Burry's facts for kids
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| Founded | 1888 in Elizabeth, New Jersey |
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| Headquarters | 1750 East Main Street, Suite 260, Saint Charles, IL 60174 U.S. |
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Key people
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George W. Burry |
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Burry's is a company that makes many different kinds of food. It started way back in 1888 as the Burry's Biscuit Corporation. A person named George W. Burry founded the company in Elizabeth, New Jersey.
Later, in 1962, Burry's became part of the Quaker Oats Company. For many years, from 1936 until 1989, Burry's was one of the companies that made the famous Girl Scout Cookies.
Contents
The Story of Burry's
How Burry's Biscuit Corporation Started
The story of Burry's Biscuit began in 1888. That's when Christina Burry first started making cookies in Toronto. Later, in 1933, George W. Burry reorganized the business. It became the Burry Biscuit Corporation. The company was first in Chicago before moving to Elizabeth, New Jersey.
Burry's became well-known for making Girl Scout Cookies. They even had their own name for them: "Plantation cookies." These cookies were first sold in sealed cardboard tubes. Later, they came in cans to keep them fresh. Burry's started making these popular cookies in 1936.
Popular Cookies and New Products
By 1944, Burry's was making several types of Girl Scout Cookies. These included the very popular "Thin Mints." They also made a sweet shortbread cookie called "Scot-Teas." Another favorite was "Savannahs," which were oatmeal sandwich cookies with a yummy peanut butter filling.
Around the same time, Burry's started making other products too. In 1944, they expanded into cleaning and hygiene items. By 1946, the company was also making pretzels. They even created a special machine to make pretzels faster!
Growing Bigger: New Companies Join Burry's
Burry's Biscuit Corporation grew by buying other companies. In 1950, they bought Independent Biscuits Inc. from Davenport, Iowa. This cost them $125,000. Burry's kept Independent Biscuits running as part of their own company.
A few years later, in 1954, Burry's bought LeRoy Foods. This was a food company based in Brooklyn. They also bought Empire Biscuit around the same time. These two purchases helped Burry's double its sales! Around 1960, Burry Biscuit also bought Cal-Ray Bakeries, a baking company from the western United States.
Becoming Part of Quaker Oats
In January 1962, Burry's Biscuit Corporation became a division of the Quaker Oats Company. This big deal was worth about $25 million. At that time, Burry Biscuit had 1,600 employees. They made over 40 different food products.
In 1962, Burry's was the biggest maker of Girl Scout cookies in the entire country. A marketing manager named J.R. McAllister Borie helped make the 'Thin Mint Cookie' super popular.
Changes and New Names
In 1980, the food part of Burry's was sold to a company called Générale Biscuit. The name of Burry's then changed to Burry-Lu. This new name included "LU," which was Générale Biscuit's international brand for cookies.
In 1985, Burry-Lu joined with another company called Salerno-Megowen Biscuit Company. Together, they formed a new company called General Biscuit Brands. This new company made a huge amount of food, about 13,000 tons! They also made 30% of all Girl Scout cookies.
Later, in 1989, ABC Cookie Bakers bought the part of Burry's that made Girl Scout cookies. In 1991, the rest of the company was bought by Sunshine Biscuits.
Fun Facts About Burry's Foods
Burry's made a peanut butter sandwich cookie called "Gaucho." This was actually the same cookie as the "Savannah" Girl Scout cookie, but it was sold to everyone. Gaucho cookies had a small hole in the top oatmeal wafer. This hole helped any extra peanut butter filling escape during production. This stopped the filling from squeezing out the sides of the cookie!
Burry's was known as a leader in the cookie and cracker business. They had many different products. These included special shells for tarts and entrees, gourmet crackers and cookies, and even "Famous Euphrates Wafers." The company said the "secret" to their delicious products was "Slow baking."
See also
- List of bakery companies in the US
- List of baked goods
- List of food companies
