Derby Pie legacy lives on as owner's children run the family business in Louisville

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- At Kern's Kitchen, home of the famous Derby Pie, the ovens are humming and the smell of chocolate and walnuts fills the air. The family-owned bakery is busier than ever preparing for the Kentucky Derby, even after a tornado tore through the area just weeks ago.

From the sky, the damage is clear: debris scattered across nearby properties, roofs ripped off and businesses left reeling. But Kern's Kitchen was spared.

"We're just grateful to have dodged a tornado, for sure," owner Matt Rupp said.

The business had some minor roof damage and small damage to its sign, but the power stayed on in part of the business, so the pie freezer never went out.

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The Rupp family believes there may have been a little help from above — owner Alan Rupp, who passed away last summer.

"We know he's here, and he's watching us and he's proud," Rupp said.

This year marks the first Derby without Alan Rupp, the longtime owner. Now, his children Matt and Rebecca, along with other family members, are keeping the legacy alive.

"We've been excited for the future," Matt Rupp said. "But it's been a tough year of loss — dodging tornadoes, floods and everything else. We're just grateful to still be here."

Despite the challenges, the family came together to keep the tradition going — one Derby Pie at a time.

Everything at Kern's Kitchen is done with care. Walnuts are hand-sorted. Crusts are pressed by hand. And the most closely guarded part of the process — the secret recipe — remains hidden behind a curtain.

"It's an honor and a privilege," said Production Manager Bud Stonebreaker, one of the few people outside the family who knows the recipe. "It's something I don't take lightly, and I protect it like its my own."

That secret recipe dates back to 1954, when Rebecca Rupp's great-grandparents, Walter and Leaudra Kern, along with their son George, created the pie at the old Melrose Inn.

"They couldn't come up with a name, so, one night, they set out on the front porch and put all the names that thought it should be, and Derby Pie was chosen," Rebecca Rupp said.

Alan Rupp joined the business in 1973, helping it grow into the nationally recognized brand it is today.

"Growing up, we didn't see all the behind-the-scenes stuff my dad did where he was connecting with people and making relationships," Matt Rupp said. "Now, we see that. He was a really big deal. He cared about people. He was part of this community."

That spirit lives on in every pie.

"We used to make four to six pies at a time," she said. "Now we can make 240 at a time. We've got three 80 convention ovens back in the back."

From mixing to baking to packaging, each pie is crafted with the same love that's made it a Derby tradition.

"I think it brings you that comfort of being at grandma's house," Rebecca said. "Having that comfort of a Kentucky hug."

A hug from the Rupp family — to Derby lovers everywhere.

"Of course, I'm sad he's not here," Rebecca said of her father. "But he wouldn't want us to stay in that. He'd want us to continue to be happy, and share his story, and so we can do that."

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