Supermarket Perimeter - October 2019 - 27

Ditsch has made
an artisan product
scalable by respecting
the pretzel."

PRETZELS ARE ON A ROLL
FOR DITSCH USA
Gary Gottenbusch knew he was going to be a baker, he
just had to create his own path.
Coming from generations of bakers - including his
father, who came to America from Germany, opening
an artisan pastry shop in Cincinnati - he was looking
for a way to deepen his skills when he turned 18. That's
when he made his way to Münster, his father's home,
and apprenticed at a 150-year-old bakery and learned
the old art of pretzel making.
Gottenbusch, now a Certiﬁed Master Baker, turned
that into Pretzel Baron, a holder of patents, winner of
awards and an in-demand supplier of artisan pretzels
nationwide. That company, along with sister company
Ditsch, now offers its artisan pretzels under the banner
of Ditsch USA, a union of artisan pretzel-making royalty.
"In Ditsch's 100 years of providing the highest quality
pretzel products the challenge of delivering the freshest
pretzels remains," Gottenbusch says. "We at Ditsch USA
are blessed to have the full support and experience of
our German coworkers. They are very excited to contribute to pretzel growth in the U.S."
This year, Ditsch USA is coming out in a big way
with the introduction of retail ready pretzels: pretzel
bites, mini sticks, dinner rolls, pretzel buns, individually
wrapped and 1.5-pound party trays. These are
pretzels for the masses, and only authentic
Bavarian pretzels - crispy on the
outside, soft inside - make
the grade.

Gary Gottenbusch

Ditsch's individually
wrapped pretzels
are a big part of its
recent launch of retail
ready products.

"We make pretzels the way we always have - with only
ﬁve ingredients," Gottenbusch says. "We are bringing the
classic shape and the same taste proﬁle. It's about ﬂavor,
but ultimately it's about making it scalable."
Craft at scale has been a mantra shared by artisan
bakers like Gottenbusch as they seek to bring great-tasting and authentic bakery products into more mainstream
channels, so they can be enjoyed by all.
"The art of pretzel making is time and consistent
quality," he says. "We don't rush fermentation or sacriﬁce
quality for speed. Ditsch has made an artisan product
scalable by respecting the pretzel."
Coming from the rich traditions of pretzel making in
Germany, Gottenbusch understands the importance of
culture and dedication to product excellence. Ditsch USA
is targeting the experiential factor. "How do we replicate
the experience of Oktoberfest in the United States?"
"Now we are expanding pretzels into different applications - small pieces for grab and go, like popcorn," says
Gottenbusch, recognizing that snacking is a trend that
most certainly will continue to grow in the United States.
"Pretzels are one of the latest trends and long lasting. You
will be seeing more small artisan specialty bakers there
will be large national chains featuring the oldest snack
food in the world."
Those smaller products, perfect for sensible snacking,
are the biggest thing on the horizon, Gottenbusch says.
"Outside of pretzel breads, rolls and pizza crusts, the
next big thing in pretzels is bites," he says. "Sharable minis
are the rage. Soft pretzels are a healthier indulgence
option to fried snacks."

DITSCH USA

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OCTOBER 2019 - 27

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Supermarket Perimeter - October 2019

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