From the first time I tasted OCHO Candy — a line of organic candy bars designed for the mass organic candy market — its quality stunned me. Whether the coconut bar or the mocha nougat bar blended with real ground coffee, the way the candy broke up and melted lovingly in my mouth bite after bite (bar after bar) reminded me of the oh so many enjoyable bon bons I’d consumed over the years.
Visit to OCHO Candy’s production kitchen in Oakland
Thanks to my penchant for talking to strangers…someone wearing an OCHO t-shirt at a cafe, I had a chance to visit the factory.
There, I witnessed the definition of “hand made” and “small batch” and “artisanal.” Pshaw, you say.They purposely use a confection-style production process rather than a mass-production process to speed up or simplify production to achieve this lovely effect.
A brand with brightly-colored slick packaging?
Yes, my friend. That is called smart: appealing to kids, making organic fun and standing out on store shelves. Note, too, that the packaging does not hang its hat on the production process (because really, what is a “small batch?”) but on the flavor experience and organic promise.
Whatever your involvement with candy — as a fan or maker or wholesale buyer — make a point to try OCHO. You’ll be inspired. And keep your eyes out for their new delicate Peppermint Creme (a nougat-ish fluff studded with crystalline peppermint chips coated in chocolate) and a Dark Coffee nougat that is the stuff of fantasy for coffee lovers (see Exhibit A below).
Read about the strategy behind the OCHO Candy brand: I was honored to profile OCHO Candy’s story in Good Food, Great Business.
Wholesale buyers can get their hands on OCHO Candy through BBF Direct.
Dark Coffee espresso nougat candy bar
Cinco flavors of OCHO.
OCHO organic dark chocolate peppermint singles … my kind of single.
