Schnucks has brought back a long-lost family recipe after it was rediscovered by a family member. Anna Schnuck’s Original Potato Salad, handmade from her 1939 recipe, is available in the deli/prepared foods department at all Schnucks locations.
History
As the Great Depression was winding down, Schnucks founder Anna Donovan “Mom” Schnuck was looking for a way to share her potato salad – a family favorite frequently requested by friends and neighbors. She also wanted to support her north St. Louis neighborhood. Her dream was to open a small store to sell that potato salad and other fresh dishes made with quality ingredients from her kitchen.
In 1939, Anna opened a 1,000-square-foot corner confectionery at 3968 Labadie in north St. Louis. She never dreamed that more than 87 years later, Schnucks would grow to more than 100 stores throughout the Midwest.
Anna’s original handwritten recipe was lost for decades. But recently, Lori Willibrand, the daughter of Anna’s daughter Annette Hanhardt, found the recipe in a stack of her mother’s old papers. She gave the recipe to her seven cousins at a holiday gathering as a gift, who were all astounded at the find.
“Heart” of the company
Todd Schnuck, chairman and CEO of Schnucks, said holding his grandmother’s recipe felt like reconnecting with the heart of the company.
“Holding my grandmother’s recipe in my hands felt like reconnecting with the very heart of this company,” Schnuck said.
“It’s a powerful reminder that before we were a regional grocer, we were just a family in a kitchen, driven by a passion for good food and a desire to serve our neighbors. For our family, this isn’t just about a side dish; it’s a tribute to my grandmother’s courage to start something new during a period of such economic uncertainty. This recipe represents the very foundation of our commitment to quality and to nourishing people’s lives. Bringing Anna’s Original Potato Salad back to our stores is our way of sharing our family’s history and a seat at our table with every customer who walks through our doors.”
The potato salad is still handmade, featuring red-skin potatoes and double-smoked bacon lardons folded together with caramelized onions. The sweet-and-savory dish is balanced with sugar and black pepper, then topped with hand-sliced hard-boiled eggs.
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