Baker and Butter Boys founder Kyle Poston (right) with his wife, Katherine
Most everyone has a pretzel memory, whether it’s snagging a glistening, twisted treat from the shopping mall food court, enjoying one in the stands during a summertime baseball game, double-fisting a Bavarian pretzel and a giant pint during Oktoberfest, or maybe even popping a frozen Super Pretzel into the oven for a salty snack that screams “childhood.”
The best bites often trigger such memories, or possess a comforting familiarity, and that’s exactly what baker Kyle Poston aimed for with the launch of his pretzel pop-up. Last year, the Richmond native introduced Butter Boys, serving freshly made pretzels including classic salted, cheddar-Parmesan, everything bagel and cinnamon-sugar varieties, as well as pop-in-your-mouth pretzel nuggets.
Poston describes his pretzels as a mix between the yeasty, butter-doused food court favorites and a German Swabian style marked by its higher fat content and superior flavor. Relying on a simple mixture of water, flour and salt, Poston also incorporates spelt flour from Grapewood Farm in Westmoreland County. “I’m trying to hit that difference between an Auntie Anne’s … and something more authentic and traditional, but with a little bit more technique behind it,” he says.
For Poston, his focus instead is to create a personalized hybrid of a niche product. “I’m not an expert, I’ve never been to Germany, and I have no history with it, but I have been doing research and trying to spin something off of that, and also trying to learn something that is kind of authentic but also [has] that nostalgia,” he says.
Poston’s infatuation with dough dates back over 15 years. One of his first industry gigs was at a Great Harvest Bread Co. franchise in Northern Virginia, a foundational lesson in corporate structure — and speed.
“We were cranking out 1,000 loaves a day, and I jumped right into it,” he says. “From there, I went to a pastry shop, and then restaurants. I had always done some cooking, but [there has] always been bread, and that’s what I’m drawn to and ended up doing. ... The mindset is much more a little bit of art to it but a lot more science and technical and really fulfills what I’m looking for in cooking. I love the preciseness of it but the room to get creative, the rhythm, the timing.”
Butter Boys classic salted pretzels
Poston served as the “bread guy” at beloved and bygone neighborhood market Pop’s on Grace. From day one, he was responsible for baking loaves for the eatery’s sandwiches, along with bagels, cookies and pastry specials. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, he found himself with a bit more time during the morning shift.
“I actually started exploring pretzels early on; I was still working at Pop’s,” he says. “I would bring my own stuff and make [them] on the side. Once it finally closed, I was at a crossroads of, ‘Do I keep wanting to do food stuff?’”
The answer was yes. Well, sort of. While the Virginia Commonwealth University graduate works a 9-to-5 job, his wife can attest that their kitchen doubles as a flour-dusted bakery, and their freezer is overflowing with frozen pretzels. Having recently secured space in a commercial kitchen, Poston’s goal right now is to perfect his pretzel-making before expanding his offerings.
Butter Boys offers preorders for boxes of pretzels via Instagram for local pickup, but Poston says he is adjusting his setup to enable serving them at their peak. “They’re best served hot and fresh, and [I’m] trying to find the avenues to do that.”
