Derby Pie recipe remains a secret
By SUSAN EUBANK
Oldham Era, 1978

My mother was wrong. She always told me that I would never reap any benefits from a wrongdoing. But in this case, she was wrong.

You see, back in May, my Kitchen Korner recipe column concerning itself with Derby recipes, such as Burgoo, mint juleps, etc., daringly ran a recipe for Derby Pie.

That was the mistake. Until contacted I had no way of knowing that Derby Pie was a very secretly guarded recipe of a former Prospect family, but indeed, the name "Derby Pie," itself, was a registered trademark of the estate of the late Walter Kern.

Well, to make a long story, somewhat shorter. I figured to look into the mysterious Kern family and their treasured trademarked dessert delight. (And this is the benefits come in) I not only got the entire interesting story, I enjoyed meeting the present baker of the pies and also enjoyed a free sampling of the luscious sweet in the very kitchens in which it is prepared.

Alan Rupp (pronounced with a "u" as in 'soup') is the current pie-baker-extrodinaire of the Kern Family Kitchens. He has been in the dough for the last five years, literally speaking. And at age 24, he is intent on carrying on the tradition of Derby Pie excellence and the secret recipe.

Rupp didn't concoct the recipe. Oh my no, it was formulated back in the fifties by his grandfather, the late Walter Kern and his uncle, George Kern.

At the time, the Kerns along with Rupp's grandmother, Leaudra Kern, were managing the Melrose Inn in Prospect. The pie was the specialty of the house; so popular was it that Kern decided to register the name in both the Kentucky capitol and the nation's capitol as well.

When the Kern's attorney contacted me concerning my use of the name "Derby Pie" in the paper, I can truthfully say that I thought they were being a little picky.

But I take that all back. Alan Rupp is a delightful man and he was extremely kind to me when I visited him in Lyndon. Now I say, after all is known, that the Kern family has a right to protect the recipe and name, after all, it is rightfully theirs.

Presently, there is a lawsuit pending against two major Louisville distillers and a Louisville advertising agency over the publication of a book of recipes in which "Derby Pie" was featured. It has been said that the trademarked name in this suit could be worth $25,000; Alan Rupp isn't saying.

Rupp showed me the brochure that was published by the distilleries. I asked him about the ingredients listed in the small recipe. "Are these the exact ingredients," I said in my best reporter's voice.

But Rupp was not to be tricked. With a twinkle in his eye, he answered that none of the recipes he has seen (including the one I put in the Era) come anywhere close to the recipe ingredients that go together to make the famous pie. I guessed chocolate chips, that was right. I guessed walnuts and that was right, too. But that's as far as I got and apparently as far as anyone has concerning the secret.

Rupp does mention that he uses all quality ingredients and I can certainly attest to that fact. In the kitchen at Mrs. Leaudra Kern's house I first tasted Derby Pie. It is rich, gooey and utterly delicious.

The La Grange Key Market carries the pies as does several restaurants and establishments in the Oldham area. The Prospector, The Melrose Inn, Hunting Creek Country Club, the Mousetrap, all these places can provide you with an original Kern's Derby Pie as can many places in Louisville.

Rupp apologized as he served me the steaming hot Derby Pie treat. He said that if his grandmother, Leaudra, had been there she would have made some homemade whipped cream to stack on top of it.

Isn't that something. Here I used a family registered trademark without permission and he's apologizing for not having whipped up some topping for my free piece of pie. But that's the kind of family he comes from, and the kind of man he is.

He even gave me a tart-sized pie to take home to my husband. Sorry, dear, I did mean to save it for you, really I did.

I apologize to the Kern family and the Rupps for using their trademark. I also thank them for their hospitality and kindness.

If you're ever in the mood for a little slice of heaven, get yourself a slice of Derby Pie and enjoy, enjoy.