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>>> ONE NORTH CAROLINA CANDY COMPANY HAS A RICH TRADITION OF
MAKING A BELOVED HARD CANDY THAT HAS BEEN ON THE MARKET FOR
ALMOST 90 YEARS.
THE BUTTERFIELDS CANDY COMPANY IN NASH COUNTY IS ROLLING OUT
THE SWEET TREATS.
AND AS HEATHER BURGISS REPORTS, IT TOOK A NEW FAMILY OWNERSHIP
TO KEEP THIS CONFECTION GOING OUT TO STORES AND CANDY LOVERS
ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
>> I WANT TO BE THE BEST HARD CANDY BUSINESS IN THE UNITED
STATES.
WE MAKE CANDY RIGHT HERE IN THE U.S., RIGHT HERE IN NASHVILLE.
>> SWEET SUCCESS IS WHAT DRIVES THE BUTTERFIELDS CANDY COMPANY
IN NASH COUNTY.
THAT AND CONTINUING THE TASTY TRADITION OF A PRODUCT MADE IN
NORTH CAROLINA SINCE 1924.
>> A LOT OF PEOPLE, WHEN THEY CALL, THEY SAY WHERE DO YOU MAKE
YOUR CANDY?
YOU KNOW, ARE YOU OUTSOURCING IT?
ARE YOU -- NO.
WE MAKE IT RIGHT HERE IN THE FACTORY EVERY DAY.
WE MAKE IT THE SAME TIME HONORED -- USING TIME-HONORED
RECIPES, TIME-HONORED WAYS OF COOKING IN THE COPPER KETTLES.
IT TAKES A LITTLE MORE TIME.
>> BUTTERFIELDS CANDY IS HOME TO THE PEACH BUD AND A VARIETY OF
OTHER FLAVORS.
>> THE FLASH OF FLAVOR IS THE PEACH BUDS.
THE PEACH BUDS, THEY'VE BEEN AROUND SINCE 1932.
>> YOU MAY REMEMBER THESE CONFECTIONS DISAPPEARING FROM
YOUR GRANDMOTHER'S CANDY DISH.
>> 70-YEAR-OLD GENTLEMEN, 80-YEAR-OLD GENTLEMEN SAYING,
WOW, I REMEMBER EATING PEACH BUDS BACK IN THE '50s.
I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU BROUGHT IT BACK.
IT OBVIOUSLY BRINGS BACK MEMORIES FOR THEM WHEN THEY WERE
KIDS GOING TO THE OLD CANDY STORE OR THE PHARMACY, LOCAL
PHARMACY, AND GETTING THEIR CANDY.
>> BUT WHAT YOU MAY NOT KNOW IS JUST HOW CLOSE THIS DELICIOUS
TAR HEEL TREAT CAME TO THE END OF THE LINE.
>> A LOT OF PEOPLE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT HAD HAPPENED TO THE
COMPANY.
IT WAS JUST THAT IT HAD DISAPPEARED.
THEY JUST DIDN'T SEE PEACH BUDS ANYMORE IN THE MARKET.
>> A BANKRUPTCY FORCED THE CLOSING OF BUTTERFIELDS SEVERAL
YEARS AGO, AND THE NASH COUNTY CANDY DISAPPEARED FROM SHELVES
ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
>> I'D KNOWN THE PREVIOUS OWNERS SOCIALLY, SO I KNEW WHAT WAS
HAPPENING, WHAT WAS HAPPENING TO THE COMPANY, AND I WAS VERY
SADDENED BY IT, BECAUSE I LOVED BUTTERFIELDS.
I LOVED THE CANDY.
MY MOTHER USED TO LOVE BUYING LEMON BUDS.
A SIMPLE PLEASURE, WHEN IT WAS DOWN ON GLENWOOD AVENUE.
>> EVEN THOUGH MANY TRIED TO TELL HER THE CANDY COMPANY WOULD
NEVER REOPEN, DENA MANNING HAD ALWAYS WANTED TO RUN HER OWN
BUSINESS AND REFUSED TO GIVE UP SOME SWEET DREAMS OF MAKING
OLD-FASHIONED CANDY.
SHE STARTED RESEARCHING TO SEE IF THE DEMAND FOR THE BUDS WOULD
STILL BE THERE.
>> HEY, IF I DO THIS, I MEAN, IS THIS CANDY STILL -- WILL I BE
ABLE TO SELL IT?
I MEAN, DO YOU GUYS REMEMBER IT?
AND THERE WAS SUCH A POSITIVE FEEDBACK, SO MUCH SUPPORT, I
THOUGHT, OKAY, I'M -- MY SON SAID, TAKE A LEAP OF FAITH, MOM,
TAKE A LEAP OF FAITH, AND LET'S JUST GO WITH THIS.
