Canadians are familiar with the iconic taste of maple syrup, but many Ontarians haven’t had the opportunity to try its sugary counterpart, maple taffy. However, a small business has made it their mission to change that.
The Broken Ice Company is a seasonal business that travels to winter festivals and events, offering maple taffy candies to visitors free of charge. The business began two years ago when the owner, Sumit Raghav, 31, realized how uncommon the delicacy was outside of Quebec.
“To bring back that experience to Ontario was the initial idea. This is something cool,” said Raghav. “We were in Stratford and they were saying they wanted a maple taffy person for the last 40 years, but they couldn’t find anybody.”
A pivotal moment for the business occurred during an event in Elmira when Raghav met a worker from Winding Road Maple Products. They formed a partnership that improved the taffy’s quality.
“Their product is quite safe and it comes out as a nice golden flow,” said Raghav. “I was buying maple syrup from the market and sometimes it would be too watery or too thick, so now we are consistent.”
With his experience as a chef, Raghav gathered friends and colleagues to help produce the taffy. As the company gained attention and bookings increased, they began making up to 480 pieces an hour, with their highest total reaching 5,600 in nine hours.
The company has a mutually beneficial arrangement with festival organizers, who cover expenses when hiring them. This allows visitors to enjoy the taffy and watch the process for free.
Although their popularity continues to grow, working as a seasonal enterprise requires additional effort to keep the public’s attention.
The company’s co-owner, Ashley Baer, 32, said that beyond social media and website management, the most effective way to maintain public interest is through building relationships and leaving a lasting impression.
“ A lot of the time is just more research on what’s happening in the area, where we can travel to and what municipalities and townships and cities are hosting events,” she said. “ I find the contact and see if I can set up a meeting or an opportunity to just introduce ourselves and start a relationship from there.”
While cold weather can discourage people from heading outside, Baer believes winter festivals help shift that mindset.
“It’s one small piece of it,” Baer said, adding that if people come out to see them, they might stick around to see what else is happening. “They can start with a free maple taffy.”