Our Story
Nestled in the Amish Country of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania is a food business that specializes in the commercial production of Pennsylvania Dutch recipes. Many of the recipes have been passed down from original Pennsylvania Dutch kitchens and are still made in the same time honored traditions.
Dave Esh, the owner of Beanie's of Lancaster, was born and raised in an Amish home in Georgetown, located in Southern Lancaster County. Dave's parents, Levi and Annie Esh, had been involved in farmer's markets during most of his childhood and adolescent years. Dave and his brother Danny would help their parents load and sell their goods at market. In adulthood, Danny had continued in the footsteps of his Father and was involved in the development and management of the Farmer's Markets in Eastern Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Maryland. Dave was given an opportunity to rent space in the market and opted to open a soft pretzel stand. He built a countertop, then put wheels against it to make it look like a wagon. He called it "Beanie's Chuck Wagon" in honor of his wife Arlene's nickname.
Next, Dave hired Anne Beiler to manage his little stand. She soon excelled at rolling and selling these soft pretzels. Dave's wife, Beanie, cooked up the mustard sauce as a dip for the pretzel's in her kitchen at home. One day Anne decided to start her own pretzel stand at another market. She then asked if she could continue buying the homemade mustard sauce to sell at her store. Beanie agreed to make several gallons a week for her. It wasn't long before Anne began franchising stores and her business grew rapidly. She now has more than 800 Auntie Anne's stores!
"We have since sold the market stand and moved Beanie's Chuck Wagon several times in order to keep up with its rapid growth", Dave explains. "Beanie's Chuck Wagon has also added many new products including preserves, barbeque sauces, mustards, salad dressings, and hot sauces. My personal favorites and our best sellers are much the same. I like the Simply Sweet Onion and Tomato Dressing, our Bacon Dressing and our Apple Butter BBQ Sauce. Of our preserves, I would have to say it would either be the Strawberry Rhubarb or the Peach. They are both exceptional"!
With the recent name change to Beanie's of Lancaster, we decided to do more to exploit the fine reputations of Lancaster County and our great state of Pennsylvania. We are introducing a line of All Natural products under a new label called "Amish Heritage" with "A taste of Pennsylvania" as the tag line. We will also continue to produce the Beanie's Chuckwagon line. For phone inquiries please call
Many of their products carry a horse and buggy logo. Mr. Esh says, " I was raised in a Amish home in this area. I am proud of my heritage. The Amish are well known for producing top quality foods, and we are building on these traditions".
Mission Statement
Beanies of Lancaster, Inc. is committed to producing and distributing quality mustards, preserves, dressings, and other specialty food products. Our goal is to maintain a consistent taste of home cooked, Pennsylvania Dutch quality. Our top quality employees, in the tradition of our Amish and Mennonite heritage, are dedicated to achieving these goals in a clean and efficient atmosphere. Last but not least, we want our Christian faith to shine as a light to our customers and those around us. It is our desire to lift up and glorify the name of Jesus Christ through the actions and dispositions of those who work at Beanies of Lancaster, Inc..