Crunchy chewy candy. You heard that right. Husband and wife entrepreneurs Britney and Alfredo Romero have figured out how to take chewy candy and make it crunchy all while maintaining that same delicious taste. It’s known as freeze-dried candy and they have made it their business model through their new popular business, Puff Daddy’s Freeze Dried Candy.
Both Questa High School graduates, Britney details the first time she and her husband saw freeze-dried candy. “Antonio is Alfredo’s youngest brother. He is in high school and he had the candy in his room. We tried it and thought it was so cool! After some research, we realized that no one sells it locally,” says Britney.
At the time, Britney and Alfredo were expecting their second child and were figuring out how to make work and life balance, with two babies under the age of two. “That’s when Alfredo said, ‘let’s open a freeze-dried candy business?’ I said ‘okay, if you want to do it, you need to research and figure it out. If you think it’s a good idea, I am in,’” she said.
They traveled to Alamosa to pick up a large freeze-dryer and started experimenting with it over the summer. “It’s not easy — there are different settings, temperatures, and prepping methods we need to follow. We did a soft launch in August and our business officially launched in September,” Britney says.
Currently, they offer a variety of freeze-dried candy, including skittles, jolly ranchers, caramel apple suckers, fruit roll-ups, lemon heads, and saltwater taffy. “We are planning to expand our options for the holidays so we can sell holiday baskets and holiday candy,” she says.
Being the only local freeze-dried candy producers in the northern Taos County area, they do a lot of their business online and by word-of-mouth. “A lot of the younger kids really like the candy and it’s great because they don’t have to order it online and get it shipped from other states; they get it right here in Questa,” she notes.
Recently, the duo has started attending different events and festivals, including Cambalache and Oktoberfest. Britney says it was a coin toss when they decided to set up their business publicly. “We were really nervous about these events because we weren’t sure if we were going to sell anything, but Questa really surprised us. We did amazing for the Cambalache. People really came out and supported us.”
The business couple makes the dream work as a team. “Alfredo works for Taos County, and I stay home during the day and take care of the kids while making candy. When he gets home, he will help me bag the different candies I prepared. It’s truly a team effort.”
While business is going well, Britney says they are working to grow their profile by getting their license to establish clientele in local storefronts. “We’ve had several businesses approach us and say they want to sell our candy, but we must be licensed to do so. Hopefully, it will be a reality soon.”
To connect with the business or to place an order, visit their Facebook page by searching Puff Daddy’s Freeze-Dried Candy. You can also contact them by phone at (575) 779-2783 or via email at puffdaddyfdc@gmail.com.
