Mastroianni Bros bread returning to stores
The new owner of Mastroianni Bros Bakery announced Thursday that bread from the almost-century-old Rotterdam-based brand will start showing up on store shelves again this week.
A Utica-based company called Pumilia Pizza Shells bought the Mastroianni intellectual property last year at auction after the Schenectady company filed for bankruptcy. Pumilia makes and distributes pizza dough. [Daily Gazette 2016 November]
The Mastroianni products will be produced at a bakery in Utica, the new owners say.
The first of the new/old Mastroianni breads will begin appearing in some Price Choppers/Markets 32 starting this week, with discussions in progress for other outlets. The new owners say they'll first be making the Mastroianni sliced Italian bread and soft rolls, with more products planned for the future.
Mastroianni Bros Bakery had been trying to evolve its business in recent years in an attempt to head off bankruptcy, as detailed by Ned Campbell in the Daily Gazette back in 2015. Among the changes: The company -- known for its huge loaves of bread -- started selling smaller loaves to appeal to households with fewer people.
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Comments
So happy about this! We really miss their rolls. I sure hope they taste the same, especially since they're not being made in the same plant.
... said Amy on May 11, 2017 at 12:47 PM | link
Great news! I was seriously just talking about how much I miss their sub/sandwich rolls - they made the best steak sandwiches! Hope they start making those again!
... said Diana on May 11, 2017 at 1:55 PM | link
Grilled sandwiches haven't been the same since they closed.
... said ace on May 11, 2017 at 2:11 PM | link
Great news.
Mastroianni was the only locally-made bread the Delaware Ave Market 32 carried... they never replaced it with another brand. Hope to see it back there soon.
And, of course, I hope to be making sandwiches/burgers/whathaveyou with those delicious soft rolls again.
... said Paul on May 11, 2017 at 2:33 PM | link
This is great and all, but I hope people on here will be realistic with their expectations, and recognize that this will not be the Mastroianni's they remember. It's a totally different company, and while they may have purchased the name, and recipes, it won't be locally made anymore. Still good to have them around for namesake, but do not expect the same exact product as before.
... said Nick on May 11, 2017 at 3:50 PM | link
Nick - sure it will be different.. But hopefully different doesn't mean worse. At the very least, it is worth checking out - and thanks AoA for the info.
And Utica is still local enough for me.
... said Mike on May 12, 2017 at 11:18 AM | link
This solves a mystery that had been perplexing me as a fairly recent arrival to the area. I bought a loaf of Mastroianni garlic Italian on sale at Malta Price Chopper sometime last fall. It was wonderful: chewy and garlicky. They never had it again and couldn't tell me why. Now I know. Hopefully the Utica bakery follows the same formulas.
... said Burnt My Fingers on May 13, 2017 at 8:25 AM | link
Ok, and here are my findings:
Looks like "flagship" Price CHopper store at exit 6 Latham didn't have the bread on Friday, but it is definitely there on Sunday. (I thought that was the most probable location to check)
Only 2 varieties out of maybe ten they had in previous life.
Quality/taste seem very close to old Mastroyani. Maybe there are some differences, but I am not an expert. Definitely on the same page as far as I can tell.
... said Mike on May 14, 2017 at 2:34 PM | link
Is there somewhere I can check to see which stores carry your bread? We live near Saratoga and the Wilton Mall. Willing to drive for your bread but would like a destination in mind! Thanks for any info.
Robbin
... said Robbin Stokes on Jul 14, 2017 at 11:02 AM | link
Robbin Stokes - store in Malta, exit 12, has Mastroiani bread - it is in a far right corner, on a rack in a middle of back isle, separate from other breads. Although sometimes they just run out of it....
I would try price chopper at exit 15 near Wilton mall first - doesn't hurt asking anyway.
... said Mike on Jul 14, 2017 at 1:50 PM | link
To all in this conversation. Thank you so much for your enthusiasm and support. We are now in most Price Chopper and Hannaford stores in the Capital District and Utica areas. Shop Rite is soon to follow. I had the pleasure of serving as the new CEO of Mastroianni Bakery for roughly 11 months prior to the close. I was also responsible for assembling the new ownership group that purchased the bakery and kept it from moving out of state under foreign ownership. It is now in the hands of a family owned Italian Bakery in Upstate NY where it belongs. I currently serve as a special advisor and consultant to the family. They are using the exact same recipes as before and have actually upgraded to a higher grade flour like was being used in the good old days. To get it exactly the same is tricky. Every little thing affects the dough and ultimately, the bread. Weather, humidity, temperature etc. That said, it is still the most wholesome and delicious bread anywhere and we hope you agree. Please spread the word to everyone you know and stay tuned for more exciting news. Feel free to follow us on Facebook and Instagram for great recipes and exciting announcements.
... said Warren Zeiser on Jul 26, 2017 at 5:33 PM | link
@Warren Zeiser - are there plans to bring back more varieties of bread? I am specifically interested in darker one, by now I am not sure what the name was...
... said Mike on Jul 27, 2017 at 11:43 AM | link
I was so surprised and happy to see the bread and rolls last week at Hannaford. Bought the Onion rolls and have been sharing them to get the word out that Mastroianni Bread is back. Back home in Glens Falls we have Villa bread, Italian bread baked in outdoor ovens. Delicious crust and soft inside. We support Local products and artisans like Mr. Villa and Mastroianni . Thank You for working to bring them back.
Italian Neighbor and Loyal supporter.
Bea Didio
... said Bea Didio on Aug 13, 2017 at 6:01 PM | link
This bread is not the same as it was. I was very disappointed when I bought the wheat Italian. The chewyness and crustiness is gone. It now tastes like any other store bought bread sponge.
... said Gail A Anderson on Aug 27, 2017 at 6:03 PM | link
Having seen this thread of raves about Mastroianni breads, I decided to give some a try when I saw it last night in the grocery store. I don't know if it's changed from its original, but YUCK! What is everyone talking about? Crust? This is what our family calls "squish bread" -- squishy, spongy, gummy texture and no flavor! I bought the onion rolls and the onion barely gives it flavor. Could be any generic and lousy supermarket brand roll. Artisan? Not a chance. I wept when the local bakery Bread & Honey closed. I'm an admitted bread snob and Mastroianni is the bottom of the barrel. Now I've got 7 rolls to feed the birds because I consider them inedible.
... said chrisck on Aug 31, 2017 at 8:29 AM | link
My husband and I LOVE Mastroianni seeded rye bread. About once a month we can find it after going to 2 Price Choppers and a Hannaford. There is always sliced Italian bread and rolls but we are usually at a loss to find seeded rye. It would be terrific if you could make the rye so the grocers could stock more than a couple loaves (if any). Thanks for listening to me. When we find it, we buy 2-3 loaves at a time so we can put some in the freezer, it's so hard to find !!
... said Brenda Young on Oct 30, 2018 at 1:17 PM | link