‘A new experience in sweetness’ at an Irvine natural-candy boutique
The mother of three was in a predicament.
She wanted to satisfy her children’s sweet cravings but without succumbing to the pressure of giving them common candies filled with artificial colors, flavors and preservatives.
“What can I give my kids?” Omaima Zayed recalled saying out loud that day while shopping.
That frustration let Zayed and her husband, Mo, to start a natural-candy boutique. The upscale Sugar Rush Sweet Shoppe opened this summer in Irvine’s Los Olivos Marketplace
“Now, they can pick out anything in here,” Zayed said as she stood recently in the shop.
The couple stock their shelves and display cases with alternatives to old favorites like M&M’s and Reese’s Pieces.
They have artisanal confections for every preference: sweet, sour, hot, chocolate and gummy. The chocolates and caramels certainly are not calorie-free, but they are made with wholesome organic ingredients, Zayed said.
“It’s a new experience in sweetness,” she added.
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FOR THE RECORD
August 22, 10:36 a.m.: A previous caption for a photo in this story misidentified the owner of Sugar Rush Sweet Shoppe. Her name is Omaima Zayed, not Omaha Zayed.
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Along with the store’s selection of handmade lollipops, taffies and truffles, Zayed wanted to offer vegan and Kosher options.
Kosher candy is made of materials that fall in line with the Jewish laws for food production. The vegan candy is free from anything artificial or produced from animals, including milk fat, gelatin, lard and refined cane sugar.
Since the shop opened, Zayed said, consumers have asked for other kinds of sweets that meet specific dietary restrictions. So she added a section in the store that offers nut-free and gluten-free options.
When she initially started to curate the shop’s collection, Zayed conducted research online, weeding out mass-produced products and focusing on family-owned candy companies specializing in a single product. She thought this focused approach promised greater quality control.
She carries American brands like Hammonds and Fran’s — a Seattle-based master chocolatier whose handmade milk chocolate and smoked salt caramels have become a favorite of President Obama — as well as European specialities and Mideastern indulgences like maammoul and Jordan almonds.
And then there are specialty lines that have been around for centuries, including Maison Fossier, a French company famous for its biscuits and cakes since 1756.
So famous are the brand’s delicacies that the biscuits were presented during the coronation of Louis XVI at Reims, and the baker became the supplier to the king.
There’s a special story behind each hand-selected brand, Zayed said, an element that she requires when choosing what to carry in the store.
For instance, the popular Mademoiselle de Margaux chocolates weren’t supposed to be shaped like twigs, she explained. After the French company’s factory opened, a mechanical error caused the chocolate to be blocked. What were supposed to be thin, straight sticks instead looked like slender but slightly twisted branches of a tree.
The product, considered a mistake at the time, gained success and earned the Candy Award at the Fancy Food Show in Washington, D.C. The prize is awarded to the best confectionary product imported into the U.S.
Zayed also wanted to feature historic labels, like Kubli of Paris, which has made its boiled sweets, chocolates and miniature candy rocks in France since 1900.
To incorporate her love for all things French, Zayed, a lecturer in French and the humanities at UC Irvine, said she will introduce sipping chocolate to customers interested in drinking a cup of melted real dark chocolate.
“I want people to explore all different forms of sweets because this isn’t your typical candy,” Zayed said. “It should be a fun and educational experience.”
Sugar Rush Sweet Shoppe is at 8585 Irvine Center Drive in Irvine. For more information, call (949) 502-5610.
Twitter: @KathleenLuppi
