By Andrew Coen
with the aroma of horseradish filling the air making sure all the machines are running properly for the company's numerous brands of condiments. Mustards, ketchup, cocktail sauce, duck sauce and Gold's signature recipe horseradish are being
produced by the second on machines throughout the plant ready to be delivered all over the world. It is essential for Colon to have machines working efficiently each day but especially in late March due to the high demand of horseradish orders for the Passover holiday in early April, a time in which the 75-year old family-operated company carries their tradition through.
"Right now is one of the busiest times we have," said Colon of the amount of work he and his staff conduct around the Passover holiday.
Gold's Pure Food Products, a family owned five generation
business was launched in a Brooklyn kitchen in 1932 with a simple grating of horseradish by hand and has expanded to the massive Hempstead factory they have occupied since 1994 and in 2007 like every Passover holiday, the company's president Stephen Gold of Hewlett is ready to deliver his product. "About 10 weeks before Passover everything is concentrated on Passover," said Gold who inherited the company from his late father Morris of Oceanside. "We're busy right up before the holiday."
Gold said horseradish has also become a popular dish to serve on Easter which has made 2007 extra busy since the Christian holiday falls a week after Passover this year.
"This time of year is when the tradition comes through." said Gold's daughter Melissa who began working for her family's company five years ago after graduating college.
Mr. Gold's grandmother Tillie was the architect of the famed horseradish producing up as much of the sauce as she could in her Brooklyn kitchen with her husband Hyman responsible for shipping as many jars as he could to local stores with his brothers also assisting in the operation. In 1938 the Gold's opened a factory in Brooklyn which was expanded in the early 60’s but even with the addition the facility was not enough to keep up with the growing demands the business had after they began producing other condiments like mustard, ketchup and cocktail sauce. The thriving, which Mr. Gold has run with the help of his cousins Marc, Neil and Howard, moved into their current home on Brooklyn Road in Hempstead Village and has become a positive addition to the neighborhood according to the village's Chamber of Commerce who honored Gold Pure Food Products last year.
Gold said the company, which features recipes on their website www.goldshorseradish.com, gets heavy demand for orders not just during the holidays but every week throughout the year so company officials try and plan logistics beginning at 5:30 a.m. each day with production done the night before. He said even though his father Morris died, the Gold family keeps his memory alive by maintaining the strong business left behind. "The feeling of that generation is still with us today," said Gold.
No plans are in place yet for a 75th anniversary celebration but Gold hopes the company can find a fitting way to celebrate the accomplishment. He said after his many years running the company the biggest rewards are hearing from satisfied customers. "When you hear someone say 'the horseradish I had last night was delicious. It went right through my nose," said Gold of what he loves to hear from people who purchase their horseradish. "When you hear someone say they enjoyed your product that is all you can ask for."
Comments about this story? Acoen@liherald.com or 516-569-4000 ext. 210.
