Learn more about Sandy VanDyke, and her sweet journey from homemade treats to beloved woman-owned Michigan-made small business!
Written by Jordan Kossuth
📷 courtesy of Ashley Wierenga
Meet Sandy
Sandy VanDyke has been handcrafting small batch fudge for over 30 years. The recipe, which she still uses to this day, was found in an old cookbook passed along to her by her father. Sandy originally hails from Dewitt, Michigan, moving to Grand Rapids to attend the Grand Rapids School of Bible & Music and settling down in the area for over 40 years. It’s here that she met her husband Tim, and her sweet journey from homemade treats to beloved woman-owned small business began!
Whenever friends or family got together, they knew they could count on Sandy to bring her delicious fudge. So of course, when her nephew was getting married, he reached out to her about getting some fudge on the dessert table! It wasn’t the first time everyone who tried her tasty confections urged her to start a business selling fudge, but the stars seemed to align here for Sandy. The bride to be, Kellie VanDyke, is a graphic designer, and offered to help with branding and logo creation. She brought Sandy’s Fudge to life with a logo in charming pink and rich chocolate brown – the same logo we’ve come to know and love today!.
📷 courtesy of Ashley Wierenga
The Path to Sweet Success
With packaging designed, Sandy was ready to begin producing fudge to sell under Michigan’s Cottage Food Law.
The Ada Farmer’s Market was Sandy’s first venture into connecting her mouthwatering treats with her local community.
Sandy’s Fudge is a one-woman operation, meaning every piece is hand made with love by Sandy herself. She highlights the importance of stepping out of your comfort zone as a small business owner. Essentially, you are putting your product – an extension of yourself – out on display, and just hoping for a positive reception. Trade shows and local farmers markets are a great place to connect with other small business owners, who are more than willing to share advice and help you avoid mistakes they may have made along the way.
“I went into this blindly,” she jokes, “But you can’t be afraid to try. If you don’t try, how will you know?”
Stepping out of her comfort zone led Sandy to learn about herself as well. She learned that she loves meeting customers, getting ideas, and making connections that lead to new and exciting things. Sandy’s Fudge became a staple at local farmers and artisan markets in Lowell, Jenison, and Rockford – serving as a foray into selling at events like the Ada Village Fall Festival and Lowell Harvest Festival.
As Sandy’s Fudge gained more recognition, she connected with another local business (and family friend) at Papa K’s of Ada, and got to work in their licensed kitchen, allowing her to sell anymore and continue to expand. She has since installed a licensed kitchen in her own home, giving her the time and space to cook up a storm whenever the need for fudge arises! In Sandy’s own words, “I do what I can, and I love what I do.”
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📷 courtesy of Ashley Wierenga
Small Batch, Big Flavors
Making fudge is both an art and a science. The right balance of ingredients, precise temperatures, and a dash of love result in a treat that can sweeten up your day.
Sandy’s Fudge is always handmade from scratch using as many natural ingredients as possible. After boiling her base ingredients for 10 minutes and adding in any nuts or flavorings, the mixture is poured into a form pan and refrigerated. Once it has fully cooled and solidified, the fudge is hand cut into pieces and ready to go!
Today, Sandy makes over 40 flavors of fudge – all extensions of that same chocolate fudge recipe her dad gave her.
Her core four flavors are:
· Chocolate – The OG classic, which is now available in both a sugar free and dairy free variety.
· Chocolate Peanut Butter – Sandy’s personal favorite, and most popular seller – also available sugar free or dairy free.
· Maple Walnut – Combines the rich flavors of maple syrup with the nutty crunch of toasted walnuts for a fudge you’ll be nuts about.
· Chocolate Pecan – Think decadent chocolate with the light, buttery flavor of pecans.
The versatile nature of fudge makes it easy for Sandy’s creative side to come out when dreaming up exciting new seasonal flavors.
Fall offerings include classics like Pumpkin, Caramel Apple, and Butter Pecan. Winter seasonal flavors include Gingerbread, Peppermint, Egg Nog, and a decadent Chocolate Orange – all perfect pairings for hot chocolate! Spring brings a refreshing Mint Chocolate Chip flavor, and as we begin to (finally) see signs of a warmer Michigan Summer, we can also look forward to trying the rich and fruity White Chocolate Strawberry and White Chocolate Blueberry.
Sandy is always experimenting with new flavors, and new products that will pair well with her current offerings. For those with a more adventurous palate, give the Chocolate Cayenne or Root Beer fudge a taste! You can also find her Hot Chocolate Fudge on the toppings bar at The Pump House in Grand Rapids and Rockford, or Pinky’s Place in Comstock Park. And when planning your next holiday party, reach out to Sandy directly for any catering or custom gift basket needs!
📷 courtesy of Ashley Wierenga
A Special Delivery to Bridge Street Market
Feeling empowered by her success in farmer’s markets, Sandy reached out to Bridge Street Market in 2019 about the possibility of bringing Sandy’s Fudge into stores. After a successful in-store sampling, we were sold – and excited to be the first retail store to feature Sandy’s Fudge!
You can find a variety of Sandy’s Fudge in the refrigerated section of Bridge Street Market today in ¼ lb boxes.
· Chocolate
· Chocolate Peanut Butter
· Dairy-Free Chocolate
· Dairy-Free Chocolate Peanut Butter
· Maple Walnut
· Chocolate Pecan
With a four-month shelf-life, we recommend stocking your fridge on your next visit – and keeping an eye out for more exciting things from Sandy in the future!
📷 courtesy of Ashley Wierenga
Written by Jordan Kossuth, May 2024