Specialty Food Magazine is the leading publication for retailers, manufacturers and foodservice professionals in the specialty food trade. It provides news, trends and business-building insights that help readers keep their businesses competitive.
Issue link: https://specialtyfoodmagazine.epubxp.com/i/282647
In just two short years, Torie & Howard Hard Candy has amassed thousands of customers, been lauded in major publications, and is available at more than 3,500 retailers such as Barnes & Noble and Whole Foods Market, smaller specialty stores, and even hotels, casinos, and college cafeterias. BY SUSAN SEGREST D espite its rapid growth, this organic candy company was no overnight suc- cess. Torie & Howard launched at the 2012 Winter Fancy Food Show in San Francisco featuring the same line of creative flavors the company still has today. The producer created instant buzz with a profile in The Washington Post and a deal with UNFI. But according to co-founder Torie Burke, the secret to the company's success is in all that they did before launch. Deciding to Start a Candy Business Burke, a successful design color consultant, and Howard Slatkin, an interior designer and founder of the home fragrance line Slatkin & Co., were longtime friends and frequent collaborators before starting Torie & Howard. The spark to create a food business came after both had dealt with significant health challenges—Slatkin had been battling weight issues and lost 100 pounds and Burke was diagnosed as gluten-intolerant after years of illness and tests. Both had always been passionate about food, but these life changes made them focus on what was really in the food they ate. In 2010, they decided to start a specialty food company. Candy Chic PHOTO: TORIE & HOWARD PHOTOS: RICHARD BEENEN; TORIE & HOWARD brand spotlight SPRING 2014 75 brandSpotlight_4_14.indd 75 3/18/14 10:46 AM