Made in the Hudson Valley: Greyston Bakery in Yonkers bakes up brownies and new careers for many
While Greyston bakes up desserts, it also starts a new journey for many who walk through those doors.
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The smell of sweet success fills the air inside Greyston Bakery in Yonkers, where crews work hard to make all kinds of sweet of treats for customers' tastebuds.
"Here at Greyston, we make brownies," said Tony Blair, a line worker at Greyston. "We make blondies. We make all types of treats [and] cookies."
Blair is just one of about the 85 workers that perfects Greyston's recipes for customers across the country. That includes a little-known ice cream brand called Ben & Jerry's', who uses Greyston's brownies for some of its most popular ice cream pints.
"They give us orders," Blair explained. "We make our brownies after the order is fulfilled, and from there we just ship it out to our warehouse. From there, they'll come and pick it up."
While Greyston bakes up desserts, it also starts a new journey for many who walk through those doors.
" They have an open policy where they hire anybody," Blair said. "[As] long as you're here and want to work, they [have] got a job for you...Sometimes the job market is very hard to find once when you got a felony or something like that on your record."
Blair adds the policy has been extremely helpful for those struggling to find work, including himself.
" I'm on parole, so it was a great opportunity for me to come here to find a job," he said.
Assistant Production Manager Anthony Norwood echoes that sentiment, sharing his gratitude for holding multiple positions at the Greyston Bakery for 13 years.
" I did 17 years in prison," Norwood said. "I came here, and Greyston changed my life. I mean, no questions asked."
For both Norwood and Blair, their experiences at Greyston prove a simple brownie can be the recipe for something much bigger.
"Greyston's been good to me," Blair said. "I appreciate the opportunity that Greyston has given me. I'm just striving to be the best at it."
If you’re interested in buying brownies or other sweet treats from Greystone, you can place an order on the bakery’s website. Those interested in applying for a job through Greyston's open hiring program can click here.
