Many years ago when I was a kid, my dad would bring home special desserts from Frederick’s Pastries in Amherst, New Hampshire. When we celebrated special occasions, he would bring home a cake, cupcakes, cookies, or another sweet treat. Stopping by Frederick’s was also special. I still stop at Frederick’s when I visit my parents in NH.
When I celebrated my bar mitzvah at 13, my parents had Frederick’s make a special cake for the occasion. Honestly, I don’t remember much about the cake, but I am sure it was great. I remember something more important from that experience though.
We visited Frederick’s one final time before the celebration, and my elderly grandmother was waiting for us in the car. She wasn’t very mobile at that time, and we were in the shop for just a few moments. As we were leaving, Fred Lozier – the Founder of Frederick’s – learned my grandmother was waiting for us in the car. He told us to hold on a second, and he proceeded to make the largest whoopie pie I had ever seen to give to my grandmother. We all loved it.
Every time I pass Frederick’s, I remember the whoopie pie more than any of the special desserts we bought from Frederick’s. It’s something I will always remember and appreciate. That personal touch is what set Frederick’s apart, and it’s a reminder that the extra minute you spend doing something thoughtful can stay with someone for a long time.
On a total separate note, as I was looking into this, I noticed Frederick’s has a pretty neat domain name – Pastry.net.
