Scandinavian craftsmanship meets a traditional Pennsylvanian recipe in Mr Pretzels success
As the humble pretzel made its way across the Atlantic from Europe to the United States in the early 19th century, thanks primarily to an influx of German and Swiss immigrants who settled throughout Pennsylvania, it was not long before the handmade delicacies became a regional speciality. It was a variation of one these recipes that formed the basis to the menu at Mr Pretzels, a global chain of bakeries, spanning close to 20 countries and with over 300 stores since being founded in 1994.
In the UK, Mr Pretzels has 31 branches stretching from Aberdeen in the north to Plymouth in the south and can be found in almost every major city and shopping centre in between. Mr Pretzels UK, Managing Director Agata Talbot comments:
“Mr Pretzels offers customers a range of delicious sweet and savoury snacks to enjoy on the move. Created with the finest quality, natural ingredients, the dough used in our pretzels is prepared by hand throughout the day, guaranteeing freshness and a unique taste. More recently we have introduced a fantastic range of pretzel bites and mini hot dogs to our menu, furthering our range and giving our customers additional choice while maintaining freshness and flavour.”
With the growing menu and a need for good quality food items served to busy customers in just minutes, Mr Pretzels outlets require equipment that can withstand heavy demand. Agata goes on to say:
“Time is of the essence with our customers. Our outlets are located within shopping centres and with our pretzels being a handheld snack to enjoy on the go we need to be able to serve customers as quickly as possible. Because of this, we need cooking equipment that is not just able to provide extremely consistent results, but is also simple, easy and quick to use.”
Having worked with the team from Jestic for over a decade, the Mr Pretzels’ development team consulted the equipment distributor, who suggested they try the brand new Sveba Dahlen P-Series deck oven within the company’s busiest store, Westfield Stratford City, continuing:
“Mr Pretzels UK has been working with the team from Jestic to supply ovens to our sites for many years. When we approached them about the Westfield outlet, they mentioned a new oven range that had recently been added to their portfolio, Sveba Dahlen. Offering greater versatility via the multiple deck cooking chambers, improved temperature consistency resulting from the increased insulation and a quicker, uniform cook throughout the oven, we decided to trial the appliance.”
Having been using the Sveba Dahlen oven for around three months, Agata explains how her colleagues have been delighted with the results:
“The Sveba Dahlen oven has been fantastic for our business, allowing us to produce pretzels, bites, mini hot dogs and other items from our menu with a delicious, uniform, golden colour and a perfect texture. The ovens are really easy to use, while the ability to set different temperatures in each deck is great for maintaining service during even the busiest periods. From a staff safety point of view, the Sveba Dahlen ticks all the boxes too, with the exterior remaining cool to touch during cooking; reducing the risk of burns.”
It’s not just the quality of the ovens that has impressed at Mr Pretzels, Agata concludes by saying:
“The relationship we have built up with Jestic has been excellent and something we value greatly. With their Sales Manager at the end of the phone or on email, I know I can rely on them should we encounter any problems, no matter which outlet around the country. This is something I put a great deal of importance on as a multi-site operator.”