The Whoo(pie)
Wagon /VisitingNewEngland small business partnership - Local Small Business Stories
Why The Whoo(pie) Wagon Will Make You Say "Whoopie!"
Whether at the Topsfield, Mass.,
storefront or food trucks spanning Massachusetts and other areas of New England, The Whoo(pie) Wagon
has built a sweet following
Article and photos, unless otherwise noted, by Eric Hurwitz. Article
created on 3/19/2019.
S'Mores whoopie pie from The Whoo(pie Wagon. Photo credit: The Whoo(pie) Wagon.
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Many consider Maine and Pennsylvania the sweet spots for whoopie
pies, but lovers of this mouthwatering snack should definitely add
Topsfield,
Mass. to the list. The Whoo(pie)
Wagon, at the Topsfield Bakeshop in quaint downtown Topsfield, has
gained a well-deserved reputation for creating some of the best homemade whoopie
pies anywhere.
Maine and Pennsylvania certainly receive a lot of press for the whoopie
pie and, often, deservedly so. The best whoopie pies from those two
states can be absolutely delicious. The Maine State Legislature even
deemed the whoopie pie as the official
state treat of Maine. This makes sense as Labadie’s Bakery in Lewiston,
Maine, became the first seller of whoopie pies in 1925. The Amish in
Pennsylvania made the treat famous generations ago. Amish legend has it
that children
would shout “Whoopie!” when finding whoopie pies in their lunch
bags. It's easy to understand why: If made correctly, it's hard to top
this snack made from two soft cookies (typically chocolate) with a
creamy filling sandwiched in between.
This writer has tried many Maine whoopie pies and a few Amish kinds,
but would, by far,
prefer The Whoo(pie) Wagon version. It might sound strange that the
best homemade whoopie pies come from a region of Massachusetts known for its
fried
clams, but owners Mary and Chris Bandereck have taken their vast
culinary experience to create the perfect whoopie pie. The pies combine
enough firmness to hold the soft texture together, while the filling
bursts with flavors not overwhelming or masked by being too sweet. The
balance is perfect and exquisite -- a true form of culinary artistry.
Additionally, the whoopie pies remain
agreeable in the digestive tract 20 minutes later -- a time when
typically, the aftermath of Crisco Oil and other additives contribute
to that regretful aftertaste.
Chris and Mary, on the other hand, focus on making their whoopie pies
with all natural
ingredients. They feel no need to cheapen the products by extending the
shelf life through preservatives. Unfortunately, some of the most
highly visible whoopie pie companies have gone this route. Mary and
Chris have steadfastly stuck to their core mission.
"We focus on baking fresh daily," said Mary. "While we have grown as a
business, we feel it is best to keep things the old-fashioned way and
don't want our whoopie pies to be sitting on the shelf. We use all
fresh, natural ingredients and create in small batches."
Variety of whoopie pies.
Chris,
Mary and crew at The Topsfield Bake Shop have increasingly worked
harder to maintain making the whoopie pies in small batches, but it has
been a challenge.
In 2018, The Whoo(pie) Wagon sold 338,500 whoopie pies!
Mary and Chris' Humble Pie Beginnings
Mary and Chris Bandereck. Photo credit: The Whoo(pie Wagon.
From early on, Mary and Chris had an appetite for creating
tasty food. Mary, a Connecticut native and Chris, a New Jerseyite, met
at Johnson & Wales University, a world-renowned culinary school in
Providence, R.I. They both graduated Johnson and Wales -- Mary with a
concentration in pastry and Chris, culinary. They married in 1986.
For three decades, Mary and Chris worked in hotels, private clubs
and food service establishments from New England to Arizona. Before The
Topsfield Bake Shop and the
Whoo(pie) Wagon, Chris worked a highly responsible and visible job
overseeing restaurant and food services at Harvard University in
Cambridge, Mass. Earning awards along the way and finding overall
career successes, however,
didn't equate to fully shouting "Whoopie!" about their collective
professional
journey.
Mary and Chris moved to Topsfield in 1993 and immediately found a sense
of place and community. That small town, close-knit feel first
expressed itself when a neighbor baked some chocolate whoopie pies to
welcome the Banderecks to Topsfield. Call it destiny: This version of
the Welcome Wagon would eventually inspire Mary and Chris to start the
Whoo(pie) Wagon.
Mary actually started baking making cakes, cookies and pastries out of
their home about 26 years ago with the community liking the baked good
so much that the Banderecks bought a commercial kitchen for their home
to meet customer needs. Soon, though, Mary and Chris' taste points
would graduate from the cannolis, biscottis and baklava to the
northeast preferences of the whoopie pie. A local country store perhaps
helped change Chris and Mary's culinary destiny by asking Mary if she could create
pumpkin whoopie pies. The rest is whoopie pie history.
Mary locally became known as
"The Whoopie Pie Lady." What would happen next is the kind of fabric
that shapes the American Dream.
Are You Going to Topsfield Fair?
Comedian and writer Larry David ordering during the filming of HBO’s Clear History at the Fair. Photo source: The Whoo(pie)
Wagon web site.
