Agriculture + Lifestyle

Fruitful Family

Posted on September 2, 2025 11:10 AM

The story of Claxton Fruit Cake is a story of family. It spans more than 100 years and multiple generations. It’s outlasted wars and presidents and even COVID-19. As times and trends have come and gone, one thing has remained the same: Claxton Fruit Cake continues to be made by the same family, in the same town, as it was in 1945.

The Claxton story truly begins in 1927 when a young Albert Parker walked into his neighborhood bakery in Claxton, Ga., and asked Savino Toss for a job. 

“My dad grew up during tough times. He was 10 years old when he went into Claxton Bakery and asked the owner for a job. Mr. Toss said, ‘If you can get the apron to fit, you’ve got a job.’ So my dad rolled up the sleeves several times and wrapped it around his waist, and he got the job,” said Dale Parker, Albert’s son and now co-owner of the business along with his siblings Mid, Betty and Paul.

In 1945, Mr. Toss retired from baking and sold the business to Albert, who’d become like family in the nearly 20 years he’d worked there. From his first day of ownership, Albert sought ways to grow the business, taking it in new and interesting directions. He quickly took a gamble on a seasonal staple of holidays in the South: fruit cakes.

“When my dad bought this business, it was shortly after World War II and American industry was undergoing a lot of change. Suddenly, supermarkets and larger stores were being built, and dad knew the days of small-town bakeries were limited. Dad remembered that Mr. Toss made fruit cakes in the fall and sold them to locals. It was popular. So, he took a big gamble and decided to concentrate solely on fruit cake,” said Dale.

Albert baked 10,000 pounds of fruit cake that first year and sold it by driving around in his Model T Ford truck. It got popular quickly. By 1952, he was approached by a representative of the Civitan Club of Tampa, Fla., who wanted to use the sale of Claxton’s fruit cakes to raise money for their philanthropic efforts. Other service organizations jumped on board and soon Claxton Fruit Cake was being sold all over the country — even by Albert himself at the New York World’s Fair in 1964 and 1965.

Dale joined the family business in 1972. He said he never felt pressure from his father to continue the family’s fruitful legacy. 

“I had other aspirations from time to time, but the closer I got to deciding what to do in life, I realized I wanted to stay in my hometown. There was also a need in our business for more marketing and advertising skills, and I had those. It was a natural thing for me to move into the business after college. I never regretted a moment working in the bakery, and I still thoroughly enjoy it,” said Dale, whose two sons and grandson are now in the family business as well.

 In fact, nearly everyone at Claxton is part of the Parker family.

“It truly is family business from top to bottom. Just about everyone is related, and those who are not family members are like family to us. Longevity seems to be a characteristic of our operation because this is my 52nd season and my brothers have been here longer than me,” he said. “We’re a family business in a small town, and we’ve been successful through the years because we treat our employees and seasonal workers like family.”

The fruit cake season ramps up in August, when production begins on 3 million pounds of fruit cake to be ready in time for the holidays. 

“It’s a huge, monumental task to get it all made and out in four months. It’s a labor of love, but one we do willingly,” he said.

Although it will always be a holiday tradition, the Parker family has worked hard to sell the idea of fruit cake as a year-round treat. 

ClaxSnax are prepackaged slices of the famous fruit cake. The product has gained popularity among hikers and outdoor enthusiasts for its packability and high-quality ingredients. Dale said innovations such as this will keep the product going strong for the next generation of Parkers.

“As my siblings and I get older, and younger family members become involved, they’ll come to make their own decisions about the business, but I know it will always involve the same level of quality,” Dale said. “One of the most rewarding aspects of this business is when you develop new products that are successful, like ClaxSnax. Another aspect that brings me joy is knowing that we have a family business that even my grandson wants to be part of. That tells me we are doing something right.”

One thing that will never change is the quality of Claxton’s ingredients, which Dale believes sets his product apart from other fruit cakes. 

“We are 70 percent fruits and nuts by weight and 30 percent golden poundcake batter. It’s chock full of fruit, and you can see that when you slice into it,” he said.

Raisins, cherries, almonds, pecans, pineapples, papayas, walnuts and candied lemon peel practically overflow from the moist cake. Claxton Fruit Cake continues to source their pecans from throughout Georgia, as Albert did when he first started making them in 1945.

“I think it’s obvious how consistent the product is from year to year and through the decades because of the ingredients. But what I’d really like more people to know about Claxton Fruit Cake is the family behind the product. We were all born and raised in Claxton and we’re still here,” Dale said. “Our story is truly an interesting story, it’s one of innovation, one of a young man taking a great deal of risk, and a story about the support and love of family. It’s one about faith as well. We’re all working for the same goal, to serve humanity. I think that’s the story above all else.”