A pancake mix enjoyed by Pella residents and others across the Midwest many years ago has made its return. Kent Van Hemert helped mix the last batch of Pella Wizard as a teenager in town five decades ago, and has worked for months to revive the brand.

Van Hemert says his father tried over the decades to revive the popular mix, but was unable to before his death.

“My father, Bob Van Hemert, he had a business back in the day called Bakker and Rus and he purchased into the business in the 1950s, and it was located where Dutchfix is now,” he says. “Upstairs, on the second floor, is where we mixed the pancake mix and in 1973 we mixed the last batch, and then my dad moved the location of his business and then they no longer had facilities adequate to make the mix.”

Kent was approached by the owners of Int’Velds seven years ago about potentially bringing back the brand, in part, due to its extensive history, and the family still had the recipe. After Jerry Roorda had expanded his business, he came back to Kent with continued interest in Pella Wizard.

The mix will be available at Int’Velds on a regular basis as more can be made. Hear more about the revival of Pella Wizard on an upcoming Let’s Talk Pella. Learn more about the brand here.