Stirred By Hand

Cottage Business Inspired by Adoption

A basket of apples from a trip to an orchard was the catalyst to a new business for Robb and Jennifer Hudson. At home, Robb pulled out a recipe for caramel praline sauce, added Fleur de Sel de Guerande, a specialty sea salt from the South of France, and the result was a thick, taffy-like caramel sauce.

The Hudsons began sharing their caramel sauce with friends, family, and neighbors. The requests for the sweet and salty treat started to roll in. Their neighbor, Pamela Caywood, pleaded with them to jar their sauce and sell it, “anything Robb and Jenniferdo has always been at a high level.” Others wanted to give it as gifts and serve at events. The Hudson’s realized that if they wanted to grow their family, this new venture might provide them the extra income they would need.

With demand for their caramel sauce growing, the Hudson’s started developing it as a business. Their great aunt Monty suggested the business name, Stirred by Hand, because, “they need to know that you stir every batch by hand.” All the caramel is made the old fashioned way using all natural, gluten free ingredients, one small batch at a time.

Stirred by Hand expanded their product line to include the old fashioned, hand-wrapped salted caramel candies, sprinkled with the delicate flaked Fleur de Sel. They also create unique adaptations like caramels infused with real Jameson Irish Whiskey.

Their exquisite craft boxes, mason jars, and glassine packaging are eco-friendly, decoratively tied with ribbons and artistically topped-off with one-of-a-kind tag designs. The candies are hand wrapped in unbleached parchment paper.

Stirred by their own story, having adopted their daughter, Mari, from the Philippines in 2012, and their passion for giving back, proceeds from caramel sales benefit Mercy House of the Philippines Orphanage. Jennifer said, “If Stirred by Hand can help even just one child find its forever family or save one child from a life on the streets in an underdeveloped country like the Philippines, then all of this hard work will have been worth it.” Robb added, “we can help other local families realize their own miracles by adopting children from here in York County or from around the world.”

Stirred by Hand ships around the world.