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After retiring from 20 years as a personal chef, Valerie Zlendick has found her way back to the kitchen, taking on a new venture. Zlendick started Z-Best Pretzels a year ago and says so far, business is good. "I was always making them for parties and everybody said I should start selling them," Zlendick said.

Those who stopped by Zlendick's booth at the Huckleberry Festival were a lucky bunch, as she sold out of product during the weekend, which she says was only the second time selling her pretzels at a public event.

Zlendick operates the business out of her home in Trout Creek after she was approved for a cottage food permit through the state. She says because of her background as a personal chef, she is meticulous when it comes to cleanliness.

"I offer two different flavors," she said. "One is regular, which has a sweet and savory flavor, and the other is spicy," she said. Zlendick says both flavors are popular and she sells about the same amount of each. The business owner is licensed to offer three flavors, with the third flavor as "extra, extra spicy," but she says that won't be something she pursues anytime soon. "Not a lot of people can handle that one," she said.

As for achieving that unique taste, Zlendick says the seasoning is a secret concoction that she has perfected over the years. "Each ingredient is slowly added one by one and stirred to perfection over the course of several hours," she said. "The pretzels are not baked at all. After several hours of slow stirring they go into an airtight bag and straight to the freezer before getting into the final weight packaging."

Zlendick sells her pretzels in 5 oz. bags for $5 and one pound bags for $20. "I did have a lot of returning customers from Huck Fest asking where they could buy more," she said. Right now, people can reach out to Z-Best Pretzels through email to purchase from Zlendick and she says she will see how business goes before creating a website. "I feel that word of mouth is the best way to go," she said.

Zlendick has hopes of one day becoming as big as Dotz Pretzels. "She started in the kitchen making packaged pretzels and then she was bought out by Hershey's," Zlendick said. After sales at the Huckleberry Festival were so successful, Zlendick is now looking at vendor options for Christmas.

To purchase from Z-Best Pretzels email Zlendick at [email protected].