Secrets Of The Wegmans Bakery You'll Wish You Knew Sooner
Wegmans has become something of a legend in the northeastern United States. "The atmosphere is definitely different than a regular store," said a user on Reddit of the beloved grocer. "I remember it was really exciting the first time I went." Since its beginnings as a simple fruit and vegetable company in 1916, Wegmans has grown into a chain that's currently over 100 locations strong scattered across the northeast. And it's not just produce to be found in the aisles anymore, as each Wegmans consists of grocery, meat, cheese, deli, bulk foods, seafood, and spirits departments, along with perhaps its most celebrated sector of all: the chain's formidable bakery.
The Wegmans bakery is so large that there are separate departments within the department itself. Different groups of employees are assigned to either breakfasts, breads, sweets, or commercial bakes. Together, they work as a well-oiled machine that gets every single one of those beloved tarts, toasty bagels, shiny chocolate domes, and delectable danishes out each day for throngs of hungry customers.
But even the most meticulous mechanisms have their secrets -- and we can certainly all benefit from a little insider knowledge to get the most out of our shopping experience. Here are some secrets of the Wegmans bakery you'll wish you knew sooner.
Read more: 12 Rules Shoppers Must Follow At Costco
The Gluten-Free Cookies May Or May Not Be Celiac-Safe
Gluten intolerance -- that's an inability for the body to comfortably or safely digest gluten -- affects around 6% of the American population. While the majority of those affected will experience uncomfortable but mild symptoms such as bloating or diarrhea, there is a much smaller percentage of people who will experience serious side effects if they are exposed to the ingredient. This last group includes people with celiac disease. People with this condition, which make up about 1% of the U.S. population, must be extremely wary not only of accidental gluten ingestion but also cross-contamination with gluten
Wegmans is known for its large selection of gluten-free products, making it a great option for those with gluten allergies or sensitivities. However, shoppers who have celiac disease may want to approach even the bakery items marked as gluten-free with caution. According to an alleged bakery employee writing on Reddit, many of the products are prepared in a shared area. This means that a gluten-free loaf could be sliced on a cutting board that was used to cut a standard gluten-filled one. While this may not be an issue for those with more mild sensitivities, it could pose a major problem for anyone with severe ones. While it's not necessarily confirmed by the chain itself, keep this in mind the next time you're considering picking up a sweet treat.
If You Missed An Order Deadline, Wegmans Cake Decorators Can Save Your Party
It's the big day. In between balloons, prepping a charcuterie board, and arranging party bags, you realize with horror that you forgot to put in the order for the cake. Before your stomach drops into your shoes, take a breath. Even though Wegmans says you must make your order 24 hours in advance, the cake decorators can still save your kid's party by way of a ready-made cake.
Wegmans adheres pretty staunchly to its 24-hour rule for custom cake orders, reportedly to allow for enough time for the cakes (which arrive frozen) to thaw. This also gives decorators adequate time to beautify cakes. However, the department typically keeps a refrigerator lined with frosted, ready-to-go cakes that anyone can purchase on a whim. This can be your saving grace if you drop the ball on planning.
"Just buy one of the cakes from the case," one employee wrote on Reddit in response to a question about same-day orders. "They will write on it for you if you ask." So don't be immediately panicked by the blaring 24-hour rule. You can still bring home a stunning, swirly-lettered pastry for your loved one's special day.
There Are Cheaper Cookies In The Back Of The Store
Just like any restaurant or grocery store, Wegmans isn't without its criticisms. Perhaps the most consistent critique of the chain centers on its prices, the most notorious of which is slapped onto the front of its Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie Pack. This mid-sized plastic bucket full of bakery chocolate chip cookies is usually found at the front of the store, complete with a whopping $15 price tag. "Had a friend buy them without checking the price," said a user on Reddit. "He called after finding the $15 charge. He thought it was a mistake. They said to him 'yeah we get a lot of phone calls about the cookies.'"
According to multiple employees, these frontrunner treats are marked up and placed strategically best the entrance of the store. "We stage them at the front because there's enough customers in the clientele who can afford it with ease," explained one on Reddit before dropping this incredible tip: "Head to the back and you'll find a Family Pack of soft baked mini chocolate chip cookies. There's like 60 little cookies for $5.50." This Family Pack was praised by additional commenters, so the next time you hit up Wegmans in search of the perfect cookie steal, we recommend heading straight past those buckets and directly to the back for a true deal.
