The best pretzel bakeries in and around Berks County

Bachman Pretzels has been in the pretzel baking industry for over 125 years.  Their products such as Pretzel thins and Jax, a puffed cheese product has helped the company grow from a local Reading favorite to a nationally know product.  Over the years Bachman has moved from their original facility to one located on the Reading city limits.  Bachman recently sold their brand name to the Utz company but continues to make their products for Utz.Tom "Keller" Sturgis brought the Sturgis brand of pretzels to Berks County in the 1800's.  His pretzels added to the rich heritage of pretzel baking and helped propel the Reading, Pa area into becoming known as Pretzel City, USA.  Today Tom Sturgis pretzels has become one of the biggest makers of pretzels in the are and continues to manufacture pretzels in the plant they occupied in the 1970's.The Spannuth family started baking pretzels in Berks County in the 1800's.  The name of the company came from the "unique: baking style the company used to bake the pretzels.  Unique was well known over the years for their pretzels called "Splits" but a recent addition to the Unique line of pretzels called "Pretzels Shells has seen the company need to add on an addition to the building to meet demands.View the list »
Julius Sturgis is credited with being the first person to turn pretzel baking into an industry.  On of his uncles, Tom Keller, who was nicknamed Tom Sturgis because of their similar baking styles brought the pretzel baking industry from Lititz, Pa to Reading where the company thrived.  Today Tom Sturgis is one of the most loved pretzels in Berks County and beyond.

Places & Faces newsletter

Reading was once know as Pretzel City USA because of it's rich heritage of pretzel bakeries throughout the city as well as the surrounding counties. According to an article in the Lancaster “Volksfreund ,” a local Lancaster County Paper, Julius Sturgis is credited with being the first in United States history to establish pretzel baking as an industry. Tom Sturgis, a cousin of Julius brought pretzel baking to Berks County. The Sturgis family has remained in business in Berks County ever since. In addition to the Sturgis family pretzel bakeries, the Reading, Pa area was the home of many other pretzel bakeries.

Related topics

Advertisement

In the heyday of pretzel baking in Reading, bakers like Benjamin Lichtenthaler, who operated a pretzel bakery on Plum St then later on Cherry St produced more than 150,000 pretzels a day. Other pretzel bakeries in Reading included the Hendricks and Adams Bakery, the Muntz Bakery, The Quinlan Bakery and Bachman Pretzels among others.

The local pretzel bakeries called their products bretzels instead of pretzels as late as 1900. The name bretzels was later changed to pretzels as the popularity of the snack food in the Berk County region continued to grow.

Through the years many of the nineteenth and early twentieth century bretzel bakeries have faded into Berks County history. Today, while the city may no longer bear the monicker Pretzel City, USA or have as many pretzel bakeries within the city limits as there was in the heyday of pretzel making there is still a rich heritage of pretzel bakeries small and large left in and around the city.

Tom Sturgis Bakeries
Unique Pretzels
Reading Hard and Soft Pretzel Bakery
Bachman Pretzels
Philly Pretzel Outlet
Auntie Annie's

View the list
  • Julius Sturgis is credited with being the first person to turn pretzel baking into an industry.  On of his uncles, Tom Keller, who was nicknamed Tom Sturgis because of their similar baking styles brought the pretzel baking industry from Lititz, Pa to Reading where the company thrived.  Today Tom Sturgis is one of the most loved pretzels in Berks County and beyond.
  • The Spannuth family started baking pretzels in Berks County in the 1800's.  The name of the company came from the "unique: baking style the company used to bake the pretzels.  Unique was well known over the years for their pretzels called "Splits" but a recent addition to the Unique line of pretzels called "Pretzels Shells has seen the company need to add on an addition to the building to meet demands.
  • Tom "Keller" Sturgis brought the Sturgis brand of pretzels to Berks County in the 1800's.  His pretzels added to the rich heritage of pretzel baking and helped propel the Reading, Pa area into becoming known as Pretzel City, USA.  Today Tom Sturgis pretzels has become one of the biggest makers of pretzels in the are and continues to manufacture pretzels in the plant they occupied in the 1970's.
  • Bachman Pretzels has been in the pretzel baking industry for over 125 years.  Their products such as Pretzel thins and Jax, a puffed cheese product has helped the company grow from a local Reading favorite to a nationally know product.  Over the years Bachman has moved from their original facility to one located on the Reading city limits.  Bachman recently sold their brand name to the Utz company but continues to make their products for Utz.
  • Reading hard and soft pretzel bakery formerly know as Bell Alley pretzel bakery is one of only a few small bakeries in the Reading area.  The bakery recently almost closed but because of Sherry L Coulter's dedication and love of pretzel baking she purchased the bakery which kept it open.  The soft pretzels fresh out of the warm over are still one of the best treats in the Reading area.
View the list
Advertisement

Today's top buzz...