>> SON HARRY IS NOW A CONFECTIONER, AND THE ENTIRE
MANNING FAMILY ROLLED UP THEIR SLEEVES TO MAKE A NEW GENERATION
OF BUTTERFIELDS CANDY A REALITY.
>> IT WAS A BIT STRESSFUL AT POINTS, BUT, I MEAN, IT REALLY
BROUGHT THE FAMILY TOGETHER, TOO.
WE CAN COUNT ON EACH OTHER.
WE KNOW THAT.
>> FORTUNATELY, MY FAMILY, MY SONS, ARE ENGINEERS.
IF I HADN'T HAD THEM, I WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO IT, BECAUSE
THE WORK INVOLVED IN RESTORING AND REFURBISHING ALL THESE
MACHINES.
THE FURNACES, THE CONVEYOR BELTS, THE PACKAGING MACHINE,
THE COPPER KETTLES.
>> THE COPPER KETTLES DATE BACK TO 1917, AND YOU WOULD BE
HARD-PRESSED TO FIND ANY OTHER CANDY MAKER USING THESE
OLD-FASHIONED TECHNIQUES.
>> WHERE WE SLOW-COOK IN THE COPPER KETTLES OVER A HOT
FURNACE.
ONCE THE CANDY GETS TO WHAT THEY CALL CRACK MODE, THEN THEY LAY
IT OUT ON A COOLING TABLE.
AND THEN IT TAKES ABOUT 20 MINUTES OF REALLY STRENUOUS,
ARDUOUS BLENDING, WHERE THEY HAND-FOLD AND BLEND THIS CANDY.
AND THEN THEY RUN IT THROUGH THE BATCH ROLLER.
AND THAT'S WHERE IT COMES THROUGH THIS OLD CUTTING
MACHINE.
THE CUTTING MACHINE, I DON'T KNOW HOW FAR THAT MACHINE DATES
BACK, BUT IT LOOKS LIKE IT WAS HAND-MADE, REALLY HAND-MADE BY
SOMEBODY.
>> THE NEXT STEP TO BECOMING A BUTTERFIELDS PEACH BUD IS IN THE
SUGAR COATING ROOM.
SO AFTER THE COPPER KETTLE, THE LAST SUGAR COATING, WHAT'S GOING
ON RIGHT NOW?
>> WE PUT ON THE LAST SUGAR COATING, BECAUSE IT WILL HELP
PROTECT THE CANDY FROM MOISTURE.
SO IT WON'T GET STICKY.
IT WILL BE ABLE TO STAY IN THE BAGS LONGER, LONGER SHELF LIFE.
RIGHT NOW WE PUT IT OUT ON THE TABLE, SO IT WILL COOL DOWN.
IT'S STILL A LITTLE BIT WARM.
WE DON'T WANT IT STICKING WHEN WE PUT IT BACK IN THE BUCKETS.
WE'RE GOING TO LET IT COOL DOWN LIKE 30 MINUTES.
>> AFTER THE COOLDOWN AND STORAGE, IT'S TIME FOR
PACKAGING.
>> WE WANT TO STAY WITH THE PACKAGE THAT THEY HAD.
WE DID CHANGE THE FRONT ART A LITTLE BIT JUST TO GIVE IT A
LITTLE MORE OF A LITTLE PIZZAZZ.
WE HAVE A LOCAL ARTIST THAT HAND PAINTS EACH ONE OF THE FRUIT.
>> AS THE CURRENT FLAVORS OF PEACH, KEY LIME, LEMON AND
HONEYBELL TEMPT BUYERS FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY, DENA SAYS
IT'S NICE TO HEAR FROM CUSTOMERS WHO APPRECIATE THE CANDY LADY
BRINGING BUTTERFIELDS BACK.
>> WE'VE JUST HAD SO MUCH SUPPORT, AND IT'S JUST BEEN SO
ENCOURAGING, ALL THE POSITIVE FEEDBACK, EVER SINCE WE'VE
BROUGHT IT BACK IN THE MARKET.
I HAVE A GENTLEMAN IN OKLAHOMA WHO SENT ME A LETTER.
HE CALLS HERE EVERY OTHER MONTH, AND HE JUST BUYS POUNDS OF PEACH
BUDS.
I SHIP THEM OVER TO OKLAHOMA, AND HE GIVES THEM OUT TO
EVERYBODY THAT HE KNOWS IN HIS COMMUNITY.
AND HE WROTE THE SWEETEST LETTER JUST TELLING ME EXACTLY THAT.
KEEP THOSE COPPER KETTLES BOILING.
>> BUTTERFIELDS CANDY COMPANY IS PROUD TO HAVE HIRED BACK THE
LONGTIME EXPERT CANDY MAKER FOR THE COMPANY AND ANOTHER EMPLOYEE
WHO CONTINUE THE BUTTERFIELDS TRADITION TODAY.