The mother-son team of Karen and Mark Graves makes Chapel Hill Toffee by hand. Karen started the business, perfecting her recipe, having her kitchen inspected, and selling the toffee to A Southern Season. Mark joined her during a period of unemployment, helping her fill holiday orders. After he worked at a tasting and saw how much people loved the toffee, he wanted to expand the business. Now their home is a toffee-making factory. “The two of us do everything,” Mark says. “There is no mass production. We make it all by hand to ensure the best taste and consistency.”
Chapel Hill Toffee is a thick layer of traditional English toffee coated on both sides with a secret blend of dark chocolates. Fresh crushed pecans add a southern twist. “The toffee has been a family recipe for a long, long time,” Mark says. “Friends and family always told Mom she should sell it. It’s terrific.” The toffee comes in Carolina-blue packages.
Since its debut in 2006, their business has expanded to over twenty-five retail locations and an online store that ships all over the country. Chapel Hill Toffee is still crafted in small batches by the duo in Karen’s kitchen. Visit them online at their website, http://www.chapelhilltoffee.com/