Rise Baking outlines pie trends, innovative approach

Joanie Spencer, editor-in-chief of Commercial Baking

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Rise Baking outlines pie trends, innovative approach

29 May 2025

Annie Hollon

Annie Hollon is a journalist, copywriter and social media strategist from the Dallas, Texas area. She found a love for magazine writing during her time at the University of Alabama where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts, double majoring in public relations and English. Beyond writing, you can find her expanding her library, attempting to teach herself the guitar and trying new hobbies.

MINNEAPOLIS — When it comes to pies, Rise Baking Co. is pursuing innovation and continuously investing in this segment of the baking industry.

The company has made various pie-related transactions in recent years, fortifying its position of growth in the category. The latest occurred June 2024 when Rise Baking acquired Worcester, MA-based Table Talk Pies, a century-old pie producer specializing in 4-inch snack pies and full-size dessert pies. This move, in addition to two facility acquisitions in late 2023, strengthened Rise Baking’s capabilities and allowed the company to dedicate more time to the market.

“The acquisition aligned seamlessly with our long-term growth strategy, expanding our footprint in high-demand categories while preserving the heritage of beloved brands,” said Michael Docherty, senior VP of marketing, R&D and strategy at Rise Baking. “Table Talk’s commitment to quality, consistency and innovation made it a natural addition to the Rise family, and it’s allowed us to diversify our pie portfolio and scale operations meaningfully.”

These strategic business decisions supported Rise Baking’s pie innovation, lending a hand in its participation in the 2025 National Pie Championships. In its first appearance at the annual competition, Rise Baking took home 23 blue ribbons for pie types including classics such as buttermilk and peach and singular creations such as vanilla chai pumpkin and apple cranberry oat.

“Winning 23 blue ribbons right out of the gate is a powerful affirmation of our brand’s quality, creativity, and the dedication of our R&D and baking teams,” Docherty said. “Recognition across categories like Premium, No Sugar Added, Gourmet and Handheld showcases not only our momentum, but also our growing leadership in the commercial pie category.”

A slice of innovation

Pie itself is a classic offering, which can make aligning product innovation to modern standards while retaining authenticity a challenge.

Docherty noted that Rise Baking approaches tradition and innovation not as opposites, but as two sides of the same coin, supporting signature releases and novel flavor experiences. This, in addition to years of baking experience, lends itself to pie offerings that align with the “newstalgia” trend.

“We’re proud to keep classics like apple and pumpkin/cherry pies on the table, while also creating fresh new flavors like hot honey peach and vanilla chai pumpkin,” he said. “We’ve also developed a line of snack fruit pies made with real fruit and without synthetic colors, artificial flavors and high fructose corn syrup that are a great example of how we’re moving with the times, offering simple, high-quality ingredients without losing that homemade taste people love.”

This insight also offers a glimpse of where the pie category could be headed. Among its various offerings, Rise Baking has noticed an uptick in interest for mini snack pies and thaw-and-sell formats.

“Mini pies are increasingly popular due to shifting preferences toward portion control and on-the-go snacking,” Docherty said. “Our thaw-and-sell pies offer labor-saving advantages to retailers, with flexible packaging formats — from bakery boxes to clamshells — making them easy to merchandise and sell.”

The baking company’s R&D team is proceeding with convenience, quality and flavor consistency top of mind.