Meet Crystal Osman

Today we’d like to introduce you to Crystal Osman.

Hi Crystal, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself
Hello! I’m Crystal and my partner is Andy, and together we are The Better Berry Pie Company. There are a whole bunch of friends and family members who help us, too. We started this “pie-venture” as we like to call it in April of 2021 and it very much feels like we are still brand new!

The idea for The Better Berry Pie Company came after we almost bought a berry farm… but that’s a story for another time! It really starts with me bringing the pies to our family gatherings through the years. I love to bake and have found a lot of joy in cooking – I have no formal or informal training in it really, but have learned from family and friends, the amazing resource that is the internet these days, and of course, Pinterest.

A few years ago, one of our family members was diagnosed with Celiac Disease and we had come across this type of pie, so I decided to give it a try. It was a hit! Fast forward to this year, and we were feeling really ready to start our own venture based on our values and see what we could make of it. Now, here we are!

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
I have to say, it’s been an incredible road. Starting a business, especially a food business, is not for the faint of heart, but we’ve loved the challenge. It’s been really amazing being welcomed into the entrepreneurial food scene in the Twin Cities, too. There are so many resources and folks who’ve been in your shoes before who want to offer advice or a connection.

That said, have you heard about the cream cheese shortage? That’s probably been the biggest unknown for us as we headed into the holiday season. We all made it through and did our best, though!

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
The Better Berry Pie Company is really a combination of a number of my passions – sustainable food, baking and supporting the local community. We make meringue crust cream pies that are gluten free. We source all of our fruits locally (we even hand-picked strawberries and blueberries this year!). Most of our ingredients are also organic – we try to think about the entire ethical picture in food. How it was grown or raised, where it comes from, how the folks involved are treated. All of this is important to us to ensure the highest quality and care all around. We want to serve you the pie we all deserve!

Pricing:

• Whole pies $28
• Mini pies $11
• Slices at markets $5

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: betterberrypie.com
• Instagram: @betterberrypie
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/betterberrypie

Image Credits
Libby Baur