Happy Pecan Pie and Thank an Intern Day!
Today is National Pecan Pie Day, a favorite day of the year for us. Many people have asked us how our pecan pie reached national recognition. So why don’t you kick back with a cup of coffee and a slice of pecan pie, and I’ll tell you the story.
It was August 2010, and Bobby picked up the phone. On the other end was a young girl who said she was an intern, Sarah, for Country Living. They were searching for the best “Mail Order Pies America Has to Offer,” and wanted to know if we send them a few pies to taste.
Well, my husband thought Sarah was a college student just wanting some free pies, but I did not. We then proceeded to get in a bit of a “discussion” about the pies. When I married my husband my mother told me to pick my battles. Anyone who works with his or her spouse knows what I’m talking about. Eventually, I threw my hands up and said, “Fine – don’t send the pies,” and walked away.
The next day, I walk into the bakery and there are some beautiful pies sitting on the production table. I ask, “What are these pies for?” Bobby calmly replies, “I have to send the pies to Country Living.”
We sent the pies and forgot all about it. About a month goes by and Bobby receives a call from a photographer from Country Living asking him to send two more pies for photographs because we won the “Best Mail Order Pecan Pie America Has to Offer.” The photographer explained when a bakery won a category they were pulled out of any of the other tastings. They tasted the pecan pie first, so that was it for us. Our pecan pie won.
Best pecan pie – how about that? This little intern, Sarah, changed the bakery with her phone call. She began the national recognition of what many (outside of the family) think is the greatest pecan pie. Our pecan pie is now our top seller online.
After Country Living published the feature on pie, we started getting calls from national and local publications.
– Bon Appetit blog
– Southern Weddings
– Town & Country
Greg Morago, Food Editor of the Houston Chronicle, wrote about our experience with Country Living. Greg then came to us with the idea of the Pumpecapple Pie cake (I smoothed out the final name). The Pumpecapple led us to appear on “Outrageous Food” on the Food Network and “Serious Eats” then wrote about the Pumpecapple in their blog.
Our journey of becoming a national name in the mail order pie business really took off. All of these blessings would not have been possible without the phone call in August, 2010, from Sarah The Intern.
Sarah, if you are reading this blog post or if anyone knows Sarah, the Country Living Intern during August, 2010, we want to say thank you so very much. You changed our business.
For all you interns out there, know you are making a difference with the work you do. You just may never know it because you move on to something else. So on National Pecan Pie Day let us take a moment to recognize all the interns of the world and say “thank you.”
National Pecan Pie Day will always be “Thank the Intern Day” around Three Brothers Bakery.