Edible Notable on Hank’s Homemade
Meet Hank Wethington, your new favorite guy in the whole world. Not only does Hank have the sort of cheerful face that would be right at home in a Norman Rockwell painting, but he is the man behind rich, responsibly-sourced and ridiculously good toffee made right here on the Central Coast. All together now: swoon.
Hank’s Homemade started in 2007 when 38-year-old Hank tasted a toffee that he considered the best he’d ever had. It took him 10 months in the kitchen to recreate that experience. “I continued to improve the recipe, using my co-workers as guinea pigs. I even went so far as to conduct a survey to see what flavor combos worked best.” Eventually, his colleagues at Level Studios — where he is a Systems Engineer by day — started asking if they could buy the stuff. “I figured, if someone was going to purchase the toffee, then I wanted to do it correctly; proper packaging, quality and uniqueness. Next thing I knew, Hank’s Homemade was born.”
Each attractive tin of Hank’s Homemade contains a half-pound of gloriously decadent chocolate-covered toffee hunks made entirely from organic and fair-trade ingredients. Where possible, he sources locally, too (as in chocolate from Sweet Earth in San Luis Obispo). When asked what inspired him to make Hank’s Homemade with an emphasis on conscientiously-produced ingredients, he cites responsibility as a business person and his own lifestyle. “I try to eat organic foods where possible, and have found it’s important to others too. Candy is one thing that is often not produced organically, maybe due to candy being considered ‘bad.’ I feel that candy can be a non-guilty pleasure, so Hank’s Homemade is made organically.” He adds, “Now if I could only make it calorie-free!”
Since the company’s launch, Hank’s Homemade has doubled its sales year over year — something Hank considers both a huge blessing and an overwhelming challenge. Last Christmas was an especially burdensome time as Hank, his wife Heather, and two sons Harrison and Hayden worked long hours in their certified kitchen to meet customer demands. But plans are underway to build more infrastructure to sustain growth. “We’ve started the year with a greater focus to grow Hank’s Homemade both online and locally. We’re getting ready to launch a new web site, working with some local stores to carry our toffee and planning to attend some local farmers markets.”
Covered in your choice of either milk chocolate, dark or special dark chocolate — with or without crushed pecans on top — Hank’s Homemade toffee is the kind of blissful confection that makes supporting a local business deliciously easy. To make your order, visit www.hankshomemade.com.
