Munchkins shop off the market
The owner of a popular Palmerston North confectionery company has taken the business off the market after rekindling her love of sweets.
Oleene Wells started Munchkins ‘‘on a whim’’ nearly 30 years ago, and it has grown into a Palmerston North icon, known for its unique fudge flavours.
Wells has delighted in discovering ways to recreate food favourites from jelly tip to fish’n’chip in fudge and making even the oddest inspirations work.
Worried she was losing her love for the job, Wells put the business up for sale in February.
Wells had hoped to sell to a successor who loved sweets and would continue to add new and unexpected flavours to the Munchkins range.
There had been quite a few interested buyers, but none had been the right fit, she said.
Then a trip to Italy in May changed everything.
Wells went on a food-themed tour of the country with celebrity chef Chelsea Winter and in the process, rekindled her love for the business.
‘‘I just remembered clearly what I liked about making sweets. It’s always good to and have the space to see your vision again.
‘‘I see people who’ve lost the passion for their business and I didn’t want to get to that.’’
She returned to New Zealand recharged and wondering if she really wanted to pass Munchkins on after all.
It didn’t take long for her to discover she just didn’t have it in her to step back. Almost everything she’d seen on her trip gave her new ideas she couldn’t wait to experiment with.
‘‘Fudge is not a big deal in Italy. But, I saw a lot of neat little things with [pastries] and gelato shots which were quite interesting.
‘‘I could really see how the flavours can be transferred to what I do.’’
Some of her experiments should be ready in a couple of months.