At SAGE, we pride ourselves on finding innovative ways to delight the communities we serve and honor their culinary traditions. Mercersburg Academy, a southern Pennsylvania boarding school dating to 1836, has had a tradition since the 1980s of pretzel pie. Jeff Gray, SAGE General Manager at Mercersburg, showed his creativity by putting a twist on this in-demand dessert. Taking inspiration from the popularity of pretzel pie, he coordinated the creation of Mercersburg Pretzel Pie Ice Cream, a vanilla base mixed with chocolate-coated pretzels and caramel swirls.
He worked with local dairy South Mountain Creamery and nearby Utz Quality Foods to refine the recipe, participated in product test runs, communicated with an artist about the pint container design, and supported sales efforts. The ice cream was first served in the Mercersburg dining hall in December 2019 and has quickly spread to nearby outlets. Pints are already for sale at an on-campus café, with plans for a nearby bake shop to stock them as well. The demand has exceeded expectations and strengthened SAGE’s 13-year partnership with the Mercersburg community.
