Everyone's favorite gift

Texas fruitcake queen Mary of Puddin Hill is back in business for the holidays

Fruitcake from Mary of Puddin Hill, the holiday re-gift of choice.
Photo courtesy of Mary of Puddin Hill
Mary of Puddin Hill is back in business in Greenville, Texas.
Photo courtesy of Mary of Puddin Hill
Mary of Puddin Hill has won awards for its praline pecan pie.

The fruitcake world suffered a setback in May 2011 when Mary of Puddin Hill, one of the biggest manufacturers of the seasonal re-gifting favorite, closed its retail outlet in Greenville, Texas, after 56 years.

Tears were shed. Old fruitcakes were pulled out of their decorative tins, only to be put back with a nostalgic shrug.

The ensuing months were touch-and-go for Puddin Hill. They re-opened the retail store in November 2011 for the holidays, then closed it again on Valentine's Day 2012. Now, despite the ups and downs, it's open again, selling fruitcakes, fudge and praline pecan pie.

The store carries some treats not found in the catalog, including fudge and chocolate barks.

"We've been open about three weeks, and for now we're good," says company president Kenneth Bain, who describes the past year as busy and tumultuous.

"It began last year when we had some people who proposed a purchase of the company," he says. "But then they couldn't come up with the money."

There was also the threat from archrival Collin Street Bakery, the other fruitcake big gun in Texas, who planned to open a superstore in Greenville, not far from Puddin Hill. (Those plans are still underway; a Collin Street Bakery spokesperson said that the Greenville store is scheduled to open in time for Christmas.)

Having putting everything on hold in anticipation of the sale, Puddin Hill got behind on its 2011 catalog and down on sales overall. They had to scramble to make a go of the 2011 holiday. But closing the retail store gave them a chance to regroup and get back on track this year.

Besides, having a retail store has become less important, says Bain.

"The location is less important because we're focusing more on the catalog and website," he says. "Our catalog sales have always been our biggest volume; the retail store was significant, but it wasn't as much. But our Internet sales are up 11 percent so far this year."

The retail store is about a 45-minute drive from Dallas.

"We have people drive over from Dallas and Fort Worth, especially over the holiday weekend," Bain says. "We carry some items in the store that we don't have in the catalog – our fudge, chocolate barks that we might make in the candy kitchen in small batches, and cookies or other things we're testing."

Some make a trip out of it, visiting the store and then the Audie Murphy/Cotton Museum, which recently added the Hall of Heroes, a 3,000-square-foot military wing that covers the Civil War, WWI and WWII. If you go on a weekday, you can stop for a homestyle lunch at nearby Glenda's Cafe.

Meanwhile, Mary of Puddin Hill won another first place award from the 2012 Fiery Food Show for its Texas Hot Lava Pie.

"It's our signature pecan praline pie, but we added habañero and covered it with chocolate," Bain says.

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Charitable Event

Volunteers wanted for H-E-B's free holiday feast at Fair Park Dallas

Photo courtesy of H-E-B

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H-E-B and its family of brands, including Central Market, Joe V’s Smart Shop, and Favor, will bring back the annual Feast of Sharing dinner this holiday season to both Dallas and Fort Worth.

The two events are as follows:

Dallas Feast of Sharing is on Thursday, November 20 from 3-7 pm at Centennial Hall in Fair Park
Fort Worth Feast of Sharing is on Wednesday, November 12 from 3-7 pm at Dickies Arena

Both events will feature a Texas-style holiday meal alongside a festive celebration complete with a kid’s zone, live entertainment, health and family services, Santa greetings, and more. Meals are FREE and open to the public (first come first serve).

Anticipate preparations to serve meals to 10,000+ people, music, family activities, wellness screenings, and visits from Santa.

Volunteers
The organizers are seeking 1,000 volunteers in each city to assist with serving meals, clearing tables, hosting, and supporting the kid’s zone area during the four-hour events. All businesses, civic organizations, churches and schools are encouraged to sign up at www.centralmarket.com/community.

“We couldn’t bring this event to life without the dedication of our volunteers,” said Mabrie Jackson, managing director of public affairs, H-E-B/Central Market. “The holidays are about giving and community, and this year we’re proud to make a meaningful difference by sharing a delicious holiday meal with more families.”

The event, which has been held in Dallas since 2006 and Fort Worth since 2011, typically serves 10,000-15,000 residents in each city. In addition, more than 40 social service agencies are on hand with representatives to provide information and resources.

Since 1989, Central Market’s parent company, H-E-B, has invited people to celebrate the holidays with food, music, and good cheer at its Feast of Sharing events. The free holiday feasts, which are held in more than 34 cities in Texas and Mexico, bring together family, friends, and neighbors, and provides H-E-B an opportunity to give thanks to its loyal customers, regularly serving more than 340,000 meals.

In the more than three decades H-E-B has held these celebrations, more than 375,000 volunteers have helped serve nearly four million meals. This initiative is a part of H-E-B’s Hunger Relief Program, which works year-round to prevent hunger in the more than 300 communities H-E-B serves. Last year, H-E-B’s Hunger Relief Program donated 33 million pounds of food to families in need. Since 1982, the year the program was founded, H-E-B has donated more than one billion pounds of food to 5,500 non-profit organizations in Texas and Mexico.

Dallas Feast of Sharing – 19th Annual Holiday Dinner. Thursday, November 20, 2025, 3-7 pm, Fair Park – Centennial Hall, 1001 Washington St.
Fort Worth Feast of Sharing – 13th Annual Holiday Dinner. Wednesday, November 12, 2025, 3-7 pm, Dickies Arena (Lower level – southeast side of arena)1911 Montgomery St.

charity h-e-b holidays