Questions people actually ask

Send a request through the contact form or call us on +1 (612) 871-5147. Tell us which candies you are interested in, roughly how many, and the date you need them. We reply by email within two working days with what is available, what would need a fresh cook, the price and the earliest date we can manage. Nothing is confirmed until you write back to say so.

No minimum for pick-up. For shipping we ask for at least two boxes, because packing a single small box costs almost as much as the candy and is not a good use of anybody's money. For events and weddings the practical minimum is usually forty pieces, which is one full cook.

Two or three days for something already on the counter. Two to three weeks for a large order, custom colours, or a date in December, which is our busiest month by a wide margin. If your date is tight, ask anyway — sometimes there is a batch already scheduled that we can add to, and we would rather tell you yes than guess.

No. There is no cart and no card form anywhere on this site, deliberately. Once we have agreed on the order by email, we will tell you how to pay — in person at the workshop, or by an invoice we send you directly. Please do not send card details by email.

Usually, yes. We can work to a colour sample, a fabric swatch or a photograph, and we will tell you honestly if the colour you want is not achievable in hard candy without going cloudy. Custom colour work needs at least two weeks, and we will send you a photograph of the first cook before we make the rest.

Before the batch is cooked, always. Once we have cooked your candy it cannot go back into the kettle, so we will ask you to confirm the details a final time before we start. If something has gone wrong on our side, tell us and we will sort it out.

The mystery we sell is the flavour combination, not what is in the bag. That said, we never keep allergen information a secret: if you tell us about an allergy or a dietary restriction in your request, we will send you the full ingredient and allergen list for the specific batch before you decide anything. That has always been our rule.

None of our current six candies contains peanuts or tree nuts. We do work in one small kitchen, and we cannot guarantee an entirely nut-free environment, so if you have a serious allergy please say so in your request and we will talk through what we can and cannot promise before you order.

It varies by candy. Some flavours come from infusions and spice work we do ourselves — the fennel in The Quiet Bee, the peppercorn in Paper Lantern — and others use high-quality flavourings, because some fruits simply will not survive the temperature of hot sugar. We are happy to tell you which is which for any specific candy.

Hard candy is mostly sugar, glucose and water, but we do not label our candies vegan or gluten-free, because we cannot verify every input and we would rather say nothing than say something we cannot stand behind. Ask us about a specific candy and we will give you the exact information we have.

No. There is no alcohol in any candy we make.

We ship within the United States, and only when the weather allows hard candy to travel without slumping or sweating. That usually rules out the hottest weeks of summer and long distances in July and August. If we cannot ship safely on your date, we will say so and suggest waiting or collecting in person instead.

Yes, and we prefer it. Collection is from the workshop at 2717 Huntington Ave during opening hours. We will email you when your order is wrapped and ready, and hold it for two weeks.

At its best within four to six weeks, and perfectly good for several months if it is kept sealed in a cool, dry place. Flavour fades before texture does. Our article on keeping handmade candy clear goes into the details, including why the freezer is a bad idea.

Tell us within 48 hours of delivery with a photograph of the box as it arrived, and we will replace or refund the damaged items. Hard candy is fragile, and we pack it as carefully as we can, but we would rather hear from you than have you quietly throw it away.

2717 Huntington Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55416. Wednesday to Friday 11am–6pm, Saturday 10am–5pm, Sunday 12–4pm. Closed Monday and Tuesday, when most of the cooking happens.

If the slab is out, yes — stand at the end of the counter and ask questions. Weekday mornings are the best chance of seeing a cook from start to finish. We ask that children stay behind the counter line, because hot sugar is genuinely dangerous.

We run small evening sessions in the off-season, usually January to March, and occasionally a tasting for groups. There is no schedule on this site — ask us and we will tell you what is coming up. Group sizes are limited by the size of the slab, not by ambition.

The entrance is at street level with a small threshold. There is metered parking on Huntington Ave and a free lot half a block north. If you need step-free access to the counter, call ahead and we will make sure the side door is open.