Ribbon-cutting ceremony held for freeze dried candy store Uncle Crunch

BRUNSWICK — The Northern Medina County Chamber of Commerce celebrated freeze-dried candy store Uncle Crunch opening its production facility in Brunswick with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Thursday. Uncle Crunch owner Lena Wilson said she is a single mom who was laid off last fall. "I've always wanted to be a business owner, and I thought this is my time to do it," she said. "I was watching freeze-dried candy on social media, and it was very exciting and new. I like the science behind it, and I thought, this is the business for me." The freeze-drying process works by putting candy into a large commercial freeze-dryer for four to 15 hours depending on the candy's consistency and ingredients, Wilson said. The taste is similar to the original candy, but freeze-drying enhances the flavor and gives it a crunchy texture. "It's really neat," she said. "It crunches in your mouth, and then instantly melts. It's just so fun." She sells a variety of freeze-dried candies, and the flavors range from fruity to sour to chocolate. Wilson said one of her favorite things to do is go to vendor shows and watch people try freeze-dried candy for the first time. "What I wanted to do with Uncle Crunch is to bring people together and have an experience that's fun," she said. Uncle Crunch is an e-commerce store, which can be visited at unclecrunch.com. Wilson said although it is not a traditional retail store, people who live in the area can place an order online and pick it up in-store. Local pickup can be done at 3487 Center Road, suite 3-C. "I definitely would like to expand," she said. "I would like to be able to get a bigger place. I would like for people to be able to go to a convenience store or a grocery store and find my product there, so it's easy for them to get." Contact reporter Madisyn Woodring at (330) 721-4049 or mwoodring@medina-gazette.com.