WINTON’S ISLAND CANDY STILL SWEET AFTER HURRICANE HARVEY

Evan Lewis/elewis@vicad.com Winton’s Island Candy in Port Aransas is open almost every day of the year.

BY LAURA GARCIA lgarcia@vicad.com

PORT ARANSAS — Rows of fresh fudge, caramels and nut clusters, a hard-to-find line of licorice, all flavors of saltwater taffy, more sour candies than your taste buds can handle and much more.

Winton’s Island Candy is long considered the ultimate destination for sweet treats in the area by tourists and locals. And for many years, there was a rattlesnake named Jake living there.

The unique confectionery was started by Mark Winton more than 20 years ago on the tiny island.

“I think it was a stroke of luck that we ended up in this location,” he said.

The 58-year-old owner also said getting into the candy business was kind of an accident.

He was inspired by his father, who used to make trail mixes to sell at flea markets in the late ’70s. He was looking for something to sell after another business fell through and he was left with some rental space.

Over the years, the candy shop became a must-stop on the island. It is the kind of place where you walk in and almost feel overwhelmed with options.

But last summer, a Category 4 hurricane made landfall, destroying the iconic shop.

Winton, along with most of his neighbors in town, got the chance to prove that they weren’t going anywhere. There were too many candylovers counting on him.

Many of their loyal customers are from San Antonio, Houston and Austin, but thebusiness also ships candies all around the world. Many families also have the business ship packages of treats to those serving in the military.

The family rebuilt the shop and officially reopened just two months after Hurricane Harvey.

“We have a lot of history in here and a lot of memories,” said Kim Winton, 45, who was raised on the island.

Now things are mostly back to normal with Mark’s son, Thomas Winton, making most of the inhouse treats from the old family recipe.

The 23-year-old fishing guide arrives at 4 a.m. almost every day to make fresh batches of fudge and caramel.

They don’t do a lot of measuring in the kitchen. Each batch is not exactly the same; still, people like the consistency of their candies.

The owner’s favorite is their caramel, which is smooth and doesn’t stick to your teeth. “You can really taste the butter and vanilla in it,” he said.

The Wintons said there’s something for everybody.

For Ian Johnson, a 16-yearold Port Aransas High school junior, who works the front counter, this is the best summer job on the island.

“It definitely beats working at a restaurant,” he said, although he admits that it can be hard not to want to eat candy every day.

“There are people that live here (on the island) that come in three times a week,” he said.

 IF YOU GO

WINTON’S ISLAND CANDY

601 S. Alister St., Port Aransas 361-749-4773