This month, Liddabit Sweets opened its first retail store in Chelsea Market in Manhattan, after selling its fare at flea markets and to other retailers for several years.
“We still can’t believe that we have our very own storefront; and in the hallowed halls of Chelsea Market, no less,” founders Jen King and Liz Gutman said in their email announcement. “Chelsea has been the brass ring for us since we opened, and we’re just beyond thrilled to be able to offer our full line of sweets there every single day.”
Liddabit Sweets, which makes its confections in small batches every few days with as many local and organic ingredients as possible, specializes in handmade candy bars, caramels, honeycomb candy and lollipops, to name a few items. “Every single thing we make is measured, cooked, dipped, wrapped and packaged by a real live person, and we use only the best ingredients we can find – never any artificial flavors, preservatives or other funny stuff,” the company says on its website. “Liddabit was founded with the idea that candy shouldn’t have to be such a guilty pleasure. With an abiding love for all things fresh and seasonal, we’ve set out to create luscious treats that not only punch your taste buds in the face with amazing flavor, but support local growers and producers, thereby strengthening the community at large.”
The store will feature some new items, including hand-spun maple cotton candy on a pretzel rod (or paper cone, per customer choice) on Saturdays and Sundays, and also sell chocolaty, marshmallow-y TallyHos, as well as its brand-new chocolate chip cookie with handmade toffee bits. Coming soon are the company’s famous pudding and hot chocolate, as well as a plethora of other new items ideal for gifting.
The founders launched their business in early 2009 and soon gained a vendor slot at the famed Brooklyn Flea Market, garnering some early publicity and attention. Gutman also spent two years writing for the James Beard Award-winning blog Serious Eats; and she and King recently finished writing “The Liddabit Sweets Candy Cookbook.”
