Sara Lee Frozen Bakery’s Chef Pierre pie brand will commemorate 100 years of quality pie baking at the upcoming 2022 National Cherry Festival in Traverse City, Michigan. In celebrating nearly 60 years and over 6 billion pies baked at its Traverse City bakery, sponsorship at this year’s National Cherry Festival will be a fitting tribute to the bakery’s dedication to the local community.
Dubbed one of the nation’s most “All American” festivals, the National Cherry Festival will feature colorful parades, air shows, nightly music concerts and competitive events for all ages. This year, Chef Pierre will sponsor the Cherry Pie Eating Contests throughout the July 2-9 festival week, and will donate approximately 600 cherry pies, amounting to 5,000 cherry pie slices. Every cherry pie consumed during the pie eating contests will be a Chef Pierre cherry pie.
“We are honored to celebrate this milestone, 100-year anniversary of baking our wide variety of specialty pies for the nation,” said Craig Bahner, chief executive officer of Sara Lee Frozen Bakery. “Chef Pierre pies have long been the center of family dinners, holiday traditions, and desserts in American homes and restaurants.”
Located in Michigan’s robust fruit belt and the “Cherry Capital of the World,” the Chef Pierre bakery was formerly the little Atlantic Pie Company, founded in 1922 by Greek immigrant, Chris Dendrinos. In 1988, Chef Pierre merged with Kitchens of Sara Lee and is now the #1 fodservice pie brand in the USA.
About the Company
Sara Lee Frozen Bakery is headquartered in the Chicago suburb of Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois, and has state-of-the-art R&D facilities and bakeries in Massachusetts, Michigan, North Carolina and the state of Washington. In addition to Sara Lee and Chef Pierre, its brands include Van’s, Bistro Collection, Superior on Main and Cyrus O’Leary’s.