Some Argue There Are Employee Turnover Issues
We can all attest to becoming a little impatient from time to time, but the next occasion you're feeling frustrated and thinking of taking it out on the employee who's boxing up your cupcake behind the counter at the Wegmans bakery, think again. Things are reportedly rough behind the scenes, at least according to some employees.
In a Reddit thread titled, "It keeps getting worse" in the r/wegmans subreddit, employees describe what they emerge to be stressful working conditions and double-crossing management. It's all resulted in high levels of turnover in the bakery department. "We've lost at least 10 people this year due to the manager and toxicity of the environment," said one user. Another employee chimed in with: "I agree wholeheartedly [...] I am very disappointed in the environment my manager has created; most of us can't deal with the toxicity anymore."
Yikes. Moral of the story, at least from the customer side: be nice to the Wegmans bakery employees. You never know if a hint of patience or a smile from you could be the encouragement they need in the midst of a really discouraging morning.
It Has A Huge Donation Program To Deal With Unpurchased Goods
Sometimes, the sight of the staggering number of stacked breads and rows of cupcakes sitting ready in the Wegmans bakery is enough to make you wonder: are they really going to sell all that? The answer is no, of course not. Though the department that cooks up Olive Oil Crostinis and the company's infamous Under the Tuscan Sun Garlic Bread is lucrative, there are still plenty of cakes and loaves that remain at the end of every shopping day. But we have some good news, at least where food waste is concerned. According to employees as well as community volunteers, Wegmans donates a huge portion of these unpurchased products to charity.
"Can't give you numbers, but I will say the majority of baked goods [...] are donated to shelters/food banks. Along with meat dept. items," wrote a user claiming to be a Wegmans employee on Reddit. Another user corroborated this, replying: "Can confirm, I volunteered with a soup kitchen that got weekly donations from wegmans."
Yet another user described the multitude of delicious breads and desserts marked with the Wegmans tag that were always waiting for their family on their monthly trips to the local food bank. So, the next time you leave the store in the evening and see boxes of leftover cookies still sitting on the shelves on your way out, don't mourn too hard. They will likely go toward feeding local people in need.
Its Donuts And Some Other Treats Come Frozen
Contrary to popular belief, not all of Wegmans delicious baked goods are constructed from scratch every day. Thanks to numerous admissions from employees across the internet, we can reasonably guess that its donuts come to bakers partially made and frozen. "The donuts all come frozen now," said a former employee on Reddit. It's not just donuts, either, they claimed. "The cakes all come frozen, even the cookie cakes." Other employees expressed confusion and discontent with this state of affairs. "The donuts come in frozen, but somehow we will still end up in the running for CITY's Best Donut," said another, going so far as to refer to the Wegmans bakery following as cult-like.
Still, other employees have defended the practice. On a separate thread, one employee insisted that a grocery store with the level of demand that Wegmans experienced must rely on frozen products to keep up. "It would literally be impossible to make and put it out at the quantity [...] and the speed they require. Only small family-owned bakeries bake fresh." There are valid points on both sides of this debate, but keep in mind that, if freshness is the number-one requirement in your donut search, the Wegmans bakery may not be your favorite place to stop.
Employees Can Supposedly Make Discontinued Cakes ... Quietly, That Is
Even though it seems to be part of the circle of bakery life, we all know how utterly depressing it can be when one of our favorite baked products is discontinued. It's just not the same if you have to settle for a chocolate cake when you really wanted a raspberry one, especially after you've found that it has been quietly taken off the menu. But the next time you go online to order a Wegmans cake and find that your favorite one has been removed from the drop down menu, don't lose hope. According to an employee writing on Reddit, the bakers might still be able to help you out if you ask nicely.
On a post written by a consumer searching for their favorite lost Wegmans cake, a few employees responded positively. One insisted that many locations allowed for individuality for bakers, so it might be possible to call and request a recreation by describing the flavor profile to them. "Wegman's has a lot of secret menu (aka corporate says we can no longer make them but we still have the ingredients and could technically make them) items in their bakeries," admitted another alleged worker. "Never hurts to ask if it can be done." That employee has a point, as the worst you might be told is no. In our book, it's definitely worth the ask before you put in your next party order.
