Kathy Leighton Carton of Heavenly Treats handcrafts her toffee thinner, covers both sides in chocolate, and lightly sprinkles walnuts over the top. Kathy prides herself on the impeccable quality of her toffees, cookies, and caramels.
Who are you and what do you do?
I am Kathy Leighton Carton, Founder of Heavenly Treats. Our company makes excellent tasting products. We create gourmet toffee (close to 40 years), incredible toffee cookies and creamy caramels. People are looking for fresh, quality products right here in Central Minnesota and we are able to offer just that.
What do your customers love most about your products?
What our customers love most about our Heavenly Treats Products is the quality. Our loyal following knows that when they purchase our products they will not be disappointed. We have refined our toffee to be exceptional. it's a thin, crips toffee, very easy to bite into and coated with chocolate and nuts on both top and bottom. We have created many flavors, the two most popular being Milk Chocolate and Dark Chocolate. We also don't waste anything, so with our toffee tidbits we create wonderful toffee cookies. The cookies are becoming as popular as our toffee.
What do you love most about craft show vending?
What I love most about craft shows and events is introducing people to our freshly made products. I especially like seeing the reactions of people when they first bite into our toffee, an experience of what toffee should taste like. We have reinvented toffee and want as many people to be able to enjoy it as possible.
How did you get started in your business?
I started making toffee back in 1980, while teaching at a Catholic School. One of the nuns taught a few of us teachers how to make toffee. Hence the name, Heavenly Treats. That small events set me on a path that eventually changed my life. I became passionate about pefecting our toffee making sure it's as thin as possible, making it one batch at a time using fresh, quality ingredients, and continuing to experiment with additional new toffee flavors. As the years went on people kept asking for our toffee and it's become more year round than just a seasonal business.
What are some tips or suggestions you'd like to offer to fellow makers?
I've been working my small business for quite a few years, becoming an official business in 2008. I've learned much over the many years and have greatly benefitted from networking with other entrepreneurs. Being and entrepreneur is really a gift we're given. It's a way to be able to express yourself through your products or art. It's really important to surround yourself with likeminded people and to realize that you don't have to do it all. Seek out people that have strengths that you may not possess and feel free to let go of some things. Build a solid team around you and your business will grow.
Check out more Heavenly Treats products online, and be sure to stop by their booth at the Minneapolis Gift & Art Expo, November 1-3, 2019 at the Minneapolis Convention Center!
www.myheavenlytreats.com