About Us

The history of the Petrits family and their venture

The history of our family can be traced back to 1772. János Petrits, who was a ropelayer, was born in 1772. His son, József Petrits, was the one to start the honey-cake making profession. He was followed by the next generation, namely Gottfried Petrits, who continued the craft in the middle of the 19th century. He worked out experimentally the honey-cake that has made the name of the family famous and popular and that is still being made according to that very same , and secret, recipe. Gottfried Petrits had seven children. Two of them, József and István Petrits, followed the family tradition. "The Almanac of Hungarian Industry" makes mention of these two members of the our family.

József became an independent craftsman in 1899 and besides learning the trade from his father he also enriched his knowledge in Budapest, Pozsony, Wien and Switzerland. He worked as a honey-cake maker, wax chandler and candy-maker. In his family workshop, which was opened at 12 János Arany street in Szekszárd, one of his sons worked as an apprentice and one as a journeyman. His wife, Anna Gyűszű, also helped him in their shop.

József's brother, István, became independent in 1904. He also had a journeyman and an apprentice. His wife, Rozália Acsádi, ran a delicacy shop and a grocery. József, similarly to his brother, was a honey-cake maker, wax chandler and candy-maker. The craft was carried on by József's children. He had four sons: József, Károly, Ferenc and István. József died at a very young age, but the other three learned the trade.

Károly changed his name from Petrits to Pelényi. After attaining the craft he went to work and further improve his knowledge to Budapest's Hauer and Vörösmarty confectionaries. The Hauer was one of the most famous and best qualified confectionaries in Hungary in the first half of the 20th century. After returning home from the capital, Károly Pelényi created a confectionary of his own in Szekszárd, that was originally on the building site of today's Mihály Babits Cultural Centre. Even today the residents of Szekszárd speak highly of his unforgetable ice-cream.

His brother, Ferenc Petrits, after mastering the honey-cake making craft also went to live in Budapest. Nevertheless, he focused his work on candy-making. His candies were known and loved in the whole of Hungary. He opened a candy-factory in Szekszárd at 1 Széchenyi street, which was forced under government management in 1953.

Their youngest brother, István, became a honey-cake maker and confectioner. He worked in the family's János Arany street workshop. Later he opened his own confectionary in another part of the town, then called 'Siket Korzó', which was nationalized only after 1953. After this he worked as a honey-cake maker, wax chandler and wax comb-foundaton maker until 1992. Apiculturists came from all parts of the country to get hold of his wax comb-foundations. The pressing machine he used for pressing and thus forming the melted wax is now on display in the Museum of Applied Arts in Budapest. His son, József, is continuing the tradition as a food processing technician and a private undertaker in his Szekszárd workshop in Mihály Munkácsy street. József's older son, Szilveszter Petrics, after completing his secondary education went on to become a skilled confectioner then received a diploma in engineering as a technologist of food products. As he is taking over the trade from his father, he now represents the sixth generation in the family's traditional honey-cake making venture.