Frozen Pecan Pie from store bakery?

[praline]

So my parents ALWAYS order pies from a local grocery store bakery. Have been doing so for every holiday for years, despite my protestations that homemade is better. They don't want me to go to the trouble...

This year they pick up their pies. When my Mom opens the bakery box, she sees the pecan pie is frozen inside another box labeled Richmond, VA. She calls the bakery manager who advises her that they have always purchased the pecan pies frozen, let them thaw and then reboxed them with the store's packaging. Somehow my parents got one that wasn't packaged "properly". The bakery mgr said he has been there many years and that is how they have always done it. The pumpkin and fruit pies are made in house. Needless to say, my parents returned their frozen non-bakery pie. Is this the norm? Have you ever heard of such a thing? My parents are shocked. They have been shopping here for over 30 years and don't like the deception.

[Oyster]

Sounds weird! When I worked at bakery in Marigny, all pies were cooked fresh and delivered to stores. They were sold in seperate areas then the "in store" bakery pies, but they were a completly fresh item. Pecan pies were sold as a "Premium" pie. I can believe the frozen, non-standard items would be shipped in frozen at the chains. I cannot believe they would be a top quality product, but probably passable as a "good" item.

Always good to buy the fresh local product.

[The Bear]

Welcome to the real world of labor shortages, non skilled workers, and some operations only wanted to pay minimum wage and get minimum work. Unless an operator is truly committed there are too many pre-fab products available to them at reasonable cost and no labor to past up.

[praline]

Thank you gentlemen for your replies. I guess it is just disheartening that the pies touted as homemade are actually frozen and shipped in. This is not a chain grocery, it is a one store family grocery. Oh well.

Happy Thanksgiving to you both. Enjoy your meals and your dining companions. I have lots to be thankful for this year.

[The Bear]

Sorry to break thread but I can not edit my post. There are mistakes. Has this forum never had an edit function. I certainly thought it did

[Admin]

It does, but with a time limit, long enough to correct typos, but not allow later changes to disrupt thread continuity. I assume you meant to say "maximum work". You can always PM me to request fixes.

[spudly]

I guess you all haven't seen the frozen red velvet, "fresh" strawberry and Italian cream cakes passed off as fresh baked at some places.

Honestly, when was the last time you ever smelled cake baking at a food store? Huh?

Even if they "bake" their bread it's already preformed and thawed.

Actually, I think the frozen pecan pie is a much better product that most people can produce at home.

And if you can't do a real pie pastry shell and filling what's wrong with the ready made stuff? IMHO

[LauraMc]

The key word in your sentence is "grocery", whether it be local or not. I worked in a grocery bakery in high school. None of the bakery items were actually made there. Everything came in frozen, even the donuts. We thawed them and then stuck them in a heat shelf where they puffed up. For some reason, people thought we baked the cakes because they were unfrosted. They just ordered what they wanted and we pulled a cake out of the freezer, thawed and then iced it.