McKees Rocks bakery Jenny Lee to be featured on QVC

Jenny Lee, a McKees Rocks brand owned by 5 Generation Bakers, will be featured on QVC at 3 p.m. Tuesday.

The QVC feature will showcase four flavors of Jenny Lee’s staple swirl bread, according to Cody Baxter, director of marketing. The QVC promotion will offer six loaves of bread for $39.95. Customers will receive three loaves of the classic cinnamon flavor, along with their choice of three loaves of cinnamon raisin, cinnamon chocolate chip or cinnamon pumpkin walnut.

Shipping is included in the cost, Baxter said, but there is a small handling fee.

Being featured on QVC is an exciting moment for 5 Generation Bakers and Jenny Lee, said owner Scott Baker.

“QVC has always meant quality and convenience,” Baker said. “It’s something we’ve wanted to do for a long time and to finally have a partnership commencing this afternoon — we’re really excited about it.”

For Baker, earning positive reviews from QVC’s national audience would be part of his long-term dreams for the company.

“It just goes back to the mission I created for my company – to be the world’s best cinnamon swirl bread baker. I’m looking to confirm that with the response we get from a national audience,” he said.

Baker is the fifth generation of his family to run the business, which has grown from a bakery that started in Pittsburgh to a brand that is now sold throughout the East Coast and as far west as Wisconsin.

“The Baker family has been a Pittsburgh institution since 1875, so 5 Generation Bakers is a literal term,” Baxter said, adding that the Jenny Lee brand name dates to 1917.

With a feature on QVC, Baxter said, the bakery hopes to continue its growth.

“QVC’s audience is obviously very big, so we are ultimately hoping for brand awareness,” Baxter said. “With this QVC airing, I think it’ll open us up to the rest of the country.”

The ongoing covid-19 pandemic foiled plans of traveling to a QVC studio for the feature. But Baker said he’s happy with the alternative, which is going live from the bakery itself via Skype.

“People will be able to see into the bakery and see employees working behind us,” he said. “I’m really excited that we can shoot from our actual bakery.”

Baker said he hopes to emphasize the quality and tradition the brand upholds during his QVC appearance.

“Our focus has been on producing quality goods. We just want that feel-good comfort for somebody while they’re eating our products,” he said.

The Jenny Lee brand emphasizes sustainable ingredients and all of their swirl breads are non-GMO. Baxter said he anticipates those benefits will appeal to QVC customers.

QVC told them to expect about 2,300 orders, according to Baxter. He said they plan to begin shipping their first round of bread deliveries Wednesday.

Baxter said the bakery has been working to secure a spot on QVC since 2018. But today may be just the beginning of Jenny Lee’s QVC appearances.

“If this initial run is successful, they have us planned to do another airing sometime in the very near future featuring our new sticky buns,” he said.