At Premier Bakers Inc., we are passionate about English muffins, and not just your ordinary plain English muffin. At Premier Bakers we make fifteen different types of English muffins (and growing). It all began in February of 2005 when Premier Bakers was acquired by Fresh Start Bakeries, a California company and a global supplier of top quality baked products.
Quietly tucked away in the sand covered deserts of southern Arizona, Premier Bakers is surrounded by thousands of acres of cotton fields. The bakery is actually located about halfway between Phoenix and Tucson, right near the junction of Interstate 10 and Interstate 8.
We are passionate about what we do so that we can be the best producer of English muffins. Our customers expect quality and we work very hard to exceed their expectations. Premier Bakers also produces crumpets and bagel/snack bars, all of which proudly carry the OU symbol.
We wanted our products to be readily available to all markets, and sought after the most respected kosher certification. Orthodox Union certification enables our products to be in a larger market, customers we couldn’t serve without this certification.
The kosher segment of today’s marketplace represents a loyal and strong customer; our OU certification shows customers that the goods we produce are safe and reputable. Consumers are looking more and more for items in the market they can trust. The OU symbol that is displayed on our products gives concerned shoppers that assurance.
“Today’s consumer is more health conscious and moving quickly towards healthier options,” says General Manager and V.P., Eric Robinson. “It was an easy decision to go OU since it is the most recognized kosher certification globally and well-known by our customers.”
Additionally, eliminating dairy products from the entire production line allows even better market penetration. All of the English muffins produced at Premier Bakers are OU-pareve, which makes the bread product even more versatile to the consumer.
Our 35,000 sq. ft. manufacturing facility uses state of the art equipment to consistently create quality products. Once each month Rabbi Aharon Shapiro and plant manager Blair Gibbs walk out among the smiling faces of employees, inspecting and observing production. All formulas, ingredients and packaging are checked against a schedule to ensure only approved ingredients are used. “It’s a matter of mutual trust and respect,” says Blair. “Our customers trust and respect the OU symbol we display on our baked goods, and likewise our rabbinical field representative trusts and respects the job we perform under the Union Symbol.”
Much of Premier’s success can be attributed to a proud, stable and loyal workforce led by Eric Robinson, vice president /general manager, and Blair Gibbs, plant manager, who combined have over 75 years in the baking industry. Albert Flores, production superintendent; Manuel Lujan, plant sanitarian; Jeff Rees, distribution manager; and William Facio, chief engineer are all totally committed to produce and distribute the best English muffin. They genuinely reflect our commitment to produce the finest baked goods for our customers throughout the world.
And like we said we produce it all, “Under the Union Symbol.”
Rabbi Yisroel Bendelstein serves as Orthodox Union rabbinic coordinator for Premier Bakers Inc.