Derby-Pie

What Derby-Pie does

Derby-Pie Company, Inc., doing business as Kern's Kitchen, is a fourth-generation, family-owned American food production company founded in 1954 at the Melrose Inn in Prospect, Kentucky, and now headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky. The company manufactures and sells handcrafted pies built on Great Grandma Leaudra's original secret recipe, with a narrow product line centered on two core SKUs — the trademarked Derby-Pie® (a chocolate and English walnut pie) and a Golden Pecan Pie — offered as full-size 9-inch pies (serving eight), mixed and same-flavor bundles, and Mini Derby-Pie® tarts for single-serve consumption. Production is anchored at a single Louisville facility operating three commercial ovens with a per-batch capacity of 240 pies, scaling from an original three-pie household capacity while preserving the handcrafted taste profile through ingredient discipline (hand-cracked eggs, hand-sorted nuts).

Derby-Pie generates revenue through direct-to-consumer e-commerce on its Shopify storefront with nationwide ice-packed shipping, regional retail placement in Kentucky grocery stores and attractions, and a dedicated corporate bulk channel offering tiered volume pricing, custom logo stickers, and co-branded messaging for events, client appreciation, and employee recognition. Pricing across channels ranges from $10 per pie at corporate pickup volumes to $45 per pie at the lowest corporate shipped tier, with consumer-facing single pies at $35 and bundles at $60. The company has pursued brand-extending collaborations including the limited-time 'Winner's Circle' partnership with Graeter's Ice Cream.

The Derby-Pie® mark is a federally registered trademark and the company actively litigates to protect it; the brand is also designated the official pie of the Kentucky Derby Festival and is featured in earned media across Food Network, the New York Times, Today, and Travel Channel. The customer base spans individual consumers purchasing for holidays, gifting, and personal celebrations, corporate clients ordering bulk customized pies, and retail/wholesale partners in Kentucky, supported by content marketing, email, the Smile & Win photo contest, and organic social engagement.

Name

Derby-Pie

Legal name

Derby-Pie Company, Inc.

Website

https://derbypie.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1954

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Derby-Pie (Kern's Kitchen) is a fourth-generation, family-owned Louisville bakery founded in 1954 that handcrafts the trademarked Derby-Pie® chocolate-walnut pie and Golden Pecan Pie, selling direct-to-consumer online nationwide, through Kentucky retailers, and via a corporate bulk channel for events and gifting.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Baked Goods

NAICS

Retail Bakeries (311811), Baked Goods Retailers (445291), Other Specialty Food Retailers (44529)

SIC

Bakery Products (2050), Food And Kindred Products (2000)

akta.pro primary industry

Artisan & Specialty Bakeries (Sourdough, Heritage Grains) (THAFAFAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Dessert-First Bakeries (Cupcakes, Cookies, Brownies) (THAFAFAH)

Keywords

• Handcrafted pies
• Chocolate nut pie
• Pecan pie
• Bakery products
• Corporate gifting desserts

Headquarters

HQ city

Louisville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Direct Pie Sales: Individual pies sold directly through online store with ice-packed shipping nationwide. Pies include Derby-Pie (Chocolate Nut), Golden Pecan Pie, and mini Derby-Pie tarts.
2. Bundle Sales: Bundled products like 2-Pack Derby-Pie Bundle and Derby-Pie & Golden Pecan Bundle offered at discounted prices with free shipping
3. Corporate/Bulk Orders: Bulk orders for corporate events, client appreciation, employee recognition, and company milestones with minimum 10 pie quantity and volume discounts. Includes customization options with company logos and messaging.
4. Gift Box Sales: Pies marketed as holiday gifts for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, and special occasions with premium packaging

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Derby-Pie is a fourth-generation family-owned bakery that handcrafts and ships signature chocolate walnut pies, golden pecan pies, mini tarts, and bund Pie® and Golden Pecan Pies to individual consumers, corporate clients, and retail partners across the United States. Products are made using Great Grandma Leaudra's original recipe maintained since 1954, with nationwide ice-packed shipping and bulk corporate ordering options.