You'll Probably No Longer Be Able To Buy Pride-Themed Treats In June
One of the most exciting parts about every June are all of the unique rainbow treats that local bakeries, snack companies, and grocery stores develop in recognition of Pride month. Take Walmart with its Pride-themed rainbow sherbet, for example, or KIND and its chocolate and peanut butter Pride granola bars. However, it appears that Wegmans will no longer be included on the list of celebrating companies. According to bakery employees, they were forbidden from developing Pride-inspired baked goods starting in the summer of 2023, allegedly to maintain an image of political neutrality.
"I'm assuming it's because they don't want to "offend" anyone and end up like Target/Budlight," speculated an irked employee on a recent Reddit thread regarding the touchy topic. Another employee within the same discussion described how, at their location, a few batches of colorful cookies had been crafted before the rule had officially come into effect. When it did (on that very same day) the cookies were pulled and shoved into the break room for the employees to eat -- away from the public eye. All we can say is, ouch.
Its Ultimate Carrot Cake Is Shockingly Unhealthy
For many, carrot cake is nothing short of heaven on a cake stand. The brown sugar and spice-infused batter is loaded with shredded carrot. The blatant addition of this fresh orange vegetable must make it healthy, right? While it is true that relatively healthy carrot cake recipes are out there, the Wegmans version is certainly not one of them. While it does indeed call for chunks of the root vegetable, it contains many other things, too ... like 840 calories a slice.
In addition to the high calorie count, one slice of the sweet stuff also contains 54 grams of fat, 85 grams of carbs, and 63 grams of sugar. This makes the Ultimate Carrot Cake a fair bit richer than even the company's super-rich Ultimate Chocolate Cake. While the two maintain about the same sugar content, a chocolate slice slides in at 680 calories and a much lower 24 grams of fat. So, while you may have opted for carrot in the past with the vague notion that you were making a healthier choice, you may have to rethink your plan if calories are something you are considering.
Family Members Of Employees Can Use Their Special Coupons
While Wegmans bakery employees don't technically receive any built-in discounts on bakery cakes, cookies, or breads, that doesn't mean that the opportunity for savings isn't there. All those who work for the chain grocer have access to employee-only coupons such as the standard $5 off coupons or holiday-specific ones that can be used on a bakery Thanksgiving pie, for example. While this is a huge opportunity to slash a grocery bill, not everyone will take advantage, which is where the next secret comes in.
If a given employee doesn't plan to use a coupon before it expires, there's nothing to stop a family member or friend from snagging it (as long as the employee says it's okay, of course). On a Reddit thread in the Wegmans subreddit, the mother of a teenage worker asks other employees if it would be okay if she used his collection of coupons. "Heck yeah you SHOULD use them if he's not going to!" replied one enthusiastic user. Another specified that as long as she used the phone number associated with his employee account, she was in the clear to use them -- and that the employee could not get in trouble for her doing so. So if you've got a special someone in your life who's working at Wegmans with no interest in shopping there, don't be afraid to help them out.
Bakers Work Overnight, So Get There First Thing
Many of us have worked some early shifts in our lives, but Wegmans bakers take things to a whole new level. The employees who kick off the crucial task of popping bread and breakfast items into the oven are typically scheduled to begin their shifts between midnight and 3 a.m. Next to arrive, according to employees, are the bread slicers and mid-shifts who arrive around 5 a.m. to continue the baking and prep until the store opens.
This means that your best bet to get the freshest fluffy bread or muffin is to also arrive at the store early. Just remember to call your local store to confirm when its bakery opens, because some maintain different hours than the rest of the grocery store. While times vary slightly by location, Wegmans opens its doors on average between the hours of 6 and 7 a.m. This is also when it begins serving breakfast -- where you will be able to snag some of those goods (like warm bagels with cream cheese or a croissant) that were whipped up by bakers in the middle of the night. But the bakery department itself, where you would pick up your cake order or a fresh-baked cookie, typically opens around 10 a.m.
Regardless of whether you're after a breakfast or dessert item, you'll want to be a door buster to get the freshest products you can. Time to set those alarms.
Read the original article on Mashed.
