Suburban Bakery Offers Up A Hostess Ho-Ho Homage
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A north suburban bakery is ready to cheer up those saddened by closure of Hostess bakeries after unsuccessful union negotiations.
Liz Baerwald of the Bent Fork bakery in North Suburban Highwood says she's offering an extremely upscale Ho-Ho made with real whipped cream and artisan cake covered in Blommer's Chocolate. She said her Ho-Hos cost $2--about four times as much as Hostess Ho-Hos.
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She says there are differences: her Bent Fork Ho-Hos are far richer, twice the size and have a shelf life measured in days instead of months.
Baerwald says she makes her interpretation of Ho-Hos as an homage to the Hostess style which she used to love as a kid.
She adds she may also start offering her version of Twinkies, when her Christmas rush is over.
Baerwald says even at peak production, Bent Fork isn't serious commercial competition for Hostess.
She turns out only 200 Ho-Hos per week. She says she'll ramp up her Ho-Ho production if the demand is there.
Baerwald says she's hoping another company will buy Hostess and keep the Ho-Hos going, along with the Twinkies and Ding-Dongs.
She says she grew up with those treat, before she started her own bakery in north suburban Highwood.
