A lot has happened since the Kaiju Candy Store was first established two years ago with my best friend. The time has given us plenty of time to assess and reassess our commitments to the vision of the company. Unfortunately due to unexpected life events and differing life goals, the dynamic duo had to part ways for the time being. With the hopes of one day reuniting for the greater good, each bringing our own unique flavor of powers and abilities back to the snack table once again.
Knowing that I will be treading forward on this mission solo for the time being, my vision for the Kaiju Kandy Store has evolved. Despite the past two years not being as fruitful as I would have liked to have seen, I understand that it was not time wasted. During that period I honed my candy making skills and never stopped following my primary passions. (candy and mycology) Surprisingly, my interest in mycology has paid off fourfold. By studying yeasts, I’ve broadened and deepened my understanding of many natural ingredients and solvents like alcohol, ethyl acetate and citric acid. By studying the process of making mushroom extracts, I also learned how to make my own unique flavor and color extracts from scratch. And by using the mushroom extracts I can now infuse most types of candy with the health benefits of mushrooms… Mush-mallows anyone? I also started a local mycology club that gets together once a month, which gives me access to plenty of product testers who provide some of the most priceless feedback and ideas in return.
Being inspired by the many thoughtful and encouraging people I’ve met these past few years, I am more ready than ever to move the Kaiju Candy Store into its next chapter by implementing a series of improvements. The following changes will slowly be implemented bit by bit and not all at once. I don’t expect that all of my candy will be able to be upgraded due to some ingredients not existing on the market. But I can assure you that I will do my best to fulfill any special requests that aren’t currently featured on my website, just ask.
- Get rid of corn syrup in my recipes wherever possible.
(My hard candy and toffee is now free of corn syrup.) - No more titanium dioxide ever.
- Replace nondescript gelatin with beef gelatin.
- Replace granulated sugar with non GMO cane sugar.
- Replace artificial flavors, colors and ingredients with natural ones wherever possible.
- Avoid gluten, corn, milk, soy and nut ingredients whenever possible.
(Disclaimer: These ingredients will still co-exist in my kitchen.) - Sponsor fundraisers for local charitable organizations and clubs. Provide exclusive flavors geared toward their events.
- Replace any stock photography of candy on the website with pictures of my hand made stuff.
- New batch & single flavor candy pricing. More of the flavors you love… less work for me.
If there is a better way to do things… thats how I want to do it!
~Dmitri Wood