Product overview

Derby-Pie by Kern's Kitchen is a fourth-generation family-owned bakery specializing in handcrafted pies made from Great Grandma Leaudra's original recipe since 1954. The product portfolio centers on two signature pies: the trademarked Derby-Pie (rich semi-sweet chocolate blended with English walnuts in a flaky crust) and the Golden Pecan Pie (premium flash-baked pecans with buttery filling). Both core pies are offered as full 9-inch pies, as mixed or same-flavor bundles (2-pack), and in the case of Derby-Pie, as 4-count mini tarts. Kern's Kitchen also offers corporate bulk ordering with customization options. The company ships pies nationwide with ice-packed shipping and maintains a presence at Kentucky grocery stores and regional attractions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Derby-Pie® (Chocolate Nut Pie) The signature trademarked Derby-Pie®: a 9-inch pie (20 oz, serves eight) handcrafted with semi-sweet chocolate and English walnuts in a flaky, buttery crust, following the family recipe maintained since 1954. Sold direct-to-consumer via the online store and through Kentucky retail locations.
• Golden Pecan Pie A classic Southern 9-inch pecan pie (24 oz, serves eight) made with premium, flash-baked pecans and a rich, buttery crust. Sold direct-to-consumer online and through Kentucky retail and corporate channels.
• Derby-Pie® 2-Pack Bundle Bundle of two 9-inch Derby-Pie® chocolate nut pies (each 20 oz, serves eight), priced at $60 with free ice-packed nationwide shipping included. Sold direct-to-consumer through the online store.
• Derby-Pie® & Golden Pecan Pie Bundle Bundle pairing one 9-inch Derby-Pie® (20 oz) with one 9-inch Golden Pecan Pie (24 oz); each serves eight. Sold at a discounted bundle price of $60 (regularly $70) with free ice-packed shipping, direct-to-consumer.
• 4 Mini Derby-Pie® (Chocolate Nut Tarts) Pack of four 3-inch, 3 oz single-serving mini Derby-Pie® chocolate nut tarts (serves one each), using the same recipe as the full-sized Derby-Pie®. Sold direct-to-consumer for $30, often marketed as gifts.
• Corporate / Bulk Pie Orders Bulk-order service for corporate clients with a minimum 10-pie order across tiers (10-30, 31-100, 100+) at volume-discounted pricing. Available for both pickup and nationwide shipment, with optional company-logo stickers and custom messaging for corporate gifting and events.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 70 years of continuous operation as a family business

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Graeter's Ice CreamminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLimited-time 'Winner's Circle' partnership between Derby-Pie and Graeter's Ice Cream featuring co-branded products. The collaboration combines two legendary Kentucky family brands for a special seasonal offering.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• The Pie Hole: Los Angeles-based dessert pie shop and brand with DTC shipping. Direct peer in the artisanal dessert pie category with strong social-media-driven branding and gifting positioning.
• Mrs. Smith's Pies: Iconic American frozen and fresh pie brand (chocolate, pecan, fruit). Directly comparable product category — branded dessert pies sold nationally — though Mrs. Smith's is far larger and primarily distributed frozen through grocery.
• Bakers Square: Restaurant chain known for pies (French silk, cream pies). Directly comparable as a pie-led brand, though operates as a sit-down restaurant rather than DTC manufacturer.
• Edwards Pie: Premium frozen dessert pie brand owned by Schwan's, including chocolate crème pies. Direct competitor in branded shelf-stable/frozen dessert pies with national grocery distribution.
• Levain Bakery: NYC-based artisanal cookie and baked goods brand with national DTC shipping and cult following. Comparable as a small-batch premium dessert brand that scaled nationally through gifting and DTC.

Broad incumbents

• Marie Callender's: ConAgum brand offering pies and full frozen meals. Overlaps directly on pies (cream, fruit, chocolate) but operates at far greater scale across grocery and foodservice channels.
• Magnolia Bakery: Iconic New York dessert bakery famous for banana pudding and cupcakes with national DTC and licensed shipping. Comparable as a heritage-brand dessert bakery monetizing through nationwide gifting and corporate channels.
• Hostess Brands: Mass-market packaged desserts/snack cakes brand (Twinkies, CupCakes, Donettes). Comparable product category (packaged sweet baked goods) but at vastly larger industrial scale and broader assortment.
• Sara Lee Desserts: Established mass-market dessert brand (pies, cakes) with national grocery presence. Comparable product line of branded sweet baked goods, though at much larger scale and broader assortment.

Regional players

• Graeter's Ice Cream: Fourth-generation Cincinnati-based premium ice cream maker and Derby-Pie's co-branding partner. Comparable as a multi-generation family-owned Kentucky/Ohio regional premium food brand with national DTC shipping.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/derbypie

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Derby-Pie