Countdown to launch...

Our launch party invite has been sent!

Whew.

In a matter of two short months of nearly around-the-clock devotion, we've managed to get ramped up to the point where we can make this product available for sale. Our launch party is going to be a great event where we get to talk about what we are doing and feed you samples of our candy while plying you with delicious specially-paired cocktails to boot!

You might be interested in a little background on how Barbary Brix came about...

Growing up, every year my mom would make delicious caramels at the holidays to give away as gifts to neighbors and friends. It was a family tradition that included cooking, stirring, wrapping, packaging, and delivering, all while being forbidden to consume too much of the candy. You can imagine, for a child, the difficulty of this task.

A couple of years back, all grown up now, I got together with my very good friend Rob (aka Captain Rob) to continue the family tradition and with his culinary expertise, improved the recipe to rave reviews. The subsequent year, we ramped up production and started testing new variations all the while hearing, "Please sell these!"

Well, this got the wheels spinning.

But here's the rub... candy is not a very eco-friendly nor sustainable product due to the production methods, packaging, and the farming methods used to produce the ingredients! In addition, the ingredients used can be very detrimental to the public's health as well as a contributor to problems like childhood obesity and diabetes, to name a few. So how could we feel good about contributing to those problems even if we were making people happy with a yummy, gourmet, hand-crafted candy?

Well, to keep it simple (we'll discuss in greater detail later) after months of research we realized that not only was it possible to source local, sustainable and organic ingredients, eliminate preservatives and stabilizers, and use compostable and biodegradable packaging, but we could also make a candy with a lower glycemic index that tastes DELICIOUS.

It is not too good to be true. Try it for yourself! We are confident you will walk away a believer.

In fact, we will have tons of samples available at our launch party!

When: December 7, 2010, 8:00 pm

Where: Sip Bar & Lounge, 787 Broadway in San Francisco

This company and our caramels are truly a labor of love for us and we're so excited to share that with all of you!

Hugs,

Sugar

Unbelievable.

Apparently, even my naps have to be "productive."  It's very tiring just being the Chief Adorable Officer; I need my naps!  Now on top of that I have to be an arm rest and lap warmer, too?!  I've gotta do everything around here....

Pooped and pissed,

Mr. Ziggers

Underground Market Debut - fingers crossed!!!

Barbary Brix is officially in the running to sell our delicious caramels at the San Francisco Underground Market! We drop off samples to the head market muckymucks on November 23 and we're hoping that, when they come out of their caramel-eating-pleasure-induced-comas, they will invite us to sell at the next market on December 18th.

3 reasons why the Underground Market is awesome:

1. Vendors are all small operations like ours that are just starting out (read: badasses)

2. We get to watch new people experience the candy-gasam that is Barbary Brix caramels

3. Perfect timing to take holiday gift orders

Keep your fingers crossed for us! If When we get in we want to see everyone there! Save the date - DECEMBER 18th!

Checkin' tasks off this list like whaaaat!

The BBx Team had a most productive day today and I must say that it feels all kindsa good inside! Oh, like what, you ask? Well I'm not trying to toot our own horn but, TOOOT:

1. Ordered compostable candy wrappers
2. Found Launch Party venue (12/7/10 at SIP Bar & Lounge, fools!)
   
3. Set-up business banking
4. Made initial capital contribution
5. Found CPA
6. Drank(ing) celebratory bourbon (see above)
   

We will say one thing, all o' this entrepreneurship jazz is not for the faint of heart, dollfaces! If you saw our set-up project management spreadsheet, you might have a small seizure. Liability protection, supply chain management, marketing strategy, accounting systems, business insurance, operating agreements, product development, legal legal legal, branding, tax matters partners, web design, myriad muni/Cali permits...OH MY!

I, for one, am working harder than I ever have before but it is some serious, helluv fun. The Captain would probably agree, on this most productive of days, since it was not spent meticulously digging through pages and pages of FDA requirements for food products. Yes, we do that sort of thing.

But now on to other tasks...more web content faster!! It's not going to write itself, after all... You can check it out at www.barbarybrix.com in a few weeks. (Have we mentioned that we have an AMAZING designer? More on that sassy lady to come.)

Sticky fives!
-Sugar

Too much work at BBx!

I had to be especially cute today to get any attention at all at BBx HQ. It's all work, work, work all the time around here!  What does a canine gotta do to get a little belly rub these days??  Sheeesh!

-Bowie