Does anyone remember Burry's Cookies?

Thanks again!

The Girl Scout cookies here in Northern California when I was a kid were also Burry's. My favorite was the peanut butter "Grenada Creams," which to my eyes look exactly like those Gauchos.

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Originally posted by leethebard

Thanks...did miss that. Where do you find the Dare brand...never heard of it?

Being in Charlotte, NC, I see them at Food Lion and perhaps Harris Teeter may have them. Bi-Lo, I have no idea.I saw them in Ohio, but I left there when I was 13.

I remember most about Burry's was the compamy store across the street from the plant in Elizabeth. When I was in six grade at School 12 we use to sell the Burry cookies as a fundraiser. You could go to the store there and get the rejected cookies ( the ones that only had 3-4 to a package for some good $$$ ) I loved the Fudgetown.

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Originally posted by mitros

I recall many years ago, when we lived in Elizabeth, New Jersey, there was the old Burry Biscuit cookie factory just before the Newark city line. They used to make all the girl scout cookies back then, but I believe they were bought out buy a French company and they called the product Burry-lu. Not sure if they are still around or not. And before it was the Burry Biscuit factory, they used to make automobiles in that plant. I want to say Hudson was the car brand, but I can't be sure. But THAT was before my time.

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Originally posted by Yum

Ahhh, Burry's Cookies. I remember them well! Does anyone else recall at Christmastime, Burry's would have special shortbread cookies in Christmas tree ornament shapes, decorated with sugar sprinkles? You could even hang them on your tree, but the ones in our house never got that far.

quote:

Originally posted by mitros

I recall many years ago, when we lived in Elizabeth, New Jersey, there was the old Burry Biscuit cookie factory just before the Newark city line. They used to make all the girl scout cookies back then, but I believe they were bought out buy a French company and they called the product Burry-lu. Not sure if they are still around or not. And before it was the Burry Biscuit factory, they used to make automobiles in that plant. I want to say Hudson was the car brand, but I can't be sure. But THAT was before my time.

quote:

Originally posted by Yum

Ahhh, Burry's Cookies. I remember them well! Does anyone else recall at Christmastime, Burry's would have special shortbread cookies in Christmas tree ornament shapes, decorated with sugar sprinkles? You could even hang them on your tree, but the ones in our house never got that far.

Burry factory in Elizabeth was originally owned by Willys-Overland auto manufacturing plant, where the Dusenberg auto was produced, and it was purchased by William C. Durant to manufacture his autos there, June 11, 1922. He sold it in 1927. It later was the Big Bear super market and Burry began making cookies there in about 1938.

WOW This takes me back. I loved the Fudgetown cookies. I was a GS in Connecticut and all our cookies were Burry's. They were the best. Another one of my favorites was a chocolate cookie with sugar crystals on the top. And for years I have been trying to find Christmas cookies like the ones in a previous post. I thought they were made by Keebler and tried theirs. They were close but not quite. I didn't remember they were Burry's until I read the post.

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Originally posted by michaeltross

Burry factory in Elizabeth was originally owned by Willys-Overland auto manufacturing plant, where the Dusenberg auto was produced, and it was purchased by William C. Durant to manufacture his autos there, June 11, 1922. He sold it in 1927. It later was the Big Bear super market and Burry began making cookies there in about 1938.

I'm impressed with your automotive knowledge! Many years ago, when I lived in Union County, I used to point out to friends that the Duesenberg had been manufactured in the Burry building, many years previously. The usual response was a blank stare. Incidentally, I believe that it was only the Duesenberg model A that was manufactured there. The later J and SJ models were made in Indiana.

I grew up in Peoria Illinois in the 60's and 70's, and Burry's were the best girlscout cookies! that was the only time we were lucky enough to get Burry's was GS cookie time.
Does anyone remember Pink Elephant cookies, I think they were made by Nabisco...those were y favorites..they were big shortbread cookies with thin, shiny pink crusty frosting.
love those

I have been trying to find Burry cookies for almost 20 years, and finally I now know why I have not been able to locate any. I did not realize that Burry's were manufactured in NJ. I grew up in NYC, and use to purchase their cookies from either A&P or Bohack's. I feel they made the best chocolate chip and butter cookies ever.

I sure do! My mother bought Burry's cookies for my brothers and me in the early 1960s at the Shop Rite in Ramsey, New Jersey They were very good quality and they made large packages of duplex creme cookies, which were good for a family with five boys! Most of all, I miss their Scooter Pies, which I haven't seen in years.

