You don’t have to be Jewish to eat Manischewitz matzo balls and macaroons, apparently. The company famous for their kosher matzo, gefilte fish, and wine has been acquired by a branch of the private equity giant Bain Capital, the New York Times reports.
With its sale, Manischewitz, which estimates that roughly 60 percent of its products are currently sold only in the kosher aisles of supermarkets, is hoping to expand into the mainstream market. The company is also jumping on the health food bandwagon, and plans to promote its “kosher” status as an indicator of quality control, not just rabbi-surveillance.
Mark Weinstein, the company’s newly appointed interim chief, thinks the kosher certification could be Manischewitz’s secret ingredient for success with a wider consumer base. “It means you are holding your product to a very high standard,” Weinstein told the Times. “Why is that not applicable to people who don’t keep kosher?”
Maybe next year, Jews won’t be the only ones whipping out a box of Manischewitz matzo for lunch.
Hannah Dreyfus is an editorial intern at Tablet.