Fannie May is undeniably among the city’s confectionery elite, not only for its signature sweets, but for its ability to underscore the company’s Chicago connection and to reach residents and tourists alike. And those are things the company never forgets to celebrate, says Fannie May President Steve Druckman.
Nonetheless, Today's Jeff Rosen ―who leads us to believe he’s quite a candy lover ―goes on a movie house shopping spree in the segment, purchasing Nestlé and Just Born products. He then returns to the studio and carefully stands up the boxes, cutting open a flap in each one to show the amount of white space there is before one sees actual candy.
Candy manufacturers and sellers have a tough audience in grocery, convenience and other retail buyers, but the true test comes from an even more discerning crowd: Children.
But this rant about stress in America actually brings up a perfect opportunity for the happiest profession in the world — candy making. Today, more than ever, we need to take time out and, yeah, indulge ourselves to maintain our sanity.
Having joined Candy Industry five months ago, I didn’t think I’d attend ISM, the world’s largest trade show for finished confections and snacks, for several years. Editor-in-Chief Bernie Pacyniak, a 30-year B2B news veteran and a 16-time attendee, usually has it covered.
Just like Fannie May, Frango Mints became a Chicago confectionery icon, one that connected you to the community. So when news broke that Garrett Brands had purchased the brand, it was one of the headlines that makes us hometown cheerleaders nod our head in agreement.
Last week, deputies from the Dodge County Sheriff’s Department in southeast Wisconsin came across thousands of red candies scattered across a county highway between the cities of Leipsig and Juneau.
If you missed the column, which appeared in Sweet & Healthy Issue 1, it dealt with a mother’s proposal to create candy- and tabloid-free checkout aisles for parents who are shopping with their children.
One of the things I do is go through last year’s calendar to pull important dates, birthdays and anniversaries and get them on the new one. That way I don’t forget or miss them. This year, though, I decided to take a light-hearted approach to calendar planning.
As Judy Putnam, Lansing State Journal columnist put it, “If you have a kid, you know the moment.” Putnam was referring to the checkout drama that occurs when children tug at their parents’ sleeves and ask for candy, which is conveniently placed at eye level.