Pete’s Gourmet Confections
“Better than homemade” is the slogan for Pete’s Gourmet. For those who lack the patience or imagination to attempt the ethereal creations handcrafted by this Central Point, Oregon, confectioner, visit your Market Bakery.
The fanciful flavorings concocted by Peter Croyle and his young son were developed over time as they wove an imaginary fairyland filled with fruit picked from marshmallow trees that fell into caramel and chocolate rivers.
But that’s only part of the story. Originally a carpenter for the film and television industry in Los Angeles, California, Pete began perfecting the recipes that he first learned from his grandmother as a young boy, and shared them with his friends on the movie sets. Before long, the orders began rolling in. And the long hours on set and the time spent over the stove were on a collision course. “I was getting maybe three hours of sleep a night,” Pete recalled. “It didn’t go over too well with my boss.”
It was time to make a choice. Pete and his wife Jennifer – “The brains behind the business,” he insists – relocated to sunny Central Point to enjoy a calmer Oregon lifestyle. “It’s better for the candy,” he says.
And it shows. Delicate in texture and lightly flavored, Pete’s Gourmet Confections are all natural, kosher and made from the finest and freshest ingredients. In addition to their famous mallows, Pete’s offers a wide range of candies, including Rocky Road, Pecan Rolls and Divinity.
Pete’s Gourmet Confections is Eco-Kosher Certified, which means it takes rabbinic laws one step further. “With eco-kosher, the rabbi who inspects our business looks at other things, too, like how we recycle, our carbon footprint, how we pay our employees, and how we support their lives outside of work. It’s a good way to work, to see how you affect your neighborhood and the people around you…That a little bit of happiness can affect other people, too.”
And Pete has plenty to share. Take a little bit of that happiness home when you choose a selection of Pete’s Gourmet Confections from your Market Bakery.