Just for the record Mrcoffee i care that Burry's is gone......

My father started working for Burry's in 1962.  Originally Burry's was a family owned Company.  When George Burry died, Mrs. George Burry took over, and just before my father started in 1962, Quaker bought the company.  What Quaker did right was keep Burry's Burry's.  They kept the name, the ingredience, the methods.  The reason those cookies were so good was that the ingredience were REAL!  They made their own peanut butter.  They used REAL eggs, butter, cheese (Forget that cheese flavoring crap!), flour, sugar, etc.  Good luck reading the ingredience now-a-days.  We are eating crap we can't spell or pronounce!  Back then there was pride in what a company put out on the store shelves, and I was proud of what my father did and the company he worked for.  We had a company picknic every year and I knew all the kids there because it was a FAMILY business.  Even under Quaker, it was family.  My brother and I went to the factory in Elizabeth with my father at least once a year.  We always went in the summer.  My son and nephew have been in the plant as well, but I think they were probably too young to remember.  It was a good place to work and my father loved his job.  I remember the cookie store across the street.  Sometimes it was open, sometimes it wasn't and I'm not sure why.  Cookies where hand packed back then, and broken or unacceptable cookies when into a big box for sale in the outlet store.  Only a Burry kid can tell you this.... The experience of eating a warm chocolate chip cookie just off the belt.... warm scooter pies, oh wow, the marshmallow melted in your mouth.... and yes they were called Happynicks.... We had a cookie jar in the shape of a happynick, yellow with a smily face bright as day!  One of us kids broke it. I wish I still had it.  I'll give you the history as I can remember it.  My Dad has a CD with Burry's history that he was given by the company some time ago.  This sight has brought back fond childhood memories and reminded me that we had a good life because of a good company.  I think I'll get the CD from Dad and show it to the grandkids on Mother's day....

As I said Burry's was sold to Quaker in the early 60's and nothing about the company changed really.  At some point, many years later, Quaker sold to a French outfit and they changed the name to Burry-Lu.  That's when the product changed.  They wanted to put the French stamp on the cookie.  That's when we stopped getting warm cookies off the belt.  I'm not sure, would have to ask dad but either Burry-Lu was Salerno or Burry-Lu sold to Salerno.  After that it became Interbake foods and manufactured cookies in Elizabeth until 2 or 3 years ago, which is when my Dad left the company.  He would still be working there if they were still open but they got a great offer on the property and sold.  From what I understand it still sits empty, but I don't know.  Burry's had 3 plants, one in Elizabeth NJ, one in Michigan and one in California.  They had the contract for Girl Scout cookies and manufactured 90% of the product in the nation.  At some point, as happens in corporations, another company "stole" the contract and Burry's didn't make as many of the Girl Scout cookies as they had in the past.  That's when the product began to change.  Interbake still has a plant in Virginia, and another out west, so they are still running at least 2 plants that I know of.  Burry's also had 90% of the ice cream sandwich contract too.... While there were always competitors, they've lost some of that market as well.  Bet you didn't know your ice cream sandwich's were made with Burry cookies!  We use to get them too and make our own ice cream sandwiches!  I was in girl scouts when I was a little girl.  Imagine trying to sell those cookies when everyone you knew made them for a living!  It's not like Dad could sell them at work for me.  I never won the prize, but I didn't care.  I told everyone, my Daddy makes these cookies! 

Growing up a Burry's kid was wonderful.  My Dad came home everyday smelling like fresh baked cookies.  He had pride in his work and we were taught about loyalty, something that today's market lacks. Nabisco tried to recruit my Dad, offered him more money, and pay to move him out west.  He said no, stop calling me!  I didn't eat cookies that were not Burry made.  I can't even tell you how old I was when I had my first Oreo.  They were made by another company, and eating them was disloyal.  When we went out to eat, if the crackers that were put on the table were Nabisco, my Dad sent them back.  He told the owner, buy Burry's!  Because.... "Burry's makes the very Best!"  We'd eat warm cookies, run around the house and sing.... "Burry's makes the very Best!"  and when the crackers where Burry's, he'd thank the owner.  I remember being given cookies at a friends house and telling her, I can't eat those, they aren't Burry's!  My Daddy makes Burry's! 

