Pilsudski Mustard Wins Medals in Worldwide Competition

Mike Marcinko is a medalist in mustard-making. The co-founder of Pilsudski Mustard LLC, based in Shillington, took home a bronze medal from the two most recent awards in the 2018 Worldwide Mustard Competition in Wisconsin.

Pilsudski placed third in the pepper, mid-to-medium category, while two of Marcinko's other entries, a wasabi and a sweet hot with honey, were among the top 20 in their categories. Pilsudski Mustard and its distinctive yellow label are well-known throughout Berks County.

The family closed the business in 2015, but Marcinko started two weeks after they closed. "I basically took a bucket of the mustard, a bucket of my grandmother's great-grand-mother's sauerkraut, and I formed my own company," he said.

FIVE FLAVORS

In the last three and a half years, Marcinko added four flavors - sriracha, wasabi, dill and garlic, sweet hot with honey - to his original mustard, though he said, "We're not really growing the business. We're now in over 100 retailers and specialty food stores across Pennsylvania, basically all over the United States, and we have our own business online."

80,000 POUNDS ANNUALLY

Marcinko imports the mustard seeds and bottles the product himself, though he said, "I import the seeds from all over the world, but we do all the manufacturing right here, in Pennsylvania."

TRAVELING SALESMAN

Marcinko spends many weeks on the road, traveling to food shows and festivals. "I'm always out there, shaking people's hands and getting them to taste it."

Lehigh Valley Business - June 11, 2018 BY WENDY SOLOMON Lehigh Valley Business