About a year ago I stumbled upon Two Tarts, a wonderful blog written and photographed by Sarah Welle & Dulcie Wilcox. I was immediately struck by the stunning images, the mouth watering recipes and the fabulous looking cocktails.
It's not surprising that Sarah & Dulcie are also behind Colorado Crafted- a company that offers gift boxes filled with gourmet foods, handcrafted by Colorado artisans in small-batches that really are "the best of the best." Dulcie and Sarah have found the most passionate people making incredible things...and it's all local! Even their boxes have names like the Steamboat, Mt. Evans and Hanging Lake (which I kind of wish I had on this hike).
Anyway, I'm a big fan...
I've asked Sarah & Dulcie a few questions for this post and they were kind enough to give me some answers.
What is the biggest challenge to
starting your own company?
We started by investing very little
of our own money because we didn't want to do any loans. Everything we make
just goes right back into the company. We've had a lot of grandiose ideas for
what we want to do, but there have definitely been financial limitations. But
ultimately, starting smaller has worked to our advantage because we have been
able to hone our vision before making any large investments.
What are the biggest rewards to
starting your own company?
We love being able to work for
ourselves and on our own time, and most of all getting to create
something beautiful that we're proud of! And of course, sampling delicious food
is one of the biggest perks.
How do you juggle family, your blog
and your business?
We don't clean our houses as much as
we should! :)
Do you think the small-batch food
market in Colorado has changed over the past few years? If so, is it heading in
the right direction?
Definitely! There are more and more
interesting artisanal foods popping up all over the state. We've seen
talented artisans creating cool products before quitting their full time day
jobs, which is awesome. People seem to be increasingly interested in
buying high quality small-batch products that are unique to their area.
Supermarkets are getting more and more interested in carrying special, locally
made products too.
Anything you want to see made here in
Colorado that isn’t being produced right now?
We are always on the lookout for a
good cracker or other small savory snacks.
What’s the most far-flung place you’ve
shipped to?
We only ship within the US (and
shipping is always free!), so nothing too exotic. But most of our boxes are
being shipped outside of Colorado.
How do you go about deciding which
companies you want to work with? And how do you find or hear about the
companies?
First and foremost, we are looking
for an exceptionally made food. Everything we sell is made in small batches,
and we love when products are made with local ingredients (either locally grown
produce or another CO-made ingredient, like whiskey or honey). Word-of-mouth is
one of the best ways we discover new artisans.
Do you have a favorite treat or snack
that you just can’t put down?
Sarah is obsessed with Chile Crunch -
an innovative spin on hot sauce that's made in Denver. It is roasted peppers,
garlic and onions suspended in oil. It is super crunchy which makes it unique
and totally addicting. It is amazing on hard boiled eggs, salads,
avocados, soups... you name it!
Dulcie's current favorite is the
Tuffy Kickshaw caramel corn, flavored with brown butter & Stranahan's
whiskey.
Now you both live in Longmont. What
are the best places to eat in the Boulder/Longmont area? (Anyplace that's also kid friendly?)
We love living in Longmont, and the
restaurant scene is slowly growing. We have some terrific restaurants that have
really inspired menus, but are also totally kid-friendly. Comida and Harold's
are the top two that come to mind.
Finally, where
do you see Colorado Crafted in a few years? Do you dream about a brick and
mortar store?
While a brick and mortar storefront
probably isn't a great fit for Colorado Crafted, we do love the idea of a shop
with a local angle, and we have flirted with the idea of a craft beer and
liquor shop.
As for Colorado Crafted, we are
interested in steadily growing, and we are introducing a bath & body box
this holiday with some really fantastic small batch soaps and lotions. We can't
wait to see how the box sells!
Thank you Sarah and Dulcie! I love
what you’re doing and I’ll be looking out for those bath & body boxes…
{This is the first post in a series called Colorado Companies, (co/co). I'm so impressed by the businesses and makers who are transforming the food scene in Colorado every day. I wanted to highlight companies that use locally sourced ingredients or products in beautiful ways, and Colorado Crafted fits the bill! Please note that I do not have any financial or business relationship with Colorado Crafted, nor did I receive anything in exchange for this post. I just dig their style and their company...and I hope you will too!}