There are few people in this world who I know that don’t have a sweet tooth. My personal weakness is peanut butter cups. And although Hershey’s and Mars candy companies sure know how to make sweet treats, nothing compares to homemade candy. This week’s Market Find from the is Banta Toffee and candies. These goodies are made fresh, with no preservatives and they’ll change your mind about what candy should be.
Brent and Ginger Banta just made sticking to a diet a whole lot harder. The couple is the brains and bakers behind Banta Toffee, a company which makes fresh candies, toffees, cinnamon rolls and fudge from scratch.
The couple has been growing their own fruits and vegetables, and making goods for their friends and family for over 25 years, but decided to cash in on their recipes two years ago.
“A little extra income is always welcome,” Brent said. “Since cooking is Ginger’s forte, we felt candy would be a good choice for a new venture.”
A small sample of their toffee crunch is all it takes to be hooked. The product is the perfect balance of sweet and crunchy, without the stickiness. Whats even better is that everything is made fresh with no preservatives.
"Most people have never tasted fresh toffee," Brent said. "Ours tastes the way toffee is supposed to taste."
Among their most popular flavors are peanut toffee and old fashion toffee.
“They are all fresh and made with great care to ensure that they taste ‘just right,'” said company representative Pat Asakawa. “Ginger is always changing or adding to a recipe to make it taste better. Candy is all about taste – our recipes are the result of much refining.”
In addition to showcasing at the Open Aire Market every Sunday, the Banta’s have regular customers at the UTC Certified Farmers Market and the Westfield UTC Shopping Town. Pretty soon, their toffees and fudge could be reaching even more people, as the Banta’s are in negotiations with to have their product distributed county-wide.
The Bantas find the most joy in pleasing their customers. “We love hearing the 'oohs' and 'ahhs' after customers taste our candy,” they said.
When making and selling their toffees, the Bantas are transported back to an earlier, simpler time when their mothers and grandmothers made everything from scratch.
“Candy was a special treat and always something unusual,” Ginger said. “I clearly remember my mother wrapping homemade caramels in wax paper and twisting the ends to keep the air out. It’s funny what makes a lasting impression on our minds and hearts.”
The Banta’s hope that their treats can bring the same sweet memories to others, that they feel when making the candy. According to the couple, "when you taste Banta Toffee you go back to a special time in your life."
