A New England Confectionery Treasure Sweetens Little Rhody
Who can resist a piece of delicious almond butter toffee? By Brian J. Lowney
This New England treasure has been enjoyed by folks of all ages for more than 100 years, and thanks to talented candy makers, Peter and Katie Kelly, the delicious confections are now made in Little Rhody, where the couple produces a variety of toffee treats in their spacious kitchen in the Sims Market at Farm Fresh Rhode Island in Providence. “I learned how to make candy more than 30 years ago,” Peter begins, noting that he studied and worked with the late Madeleine Kamman, a worldrenowned chef, restaurateur, cookbook author, and educator. The New York State native also perfected his culinary and confectionery skills in Arizona and was a professor for 20 years at Johnson & Wales University (J&W), where he taught many different courses throughout his career.
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Peter adds, “We were the first people to produce food in the building. On opening day, after the ribbon cutting ceremony concluded, we went right into the kitchen and started making toffee. “We didn’t have to expend a lot of capital and the process wasn’t complicated,” he continues. “We began with Almond Butter Toffee and it’s still our most popular seller.”
Katie, a New Jersey native, who later grew up in Connecticut with her father, who inspired her love for cooking and good food, worked in several areas of the culinary industry, and later earned a degree summa cum laude in culinary arts from J&W.
In addition, the couple has expanded their product line to include naked (meaning no chocolate); straight butter toffee (meaning no nuts); a dairyfree coconut almond toffee; coffee toffee; and two seasonal varieties, pumpkin spice and peppermint toffees.
The couple met at the university and were married in 2012. They have a daughter, Michaela, now age 8.
“Our coconut-almond toffee is very popular,” Katie says. “We replaced the butter with coconut milk.”
“We had been talking about starting a candy business for many years,” Katie shares. “We learned about Hope and Main, in Warren, in the fall of 2014, and it was a ‘no brainer’ for us to get involved.”
The couple began their confectionery journey by selling their Almond Butter Toffee at the Hope and Main Farmers Market and at a few other small markets. In 2017, the couple was invited to open a
