Sweet relief

It was Halloween 2009, and Vestavia mother Hanson Watkins faced the dilemma of sending out a son with food allergies to trick or treat. Shortly after the holiday, Watkins’ doctor put her on a wheat-free diet.

With a Master of Business Administration and culinary school under her belt, Watkins started thinking about a solution to her family’s challenge.

“It became very apparent there just wasn’t anything commercially available for people with multiple food allergies. There were some things but it just wasn’t festive,” Watkins said.  “So, I thought there could be a business here.”

In 2009, she opened the retail store Indie Candy in Mountain Brook, selling allergen-free and naturally made sweets. In 2010, Watkins closed the store and moved the business out to a plant in Moody for more space and equipment.

Four years later, Indie Candy is thriving as the only big-8 allergen free all natural candy manufacturer in the United States. The “big 8” allergens are wheat/gluten, dairy, soy, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, fish and shellfish.

“The thing with food allergies is that most people have more than one,” Watkins said. “For my kids, it was horrifying going to school parties, church parties, etc. They couldn’t have anything. I started out doing it for the kids but we do a lot of stuff for adults too.”

Indie Candy ships their chocolates, gummies and assorted sweets to everywhere from New York to Alaska to Canada. Unique items include hot chocolate on a stick, cinnamon spice toffee and mango gummies.

Much of what Watkins and her team do is inspired by the Feingold Diet Program, which assesses how food and additives such as dyes and artificial sweeteners can trigger certain allergies. On Indie Candy’s webpage there is a FAQ section where concerned parents can find more information about various candy ingredients as well as resources on food allergies.

Seasonal items and gift baskets are popular products for the company, and Watkins said this Valentine’s Day customers can expect to choose from myriad treats, including champagne truffles and marshmallow and chocolate hearts. Indie Candy can be found in local stores in Vestavia and Hoover such as Organic Harvest, A Little Something Boutique and other shops around Birmingham.

Watkins says her company often participates in charitable events in the area for organizations such as Mitchell’s Place and events at the Alys Stephens Center.

“We do everything from providing gift baskets to raffles to showing up and giving out cotton candy.” Watkins said.

Watkins says she finds the process of making candy both fascinating and relaxing, reminiscent of her time spent in culinary school.

“I find it very soothing when I get stressed to go and work in the kitchen,” Watkins said. “Candy is like glass. You can really do whatever you want with it.”

Watkins’s social mission is to help people with allergies no longer feel excluded from social events and to enjoy sweets again. She also said she hopes that parents with young children will be able to give candy to their children without having to worry.

“I love getting out and talking to people. The health food market has a hard time believe this stuff is all that it is,” Watkins said. “They are used to having things that aren’t awesome. We make things that aren’t weird.”

Now holidays like Halloween are no longer cause for concern. In fact, Watkins said many people flock to her house each year for fun, allergen-free sweets.

For more, visit indiecandy.com.