Thanks to everyone for sending out pics of the boxes.  I dont' remember them.  Our cookies came from the factory in the sleeves or plain boxes.  I can't say if they are authentic or when they are from.  I have no idea what was in the assortment package but my guess is if it contained 6 cookies they were Fudgetowns, Gauchos, Lemon Cream, VanillaCream (oreo looking cookie), Chocolat Chips (never eaten a better chocolate chip in my life) and a plain cookie like shortbread or happynicks.  They may have also included as the 6th cookie a plain butter cookie that had the same shape as the fudgetown.  They were for the "little kids".  Just a plain, delicious, butter cookie.  Oh, do you remember vent-packs?  They were sold for vending machines and I remember the ones with 6 little chocolate chip cookies in them. 

Thanks for the memories..... Stop looking for an equivalent to Burry's cookies.  You may like some of the cookies on the market today, but the quality will NEVER be the same.  Gone are Burry's, Gone is penny candy, gone is soda from the soda delivery truck that had a metal cap that once removed with a bottle opener needed to be closed with a snap on cap.  I loved that soda.  Real Grape, my brother's favorite, Real Cream, my favorite.  We would get a delivery and fill out what flavors we wanted weekly.  In Newark NJ when visiting Gram we bought Milk from a vending machine on the corner, Went to the butcher and knew the[code] neighbors.  I'm not even as old as I sound, but times are different.  At least we have stories to tell our kids!

mrcoffee
  How sad that you could be HAPPY that people are out of a job because you had a bad experience.  As a business owner I would think that you would realize what those jobs meant to the workers and their families.  And by the way, the company did not crumble..... it changed hands over time and the last owner still has at least 2 factories in the US.......There is always one bad apple, and not every customer can be made happy no matter how good the company is..... 

I hate to say this but I am actually happy to see that the Burry cookie company is deceased. Long story, but it involved the Girl Scouts also.

I owned a business and was looking to help out a Girl Scout as part of a community service. I used to be a Boy Scout and remember what it was like trying to sell all the stuff we had to sell to support the organization. So I figured I would buy a large amount of cookies to put some lucky Girl Scout well over the top to get the big prize and patches etc. I'm thinking this is really going to make some girls day. I didn't care who the girl was so I solicited nominations from my customers. I contacted the mother of the girl and introduced myself as I was a pretty well known businessman in the community and told her what I wanted to do for her daughter. All I got from the mother was a rude, are you kidding me....I bought 15 CASES of cookies anyway as I knew it wasn't the girls fault her mother was rude. A couple of weeks later expecting to at least meet the young lady to hear about her prize and maybe a thank you. All I got was her dad who wasn't a bit happy about having to deliver them to me, who I paid and he left with not even a thank you. Wait it gets better! Well since I could not even think of possibly eating 15 cases of cookies, I began giving them to any customer who wanted a box. Yes, I said giving away, as any other Girl Scout's parents employer does when her parents take their order sheets to their work and the employer buys cookies. It wasn't part of my business, I needed to get rid of the cookies as I had no place to store them. Now I get a call from the Girl Scout Council who now threatens to sue me as I am not licensed to distribute the cookies. You know...One would think they would have been happy to have sold the stupid things and made a little money. Guess not. So the next day I am trying to unload the rest of these battered and bruised baked biscuits of Burry's best and low and behold if I don't get a call from the legal department of the Burry Cookie Company in Chicago, who also threatens a lawsuit if I didn't immediately quit "distributing" the cookies without a license. Now I have rude Girl Scout parents, an ungreatful Girl Scout Council, and a Corporation who in all their enormousness wants to threaten someone who all they wanted to do is help out a little girl with getting something from a kind community member who cared. Well, so the Burry Cookie Company crumbled...How ironic!

Thanks for that wonderful story. Thankfully, you can still go to the Pechter's outlet store in Harrison, NJ and get bread and rolls still hot (if you go at the right time).

As A kid I loved the Fudgetown cookie, but I think it was called something else first, like "Double Fudge" cookie or something. Loved those things!!!!

I just walked through a door into my past. I grew up in Union County, NJ, and of course I remember Burry's cookies. Even got to tour the plant with my GS Troop. I always wondered what happened to them. I thought that they only did the cookies for the Girl Scouts in the New York/ New Jersey metropolitan area, as the cookies sold here in south central PA are made by Little Brownie Bakers in Richmond, VA. Nowhere good as Burry's, noway, nohow...
 
And I also remember the Vanilla Marshmallow Sandwich Cookies...loved them.
 
One more thing, Archway Cookies do not exist under that name anymore, at least around here. I was walking through the cookie aisle at the store, and did a double take. The name on all the packages is Josephine's. The design is exactly the same as the old Archway, but with this new name.
 

