Busch’s deli department will also have a variety of delicious ready-prepared non-kosher dishes for the seder such as sweet and sour brisket, tzimmes and ratatouille.
Passover is expanding at Busch’s Fresh Food Market in West Bloomfield. For the last three years, the family-owned supermarket chain has been ramping up its selection of products with feedback from customers and associates and, this year, 321 items have been ordered, the largest range yet.
Pre-pandemic, the store would typically stock 100-150 items, then during the pandemic, supply chain issues impacted the number of Passover products available. Now, however, guests can prepare to see more of everything including cake mixes, spices, macaroons, gefilte fish and, of course, matzah. There are even niche products such as seaweed (sea salt and spicy!) and an expanded range of candies, including plenty of marshmallows, gummy bears, chocolate bars and nuts.
Some of the kosher-for-Passover items at Busch’s.
“I would say that over the last three years we have expanded our selection of products by 25%, with last year really showing a significant increase. We take pride in responding to the community’s needs for an expansive variety of products to help make Passover celebrations festive and delicious,” said Joelle Forbes, Busch’s Center Store category manager, formerly the West Bloomfield store manager. Forbes is responsible for the store’s dairy categories and has ensured a robust selection of kosher-for-Passover dairy goods are available for guests, including sour cream, cream cheese, cheddar cheese, pizza cheese and many other cheeses.
Category Manager Frances Mathis is chiefly responsible for ordering and procuring Busch’s Passover stocks. “We really listen to what our customers want and plan accordingly to ensure they get the products needed for a memorable holiday with loved ones,” she explained.
Last year, her experience in the West Bloomfield store as she and her team were putting the final touches to the Passover display was a perfect example of that responsiveness.
Jennifer Kellman with participants of the Brown Center.
“I saw a guest clearing our shelves of bags of chips; she took around 20 and asked me if we had any more at the back,” Mathis said. “She explained that she worked for an adult day program, and that they needed so many chips and other products for their clients to serve for lunches and snacks during the holiday.”
Mathis gave the guest her business card and told her to contact her in the fall so for Passover 2026 Busch’s would be able to ensure that the day center had everything it needed.
Busch’s expects to sell hundreds of jars of gefilte fish, but for those who want to make their own family recipe, West Bloomfield’s fish department takes pre-orders for ground fish, a combination of white fish and pickerel.
“We source the most sustainable fish available and just ask guests to give us 48 hours to prepare the quantity of fish they need,” said Director of Meat and Seafood John Taormina.
While Manischewitz wine is a mainstay on so many seder tables, for those looking for an elevated experience, Busch’s is also stocking a range of high-end kosher-for-Passover wines. These include Barkan’s Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Malbec, Bartenura’s Moscato and Dacci’s Prosecco.
A variety of kosher-for-Passover wines will be on sale this month.
Busch’s is also having a three-day wine sale, from March 20-22, when all 750 ml. wines, including kosher, are 20% off when you buy six or more bottles (excluding prices points ending in .97). Those having a big crowd for their seder can mix and match six bottles of wine for everyone to enjoy.
Busch’s deli department will also have a variety of delicious ready-prepared non-kosher dishes for the seder such as sweet and sour brisket, tzimmes and ratatouille.
While the West Bloomfield store is the flagship for Busch’s Passover offerings, its Farmington Hills, Brighton, Saline and Ann Arbor stores will have a limited selection of holiday items.
Jennifer Kellman with participants of the Brown Center
As for Jennifer Kellman, last year’s shopper-of-chips, she is relieved that this year she won’t be stressed about finding the Passover supplies she needs. For 26 years, Kellman has been the site supervisor at the Dorothy and Peter Brown Jewish Community Adult Day Program in West Bloomfield, a day program for people living with dementia.
“This year I got to place an order just for me, instead of having to run around various stores hoping to find what I need. I’d often clear the shelves and feel guilty about it, but I do have to ensure that our participants have foods they enjoy during the holiday. Not many people have to find 53 cans of tuna, but I do!” Kellman said. “It’s the first year I haven’t panicked over Passover shopping thanks to Busch’s. Meeting Fran and her staff at the Passover aisle last year proved serendipitous and gave me peace of mind.”