The Topsfield Fair has reigned, for many years, as one of the
biggest and most popular local
fairs in New England. It is also America's oldest agricultural fair
with roots dating back to 1818. This annual fall classic destination
also brings in tens and thousands a year for its midway rides and, you
guessed it, food vendors with some of the most amazing comfort foods
you'll ever taste. So, it's no surprise that the geographical proximity
between Mary's whoopie pies and the Topsfield Fair would be a natural
fit.
2007 brought that grand union with the Topsfield Fair together, as
synergistic as a whoopie pie filled with cream. Mary and Chris thought
they would sell about 100 of their pumpkin and chocolate whoopie pies
at the Fair. The math was way off: They sold around 700 pies!
"That's what launched the business," said Mary, of the Topsfield Fair.
Initially, Mary and Chris thought the business would be mobile -- thus
the name The Whoo(pie) Wagon.
One of the three food trucks.
Chris
and Mary eventually bought three mobile trucks but also found locals
loving the whoopie pies at their Topsfield Bakeshop. To this day, the
storefront
brings in steady crowds, while a commissary in back allows for space to
create the whoopie pies and other baked goods in a production room.
Robyn Prendergast starts to fill a box with éclairs at the production area.
"Some said, don't do it -- don't open a business in Topsfield," said
Mary. "It's a small town. They said to open in Boston. But we wouldn't
be anywhere else. This is our hometown and we are so happy to be here.
It (The Topsfield Bakeshop and The Whoo(pie) Wagon) has worked out
well."
The Topsfield Bakeshop in downtown Topsfield.
The
move paid off with up to 200 customers a day and as, mentioned
previously, 338,500 whoopie pies created in 2018. An
online store
allows for customers to purchase whoopie pies from anywhere in the
country. Additionally, the Food Network
named The Whoo(pie) Wagon's Pumpkin Whoopie Pie as the “best fair food
in Massachusetts.” Boston Eats called The Whoo(pie) Wagon one of the
top 10 food trucks in Boston. The Bandereck's business even gained
attention from Hollywood:
The Whoo(pie) Wagon was featured in the HBO Original Film, Clear
History starring Larry David, Eva Mendes and Kate Hudson.
Like other mom and pop businesses that opened in small towns (Vermont
Country Store, Weston, Vt.), King Arthur Flour (Norwich, Vt.), Cape Cod
Potato Chips (Hyannis, Mass.) and Gifford's Ice Cream (Skowhegan,
Maine), The Whoo(pie) Wagon further proved that a small business can
succeed in a small town. Following that wonderful template, Mary and
Chris fully invested their business with a base in Topsfield by
starting The Whoo(pie) Wagon
in 2008.
On the Road Again
The Whoo(pie) Wagon arrives at an town event in downtown
Somersworth, N.H. Photo credit: The Whoo(pie) Wagon Facebook fan page.
The Whoo(pie) Wagon consistently makes its way
around Massachusetts and various parts of New England for seasonal
events and ceremonies, including a Lobster Bake at Harvard University
(last September) for undergraduates, the New England Food
Truck Festival at The Big E in West Springfield, at Mass Mutual in
Springfield, the Cape Cod Food Truck Festival in Falmouth and as a pop
up store across from Wegmans in Burlington. Be on the lookout, too, for
The Whoo(pie) Wagon at the Rose F. Kennedy Greenway this
summer
in Boston. For a complete list of locations and events, log onto the
Whoo(pie) Wagon Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/pg/thewhoopiewagon/events/?ref=page_internal.
The Whoo(pie) Wagon truck arrives at Salve Regina University in Newport, R.I. for freshman move-in day 2019.
Feature Presentation: The Whoopie
Pies
Chocolate Whoopie Pies from The Whoo(pie) Wagon.
The mini and standard size whoopie pies -- 12 or 13 flavors,
to be nearly exact -- are works of art to admired and then eaten. Here
are some of those masterpieces...
(Editor's note: photo credit goes to
The Whoo(pie) Wagon for the whoopie pie pictures below)...
Apple Caramel
Bean Town Brownie
Chocolate Chip
Chocolate (also with a gluten-free option)
Crazy 4 Carrot (fresh carrots,
pineapple, coconut and nuts)
Fair Fetti (a version of the
fun fetti cake with vanilla cake and
rainbow sprinkles)
Gingerbread
New England Patriot Pie
(whoopie pies with a football design)
Oatmeal
Pumpkin (also in a gluten-free option)
Red Velvet
S'More
Salted Caramel
Vegan
Whannoli (Chocolate Chip
Whoopie Pie cake, a cannoli filling, dunked in
a silky dark chocolate and then lightly dusted with cannoli shell
pieces). This has to be one of the most delicious sweets on the planet.
Simply amazing!
Whoofie Pie for dogs (Carrots,
peanut butter, rolled oats, honey and pumpkin)
Welcome to the Bandereck's Hometown Bakery
Inside The Topsfield Bake Shop.
Chris left his high profile job in 2011 at Harvard to work
with Mary. He earned a good salary and benefited from a secure job,
but,
nevertheless, took that big chance despite the risk.