OH, to taste a real girl scout cookie as they were made by Burry's....yup, a mear shadow of what they once were!!

Beverly K


 
One more thing, Archway Cookies do not exist under that name anymore, at least around here. I was walking through the cookie aisle at the store, and did a double take. The name on all the packages is Josephine's. The design is exactly the same as the old Archway, but with this new name.
 

There are also a few supermarkets around here that now have another brand of cookies in the space where Archway cookies used to be. However, my local market again has Archway cookies. The Archway brand is now owned by Lance, Inc. I can't remember the name on those other cookies (could be Josephine's) but did not have an address of Battle Creek, MI or Charlotte, NC on them.

I went to Giant tonight and thought to look in the cookie aisle.
 
Josephine's Cookies are made by the Davis Co. in Rimersburg, PA. I'll have to try a package and see if they taste the same.

Beverly K


I went to Giant tonight and thought to look in the cookie aisle.
 
Josephine's Cookies are made by the Davis Co. in Rimersburg, PA. I'll have to try a package and see if they taste the same.

The name Davis Cookie Co. was familiar. So, I checked news reports of the bankruptcy of Archway. Apparently Davis was a co-packer or had the Archway rights to Pennsylvania or something, as can be seen in this sentence from a news report:
"Reportedly Davis Cookie in Pennsylvania still produces Archway and distributes to all of Pennsylvania. "
 
From:
http://minnieapolis.newsvine.com/_news/2008/10/10/1978456-archway-cookies-business-crumbles-into-chapter-11-creative-bookkeeping-at-fault
 
Davis web site:
http://www.daviscookie.com/
 
ADDENDUM: I hope Lance and Davis have an agreement. Lance is suing Voortman for trade dress issues:
http://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/stories/2009/02/09/daily20.html

Well! I will check the Archway's next time and see if they say Lance. That certainly is a surprise.

Burry'sMakesTheVeryBest, thanks for the story! We may know the search is futile, but we see value in seeking the closest we can get to the ideal. How lucky you were to have that!

No sign of Josephine's, still Archway, although they have dwindled.

Hi everyone!  Just found this site and am hoping that someone can help me find something I've been looking for since I was a kid. 
 
One of the promotional items I remember was a map of Fudge Town.  My older brother saved his pennies and boxtops or whatever it was he had to send in and got one.  Well, I was about 4 or so at the time and somehow ripped it.
 
For years afterward, he would end every argument we had with "...and you ripped my Fudge Town map!!!..."
 
It would be so nice to send him one - or a decent replica of one...
 
I'm pretty sure it was from Burry's, especially after opening the many photo links I've seen in this chain
 
All help appreciated!
 
Thanks

I grew up in Elizabeth NJ.  The building is still there.  Even back in the 70's parts of the building were used for other things.  My father worked in that building in a  small textile firm.  That has to be the largest building I have ever seen in my life.  It is almost half a mile long.  I used to shop at their small outlet store accross the street from the building.

I remember when the made girl scout cookies they were much tastier and used better ingredients.


They became Burry Lu and now Lu still sells coockies such as the decadent "le petit ecolier"

Oh, my, yes - Scooter Pies my favorites!!! My brother and I would get one each night as dessert.  Have  missed them for years, but recently found them available for sale at oltimecandy.com.  Have ordered my first box.  Fingers crossed that they will taste as I remember them.  It appears a company in Tennessee now makes them. 

Fudge Town Cookies are reincarnated as "Mother's Double Fudge". They taste exactly the same. You can get them by ordering it in the grocery section of Amazon. 
If you trace back the history of Mother's cookies, you will find that Burry's was sold to LU & Mother's also was once owned by LU. Mother's is now owned by Kellogg's.

"They're mixed and they're baked by Burry's cause they're Burry Burry good."
 
I have been asking this question for many years.  No one remembered.  I remembered them and the commercials.  Scooter Pies down South are called Moon Pies.  I am originally from Newark, New Jersey.

I was a Girl Scout in the late 50s/early 60s and I'm pretty sure the cookies we sold then were made by Burry's. This was in North Carolina.

Hello, I just read your post about your father working for Burry back in 1962, I am currently working with a company called Burry Foods and we are doing research on the history and timeframe of owneship for Burry's. I understand that your dad may have a CD of the Burry's history. We would be interested in purchasing a copy of this CD if at all possible. If any one has any information on the Burry company that would help in my research please let me know?
Thank you