A Taste of New Orleans
Hubigs Pies
By Suzanne Pfefferle“A taste of New Orleans.”
“A part of home.”
These are some of the nostalgic comments written from the troops in Iraq who were sent Hubig’s Pies while abroad. The delicious pies, sealed in the recognizable wrapper, bearing the beloved “Savory Simon” cartoon, is indeed a New Orleans trademark. They can be spotted on the shelves of most groceries and convenience stores throughout the city because locals just can’t get enough of these treats. Whether it is pineapple or peach, they can find their favorite flavor all over town.
Loyal to the state they are sold in, Hubig’s Pies uses only ingredients grown in Louisiana. The fruit filling used in the pies are from farms around the state, and the seasonal sweet potato pie uses Louisiana jumbo yams. Even crates used for carrying the delicious desserts are from Dixie.
Although Hubig’s Pies are heavily influenced by Louisiana, they first arrived fresh from the oven in Ft. Worth, Texas during World War I. It was around this time when an ambitious baker, Hubig himself, founded the Simon Hubig Company. In an attempt to open a chain of Hubig Companies across the South, in 1922, he began baking pies in the Crescent City. Unfortunately, he was hit hard by the Depression and his New Orleans location was the only one to survive. This may have something to do with our famous love affair with food.
Hubig’s suffered another setback when Katrina swept through the city. Although they were absolutely insistent on returning, the company faced many challenges. Andrew Ramsey of Hubig’s Pies refers to their efforts to restart as a “chess game, not a checker game,” because the situation was so complex for several reasons. They were without water, the only way they can generate power to the factory, stubborn insurance companies were not helping, and they had lost ten of their delivery trucks. Then, even if they did pull through, who would they sell to if most of their client base had left town?
Despite the obstacles, several families came together to save Hubig’s Pies and since they have, New Orleanians are so grateful. Because locals and those who were forced to leave were clinging to any symbol of the city, Hubig’s developed into much more than a snack. It became the fleur de lis of food. As Andrew puts it, “I never saw anyone cry and say ‘I’m so happy they put Twinkies back on the shelf!’.” Seeing them back in the stores was a sign of hope for the whole city.
Today, it is business as usual, now that they have been back at their Bywater location for a couple of years. Just recently, I took a field trip to the factory to see it all for myself. When I approached the entrance, I was immediately enveloped in the mouthwatering smell of fresh pies. When I stepped inside, my eyes lit up like a Christmas tree because I was so overwhelmed. It was Hubig’s heaven. Streaming through machines and cascading down chutes…they were everywhere! I seriously had to fight the urge to put down my pen and paper, grab an armful, and run for the door. I tried to focus and listen to Andrew as he guided me through the factory.
From what I did gather, most of the employees have happily been baking pies for years, and they are almost like a family. The delectable indulgences are made fresh nearly every day of the week by workers who must have willpower of steel to resist snacking on the tasty treats. The process begins by creating the dough, which is shaped and stuffed with the flavor-of-the-day filling. After rolling through the fryer, they are cooled and saturated in a sweet glaze. Then they tumble down a giant slide and meet expert hands that assemble them into their Hubig’s bags, which are sealed and set aside for prompt delivery to another satisfied customer.
Although Hubig’s Pies does not typically offer personal tours of the factory, anyone can see the pie-making process on their website, www.hubigs.com. Along with souvenirs, the website offers a personal delivery of Hubig’s Pies to those who are out of town, giving them a chance to be a New Orleanian wherever they are.