PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

AUNT SADIE OF AUNT SADIE’S CANDIES COMES TO LIFE ON

RANDALL ENOS’ DRAWING BOARD

EASTON, Connecticut, (February 25, 2009) – Some of us are born in a hospital bed, while others are born at home. Aunt Sadie, the spokes-yenta for Aunt Sadie’s Candies™, a new brand of kosher candy, was born on the drawing board of world famous editorial and children’s book illustrator, Randall Enos, of New Bedford, Massachusetts and Easton, Connecticut.

Enos, known for his linocut style, is regularly seen in publications including The New York Times, Business Week and countless others. He created the jolly candy maker as the symbol for this brand of kosher, designer candy with ties to the old world.

Lee Weisel, a partner in the venture, says that enjoying Aunt Sadie’s Candies will be like a trip down memory lane. “This wonderful candy is a celebration of our heritage and reminds us of the sweetness we all knew as children,” he said.

“Every family had an Aunt Sadie. She was the aunt everyone called for recipes, the one whose dish at family dinners disappeared the fastest and the one who delivered the biggest, most wonderful hugs imaginable. And her handwritten recipes were tucked into the flyleaf of everyone’s copy of Jenny Grossinger’s Cookbook.”

Aunt Sadie’s Candies needed just the right look to capture the brand’s essence. Randall Enos has provided a character with all the love, old world experience and multi-ethnic beauty to effectively tell the brand’s story. As he said, she had to be everyone’s Aunt Sadie.

Enos began the process by reading Aunt Sadie’s own story.

WHO IS AUNT SADIE?

In a small village in Eastern Europe around the turn of the century lived Aunt Sadie. She was a balebusta, a true Earth mother with big hugs and kisses for everyone. Every day she worked in her kitchen at the stove, wearing a long apron and her hair in that familiar bun. All the children in the village loved her and called her their Aunt Sadie, even though she wasn’t. And why do you suppose they did? 

Aunt Sadie - and her mother and grandmother - were the greatest candy makers in the land. Their recipes for dark and white chocolate charoset truffles, nut and fruit clusters, vanilla mallows and a delicious mixture of honey, hazelnuts, matzo and chocolate called Imber Lach were the stuff of legend. When Aunt Sadie was making candy in her kitchen, the wonderful aroma drew crowds from every corner of the village. And when she was done, her sweet confections disappeared from the counter in her little shop almost as fast as she put them out. It was simply the most delicious place in the village.

One day, the New World beckoned and the entire village packed up and traveled to America. Of course, Aunt Sadie brought along her family’s collection of recipes for her sweet delights. “We must bring a taste of home and family with us wherever we go,” she said. “So listen to your Aunt Sadie.”

And so we did.

Aunt Sadie’s Candies

“Old World Sweets for a New World”

After a few sketches, Enos hit upon the real Aunt Sadie. “She is round, jolly and the image of the aunt we all knew as kids, regardless of our background,” he said. “My family is from the Azores and I have no trouble relating to Aunt Sadie. In my family, our Aunt Sadie was my father’s sister, Aunt Angelina. Her meatloaf and kale soup kept us warm though the long New Bedford winters. I wanted Aunt Sadie to conjure those nostalgic memories of relatives who shaped our lives and still do,” he said.

Aunt Sadie’s Candies will be sold through temples as a fundraising vehicle, but with a difference. These will be candies with a gourmet touch. They will include many familiar, traditional favorites and some new ones, including dark and white chocolate charoset truffles, chocolate covered orange peel, chocolate covered nut and fruit clusters and a mixture of honey, hazelnuts, ginger and chocolate called Imber Lach.

“However, Aunt Sadie’s Candies will be an evolving line of sweets and chocolate delights,” Weisel said. “We’ll be listening to our customers’ likes and dislikes to stay on the sweet side of making their celebrations memorable. And the temples’ educational programs will also benefit from the funds raised through sales of our candy. Of course, retail may be Aunt Sadie’s next stop, but first things first. Aunt Sadie has many new friends to make,” he said.

For further information about Aunt Sadie’s Candies or Temple Emek Shalom’s campaign using the line as a fundraising vehicle, visit the brand’s Web site at www.auntsadiescandies.com or call Aunt Sadie at 888-sadies9 (888-723-4379).

CONTACT:             

John Brandt

Brandt Associates, Inc.

29 Washington Avenue

Westport, CT 06880

(203) 227-6321

jkbrandt@aol.com

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Ashland, Oregon-based Aunt Sadie’s Candies, LLC designs, manufactures and markets a diverse line of kosher and kosher for Passover candy. The line was created to be used as a fundraising vehicle by temples and other Jewish organizations across the United States.

Aunt Sadie's Candies
"Old World Sweets for a New World"