Background

Karl started out in the food industry working for his father’s business, the Haledon Pork Store, at 12 years old. His father taught him the tricks of the trade. He was taught the skills needed to be a butcher, how each product was made, how to run a business and more! He saw the successful business his father had and strived to create something like that for himself in the food industry.

At 16 Karl started working for The Market Basket in Wyckoff, New Jersey making the salads in the kitchen. After graduating high school, he attended the prestigious Culinary Institute of America. Karl has experience in all realms of the food industry including working in the hotel cooking industry, French restaurants, and even being the pastry chef at La Petite Auberge. After Karl gained more knowledge, he opened his own business that followed in his father’s footsteps – a pork store located in Pompton Lakes, New Jersey. “I was born with a cleaver in my hand,” Karl says. He enjoys working in our commissary kitchen making our homemade sausages, wursts, hot dogs, smoked hams, turkeys and more! Karl is now the head wurstmacher for us here at The Market Basket and has been with us for the last 5 years.

Expertise

Karl enjoys being creative in all aspects of life whether that be cooking in the kitchen, making a painting, or playing guitar in his band – “Jamming with the Butcher.” “People often call me the renaissance man,” says Karl. “I can paint a landscape, play guitar or make you some homemade liverwurst.” Karl loves using his creative side as head wurstmacher to make new and delicious products for our customers to try.

Karl is known for his “Ungerdogs” as he calls them – our homemade pork and beef hot-dogs he makes fresh in our commissary kitchen. “Everyone says they always have a hunger for the Unger,” he says. Karl is also known for making our “TV Snacks” – small smoked sausages that are great for snacking, and our homemade Hungarian kielbasa as well.

Favorite Part Working at Market Basket

“Having creative freedom in the kitchen is one of my favorite parts about working at The Market Basket,” says Karl. “We truly have a family here. I enjoy the comradery. You will find lifelong workers here that truly care about what they do. Everyone tries to work together to achieve our goals and we have fun while doing it too!”