grandma’s Original Fruitcake comes in various sizes from 6 ounces to 5 pounds. In addition to the variety of sizes and packages, we also offer our Grandma’s Fruitcake in individually wrapped slices and our Chocolate Covered Fruitcake Squares enrobed in chocolate (milk, dark and white). These wonderful treats allow customers a convenient on-the-go snack.

We offer fun fruitcake flavor variations as well! One of our favorites is the Amaretto Fruitcake that offers a milder, sweet almond flavor. The Amaretto Fruitcake is made with Amaretto Liqueur and Brandy with sliced almonds on top. Another option is our Grandma’s Chocolate fruitcake that has the same recipe as the original with added ambrosia cocoa, transforming it into a chocolate lovers’ version of the original. We offer some alternative options with “No Sugar Added” and “No High Fructose Corn Syrup Fruitcake” versions of our Grandma’s Fruitcake. For someone who may not want the Bourbon, Brandy and Rum flavors, they could try our Ye Olde English Fruitcake, which has a rich buttery batter with all the best fruits and nuts and none of the alcohol.

JS: Can you share some perspective on the unique challenges and considerations faced in fruitcake production, packaging, and sales that might not be faced with other products?

RM: The unique challenge in making our fruitcake is the time it takes. This product is not a bake and go; the flavors must mellow and harmonize before we can offer to the consumer. The secret to our perfect aging process depends on the size of the cake, but many of our cakes are made six months before they leave the facility. Time equals quality when it comes to Beatrice Bakery and Grandma’s Bake Shoppe products.   

Another challenge is public perception. All fruitcakes are not equal, and Grandma’s products are made with high-quality fruit and nuts that are hand sorted, then hand placed on each cake. Most other fruitcakes are made with inexpensive candied fruit peel, and made in huge batches by machines. Perception is also generational; the younger you are, typically the less you know about fruitcake or have the willingness to try it. We, in partnership with 93.7 The Ticket (a local sports radio station), did a test project with university students and athletes. Findings found that most had no idea about fruitcake (other than the jokes) and were hesitant to try. After tasting Grandma’s Fruitcake, the majority responded with “That’s really good.” Educating the public about the quality difference between a world-class fruitcake (our product) and the others that are on the market is a very high priority for us.

JS: What does your production and sales cycle look like for your fruitcake items—it’s a seasonal product, so when do you ramp up the production and packaging operations, and when does it start maybe tapering?

RM: Both our production and sales cycles are year-round. Consumers enjoy being able to purchase our wide variety of products all year long from our website. We keep our customers updated on sales, promotions, new happenings at the bakery and new items that are being created in our kitchen.  

We also have great relationships on our wholesale side of our business. Because of these relationships with retailers like Macy’s, Dillard’s, and Bass Pro Shops, not only can customers purchase our products for holidays such as Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Hanukkah but all customers can purchase products year-round.

Along with national retailers, Beatrice Bakery/Grandma’s Bake Shoppe products can be found at specialty grocery stores around the country distributed by companies such as KeHE, UNFI Associated Wholesale Grocers and others. Our wholesale customers have a slightly different sales cycle as products need to be sold and delivered into stores before a season begins like Valentine’s Day, Easter, Mother’s Day and Father’s Day.

The production schedule can get tricky, however by remaining focused, our sales team is working 6 months or more into a calendar year discussing the different holidays or special selling seasons with our wholesale partners, maintaining their inventories, and allowing enough time for production. Then our team can get all the baking done and age all our products to the perfect maturity level everyone expects from our company.

JS: Can you talk about your mix of retail and ecommerce sales, and how both components of your business have evolved over the years?

RM: We have seen a significant increase in walk-in traffic due to our improved retail space around the corner from our baking facility, as well as a new location at the new 93.7 The Ticket sports station in downtown Lincoln, NE. There is nothing that compares to having customers come into our stores wanting to learn about our history and get to know us. Once they try various samples, they are hooked for life. Our ecommerce business continues to grow through our efforts to connect with our customers through social media presence and to make the ordering process easier and more accessible. Our team has been attending food shows all over the country to create brand awareness and relationships with people who care about craftsmanship.

JS: You’re not just fruitcake—could you please tell us about some of your other products, and what makes them special? Please feel free to mention the liqueur cakes [as a consumer, those sound amazing] and any other LTO or seasonal items.

RM: You are so right—we are not just fruitcake; there is a wide range of high-quality products. We offer a line of breakfast items and liqueur cakes and all are made with the same attention to detail and focus to every batch baked. Some of our most popular items are the Injected Premium Chocolate Rum Cake, Southern Pecan Cake, Peach Streusel, Turtle Nut Cake, Date Nut Cake, and of course, the Chocolate Covered Fruitcake Slices enrobed in milk, dark and white chocolate. The younger generation gravitates to these popular items as well.

JS: Do you have a favorite product?

RM: If you ask any one of our employees what their favorite is, you will get a different answer; I believe this reflects our standard in quality. My favorites start with a slice of Grandma’s Original Fruitcake with a steaming hot cup of coffee. The Injected Premium Chocolate Rum Cake is a perfect afternoon snack warmed up in the microwave and served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Our newest recipe, the Southern Pecan Cake, is a perfect ending to any day served with a bourbon caramel drizzle! The easy answer is they are all fantastic.

JS: Do you have anything to add?

RM: Beatrice Bakery and Grandma’s Bake Shoppe offer the perfect gift: thank you, congratulations, happy birthday, thinking of you, etc., all year round. Each cake is delicious as a stand-alone treat, or you can take it up a notch by adding a simple ingredient. The Peach Streusel Coffee Cake is a great accompaniment to any breakfast plate. The Injected Premium Vanilla Rum is perfect for a quick shortcake served with fresh strawberries and whipped topping. Or, try one of the Breakfast Breads as a replacement for your morning French Toast. There’s truly something for everyone.