By Rudy Matthew Vorkapic
The Levee overcooked writer
The owners and makers of one of New Orleans’ most iconic treats, Hubig’s Pies, has vowed to rebuild stronger than ever after a fire destroyed its historic factory today and have already unveiled a new package for the ultimate sweet tooth snack in the Crescent City.
Photo illustration update/Rudy Matthew Vorkapic
“We have and will be a good neighbor, this is hard – we’re trying to wrap our heads around it,” Hubig’s Pies owner Andrew Ramsey said of the fire while unveiling the new packaging for the world-famous individually wrapped pies featuring a big-bellied baker known as Savory Simon.
On the new packaging, Savory Simon will be buff and reinvigorated to represent not only the company but New Orleans.
“Rebuild, restore, reHubig’s, we will not lose our flavor,” was the message posted on the company’s website just hours after the fire was extinguished by New Orleans firefighters. Those firefighters vividly recalled Hubig’s distributing thousands of pies to first responders and others responding to the flooding of New Orleans when the federal levees failed in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.
Ramsey said there is no truth at all to the rumor that the fire started as the company was experimenting with a new “Smoked BBQ” pie. The company has made pies that have satisfied generations of New Orleanians in flavors including apple, lemon, peach, pineapple, banana, blueberry and chocolate.
“No,” Ramsey said of the “Smoked BBQ” rumors. “That is as irresponsible a rumor as when The Levee reported we were launching a line of health-conscious pies in flavors like turnip, kale, bell pepper and tofu. We never considered turnip.”
