Sweet move for Linda as she links up with a star

Linda, who runs SeaSugar, a Larne-based producer of award-winning hard pulled sweets, has won financial backing to link up with Andy Baxendale, respected internationally as the “Sweet Consultant” for a short time.

Linda is aiming to hone her own skills in handcrafting hard sweets by tapping into Baxendale’s experience and expertise developed over 25 years in the global industry. She also hopes the opportunity to develop new skills will eventually lead to business in the huge market for sweets in Great Britain.

The link-up has been made possible for Linda’s artisan business by funding from the Brighter Futures Grant Scheme, a community initiative from Larne FC to help entrepreneurial businesses in the Mid and East Antrim Council area to prosper amid the pandemic.

Linda explains: “I read about the fund in a local publication and pitched for support in developing my small company to the fund. I was thrilled when I heard that my proposal to seek expert advice for my plan to grow the company was approved. I greatly appreciate the opportunity provided by the scheme from Larne FC.

“I tabled the proposal to link up with Andy Baxendale to develop my confectionery making skills to create original sweets aimed specifically at the huge market in Britain. It will be immensely beneficial to be able to tap into and learn from his vast knowledge and expertise in global confectionery,” she adds.

From Wigan, Mr Baxendale has vast experience in confectionery and is planning an Academy of Sweets to encourage skills and the growth of the industry throughout the UK.

He will have a successful product range to work with at SeaSugar, because many of its uniquely flavoured and handcrafted sweets have won UK Great Taste and Blas na hEireann awards for quality and outstanding flavours.

“I am convinced that the consultancy work will be extremely beneficial and will also help to raise our profile in Britain,” Linda adds. Linda uses only natural extracts and essences for a fresh and true flavours, and simple natural colourings. SeaSugar, a Food NI member company, has created an exciting range of flavours in some familiar and other more unusual combinations.

Linda, a mother of two, started the small enterprise on the back of a successful career in management. “Starting up an artisan food business was always

something I thought of doing,” she continues.

“I just decided to step aside from managing other businesses to run my own, taking control of my own destiny,” she explains. “So, I decided to join the

growing ranks of the self-employed and do something for myself that I wanted to do. I loved making hand oulled boiled sweets and decided to see if I could

turn this passion into a profitable small craft business,” she adds.

Linda, a University of Ulster graduate and holder of a Masters from Queen’s University, looked around to see if there was a gap in the market for the unique sweets she had in mind. She found there was an opportunity and moved swiftly to exploit it.

“Carrickfergus Enterprise was extremely helpful in terms of advice about setting up the small business I had in mind. I had come to the conclusion that the best course for me was to focus on high-end confectionery.

“I’d always liked baking, making sweets and desserts. I’d made fudge, toffees, marshmallows and Yellowman over the years. But my research from touring farmers’ markets around the country indicated that all three were already well covered.”

Meticulous market research led Linda to settle on a type of boiled sweets, hard candy as the Americans refer to these, not traditional boiled treats but ‘pulled’ confectionery. “Pulled sweets are different from traditional boiled varieties in terms of their texture, appearance and taste.

“Pulling the boiled sweet allows air to be incorporated and this crystallisation produces a clearer product. Pulled sweets have a different colour, a much

crunchier texture and, I believe, a much richer flavour.

“My pulled sweets are a natural product made from sugar, water, glucose, vinegar and flavourings.”

The sugar is rolled by hand into long rods, which are then allowed to set until they are hard. The rods are then ‘chipped’ into small pieces before being weighed, bagged and labelled. The sweets are free from artificial flavours, colours and preservatives. They are also free from gluten, dairy and fat.

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