Lindsay Wilson never meant to start a business. She had always made caramels using a family recipe to give away at Christmas.
After years of moving for the military, the family settled in Bella Vista in 2018. For Halloween that year, she made some of her caramels to give to new neighbors and added some caramel apples. Her new neighbors were so impressed that they started asking her if she knew how to make divinity and peanut brittle and other favorites.
So Wilson started looking up recipes and accidentally started a business. Now, Ozark Candy Kitchen has taken over her house.
Her husband Jay does the paperwork and often helps her in the kitchen, although he has his own full-time job. They are also raising three children.
The business was set up as a sole proprietorship and they operate under the health department's regulations for a cottage food industry. That means they can't have any employees. The only special equipment they use are bakers trays, racks to set them in and extra refrigerators in the garage.
"I love to cook and I love to feed people," Lindsay Wilson said. One day, she may expand into a storefront and maybe add seating to become a breakfast and lunch eatery but, for now, she makes candy, pies and turnovers.
"I don't do cakes," she said. People ask her for cakes often, but she explained that she's never had the patience to decorate cakes. There are a few breads she will make, but because the chocolate she uses has to be kept cool, their house is always about 65 degrees and yeast won't rise at that temperature. When she uses yeast, she has to let it rise in a closed-off room with the air conditioning vents off and the windows open.
The turnovers were created when she started setting up at the farmers markets. Those events tend to start early and people aren't that interested in candy the first thing in the morning. Also, she quickly realized that she can't display her candy outside in the summertime. It's just too hot. So, one week, she baked some turnovers to put on the table next to the pictures and prices for her candy and people loved them. The candy was stored in coolers along with dry ice under the table until people ordered it.
Once she had the fillings for the turnovers, all made with fresh ingredients, it was easy to add pies to her repertoire.
She also makes toffee. The most popular toffee, white chocolate, is a recipe she created in honor of her father.
All of her recipes are made with minimum ingredients and without preservatives or food coloring.
She makes her own vanilla from beans which they buy in bulk. Many of their ingredients are bought in bulk, Jay Wilson explained, and that's how they keep their prices consistent.
They set up at the Bazaar in Riordan Hall and brought a tray of caramel that she didn't have time to cut and wrap. The plan was to offer some free samples, and then cut and wrap it as orders came in.
"I couldn't cut the caramel fast enough," she said. There was a line in front of her booth until she sold out.
She had a similar experience when she set up at the War Eagle Craft Fair. She sold out of hand make turtles -- a candy with nuts, caramel and chocolate -- and when she came home after the first day of the multi-day show, she found her husband trying to make a tray of turtles. His turtles didn't look much like hers, though. He didn't have the knack for keeping each candy looking uniform and neat. He's better at chopping ingredients and cracking nuts.
This year when farmers market season rolled around, Ozark Candy Kitchen did not sign up. Lindsay Wilson explains that the Bentonville Market was setting up a drive-through experience and she doesn't believe that her products would have done well. The Bella Vista Market was canceled for the year and that was almost a relief since it means she can go to church with her family.
But having customers picking up their orders at her home didn't seem like a good idea either since she lives at the end of a circle with very little parking. It would not be fair to the neighbors, she explained. So she spoke to Steve Morrow at Allen's Grocery about using some space in his parking lot. Every Saturday and Sunday, she puts her seats down in her SUV and fills it with preordered turnovers, candies and pies. Last week, she knew she had hit a new sales record when she had to use two vehicles to get her orders to the parking lot.
Customers can go to the Facebook page, www.facebook.com/OzarkCandyKitchen/or the web page, www.ozarkcandykitchen.com, to place an order. Or, they can call 479 903-0318.
Everything is preordered for the weekend pickups. Midweek, she announces what pies and turnovers she's making, as well as any special recipes like banana pudding or homemade oatmeal pies. But if customers ask for something that's not on her weekly list, she usually tries to accommodate them.
She just likes to feed people the things they want to eat.
