What’s that Sweet Smell? On the Not-So-Secret Bakery Around the Corner
“Through this experience, we realized that this sweet smell emanating from a building in the Bronx is the result of passion and teamwork. It is the good energy of a family bakery spreading throughout the neighborhood.”
On the way to the 143rd street train stop, the smell of sweets baking hits you in the face. You wouldn’t expect the garbage littered streets to smell pleasant. It’s a smell that can instantly make you hungry, and make you forget about the work and stress of the day. So what’s up with this place sweetening up the neighborhood? And where is it? And, most importantly, what are they making in there?
We tracked down the sweet smell to a wholesale bakery owned by Brooklyn Brands, only a block and a half away from Comp Sci High. If you take the 6 train home, you likely walk right past it everyday. To get more information, we got in contact with them and secured an interview with Josh Azrak, their vice president of sales.
On the afternoon they invited us in, warm greetings were given to us by Josh and Sean Taguchi, the owner, as they gave us the opportunity to visit. Inside, they were welcoming and open to our questions, even giving us a tour. We walked through some offices, their test area where they form ideas on their products, and the kitchen. Here, we were able to see the teamwork of the employees and the amount of money invested into this place. We watched their list of products come to life, a list that includes babka and black & white cookies, their two best sellers.
Back in World War II, a sweet treat made of chocolate filled dough was popular among Jewish communities. It was easily made with leftover dough and was traditionally made by grandmothers. This was known as babka, which is actually derived from a Polish word for “grandmother.” Within the traditions of a certain family, a recipe for babka was passed on through generations, until it finally reached the owner’s grandmother and, finally, Lilly’s Baking Company was born with their #1 seller. They were actually kind enough to let us try some and we instantly understood why it was so popular. It tasted like a brownie wrapped in a croissant.
After starting by making primarily Jewish holiday treats and reaching out to national retailers who fell in love with their products, they expanded to become an everyday bakery supplier to appeal to a more mainstream market. Now, they make different types of private label baked goods, meaning they make a certain kind of sweet or pastry, and then sell it under a different brand name, along with their Lilly’s products. They produce for brands across the country such as Kroger, Costco, Stop & Shop, and more.
In 2023, they sold the company to Taguchi & Co, a business based out of Japan that sells all over the world who felt they could take the brand and expand it. Their plans for the future are to “make more and faster”, “infiltrate more markets” and “create new items.”
Inside the kitchen, an army of employees from different parts of NYC work hard to produce these delicious treats. According to Josh, over 5 languages are spoken throughout the more than 100 employees. “They do all the hard work”, he says. Their hard work shows, as they pump out a lot of product and load many 30-pallet truckloads every day.
Walking through the production facility gave a new perspective on how everyday items are made. Seeing the efficiency and teamwork gave a new appreciation for the everyday worker that does the same thing everyday but does it well. The motivation workers have to come everyday to produce products at the best quality for their customers was inspiring. Most of them were minorities, so watching them work inspired us to bring the same consistency into our own lives.
We also talked with Mandy, the sales and admin coordinator or “The Glue”, to get an account of what it's like to work there. “I can be part of a team”, she says, and she feels that she can “make a difference”. She likes trying the new products they come up with and seeing it show up on shelves. Paulina, who deals with finances, is the “Operations Ninja” because she juggles different tasks so well.
Through this experience, we realized that this sweet smell emanating from a building in the Bronx is the result of passion and teamwork. It is the good energy of a family bakery spreading throughout the neighborhood. There's cultural and familial history, a force of honest workers, and staff who enjoy their jobs.