"Yes, it was a little scary," said Chris, of leaving his job. "But it
was a risk that paid off and we really haven't looked back since.
Things have a way of working out."
Their three adult sons, Christian, Julian and Damian, also work at the
store. It's truly a family venture. Damian and Julian also attended
Johnson and Wales and lend culinary expertise at the bakery, while
Christian works many different tasks including
marketing.
"We are all comfortable working with each other," said Christian. "It's
a great experience."
Where the baked goods are created: the production building right behind the Topsfield Bake Shop.
With the business has come one-of-a-kind scenarios that make the
Banderecks stand out in town..
"The first truck we bought was in 2009," said Mary. "We traded our car
in for a Whoo(pie) Wagon. It looked a bit different dropping our kids
off at school."
Depending on the time of the year, The Whoo(pie) Wagon has made its way
around Massachusetts, including a Lobster Bake at Harvard University
(last September) for undergraduates, the New England Food
Truck Festival at The Big E in West Springfield, at Mass Mutual in
Springfield, the Cape Cod Food Truck Festival in Falmouth and as a pop
up store across from Wegmans in Burlington. Be on the lookout, too, for
The Whoo(pie) Wagon presence at the Rose F. Kennedy Greenway this
summer
in Boston. For a complete list of locations and events, log onto the
Whoo(pie) Wagon Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/pg/thewhoopiewagon/events/?ref=page_internal.
Back at The Topsfield Bakeshop, regulars shuffle in including a group
of women that meet there regularly for drinks, sweets, food and
conversation.
Regulars gather at The Topsfield Bakeshop.
The welcoming storefront provides the ideal setting for a small town
bakery with a display case, an order-at-the-counter format,
block wood tables, chairs with faded colors, wood floors and windows
overlooking the quaint
downtown. Photos of customers including residents, a Main St. sign and
other Topsfield references line the wall, thus validating the
close-knit ways of this beautiful small town.
A wall of memories at The Topsfield Bakeshop.
While a whoopie pie presence is clearly evident at The Topsfield
Bakeshop, many other baked goods look quite tempting. The display case
reveals éclairs, fresh fruit and lemon meringue tartlets, macaroons,
various cookies, assorted truffles, chocolate dipped strawberries,
cupcakes, mini New York Cheesecake and mini mousse cups filled with
dark or white chocolate mousse.
The amazing display case at The Topsfield Bakeshop.
At the counter stands a tall chocolate cake that uses a recipe from
Mary's mom.
Chocolate cake from The Topsfield Bakeshop.
For those with gluten-free sensitivities, The Topsfield Bakeshop offers
several options including these colorful cupcakes...
Gluten-free cupcakes.
Ultimately, everything here is ideal for the moment, catering,
holidays, birthday
parties and
weddings.
Additionally, The Topsfield Bake Shop also offers breakfast sandwiches,
focaccia
paninis and Richardson's Ice Cream. Speaking of Richardson's Ice Cream,
The
Whoo(pie) Wagon can fill in a whoopie pie with ice cream!
The Value of Creating a Whoopie Pie/Baked Goods Business From
Scratch
Topsfield Bakeshop logo. Photo credit: The Topsfield Bakeshop.
The beauty of small business like The Whoo(pie) Wagon and The
Topsfield Bakeshop can often be seen in the work
ethic, a pride of ownership, innovation, productivity, close family ties
and the chance to
genuinely connect with a community. Locals, as well as visitors from
all over New England (and beyond), can see a family -- and a very nice
one,
at that -- create and sell the products onsite at this local treasure.
That's
hard to do at a chain,
big box store or any business prioritizing franchising and mass
production over quality and
community interaction. Relationships here are built. Mary, Chris and
sons not only profit from sales, but also authentic human
interaction. Plus, more money goes back into the community by
purchasing at a local shop like the Topsfield Bake Shop/The Whoo(pie)
Wagon.
The Banderecks epitomize the American Dream, the small business model,
and the good neighbor who contribute wonderfully to this idyllic small
town just 45 minutes north of Boston. It doesn't hurt at all that they
have chosen a product that puts a smile on one's face, and a delicious
one, at that.
It's enough to make you say "Whoopie!"
The Topsfield Bakeshop/The Whoo(pie) Wagon is located at 42
Main St., Topsfield MA. Tel. (978) 887-0795.
The Whoo(pie) Wagon web site: http://thewhoopiewagon.com;
The Whoo(pie) Wagon Facebook fan page: https://www.facebook.com/thewhoopiewagon/
The Whoo(pie) Wagon Twitter page: https://twitter.com/thewhoopiewagon
The Whoo(pie) Wagon Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/explore/locations/332810312/the-whoopie-wagon/?hl=en
The Topsfield Bakeshop web site: https://www.topsfieldbakeshop.com
The Topsfield Bakeshop Facebook fan page: https://www.facebook.com/topsfieldbakeshop/
The Topsfield Bakeshop Twitter page: https://twitter.com/topsfieldbakeshop
The Topsfield Bakeshop Instagram page: http://www.instagram.com/topsfieldbakeshop
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Related article:
Enjoying
the old-fashioned neighborhood vibe of Oliva's Market in Milford, Mass.
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