Minnesota’s own Annie B’s has been churning out handcrafted caramels and popcorn since 1978. It all started in the kitchen of Tom and Carol Bouquet, who realized they could make a living making delectable sweet treats. (The company name? That’s an ode to their daughter.) We asked CEO Justin Henke a few questions about the company’s confections, new products in the works and getting a nod from Oprah herself.
Annie B’s started as a family company back in 1978. How is that tradition honored today?
We continue to be a family-owned company and consider our team a family.
How have your offerings evolved over time?
They haven’t changed much. We continue to make everything in small batches with quality ingredients and are always trying to improve quality however we can.
Are the goods still made here in Minnesota?
Yes, we were born and raised in good old Minnesota and make everything in-house ourselves here.
Where do you source your ingredients?
We try to source our ingredients as close to home as possible, most of them in the North region. We start in Minnesota and work our way out from there. Some ingredients we use just aren’t suited for our area, such as cane sugar or chocolate, which traces back to the beans in Central America.
What was it like to get Oprah’s stamp of approval?
It was a big rush. We knew our product was always good and our entire team puts their hearts into it every day — but getting recognition from Oprah and her team gave us some street cred and bragging rights that help in talking with people as we get further away from home.
What prompted the decision to merge with fellow Minnesota company B.T. McElrath Chocolatier in 2015?
I reached out to Brian to introduce myself a few years back as I always believed in making friends in the industry and helping each other out if ever needed. Our friendship and discussions grew closer, and it just felt right after the possibility was brought up and we had a chance to talk at great length about it. We each had different strengths that blended beautifully and helped each other’s weaknesses. We are able to offer things such as truffles and toffee, and will be coming out with many new products as we merge all of our capabilities together, which was an exciting and attractive part of the deal for us.
Are there any new products in the works?
We’ve been having a lot of fun brainstorming around this. The options are endless. We’re going to be launching peppermint bark and peanut brittle this holiday season. And there are lots of fun things in the the works that remain a secret. You can use your imagination: Chocolate + caramel + popcorn.
