FRY GUY State fair vendor never stops innovating deep-fried sweets
What's better than mountains of candy at a fair? Mountains of deep-fried candy, of course.
And that's where Brian Shenkman comes in.
Known as "The Candy Man," he'll also answer to "Fry Guy." The self-proclaimed inventor of the deep-fried candy buckeye, he runs multiple stands and sells massive amounts of candy at the Ohio State Fair, which begins Wednesday and runs through Aug. 4.
While he said he was originally a little hesitant to deep fry the chocolate-peanut-butter version of the famous nut, his curiosity eventually won out. The result was a hit: 52,000 deep-fried buckeyes
brought in 2017. This year, he expects roughly 42,000 fried buckeyes to be served at the fair. Other popular deepfried offerings include an Oreo, a grilled-cheese sandwich and a bacon-wrapped buckeye.
Shenkman, owner of The Bulk Candy Store, will debut two deep-fried items at the fair this year: a mini gummy burger on a stick, sprinkled with Fruity Pebbles, and mini Charleston Chews on a stick.
The fair is the one time a year that people can indulge in these foods, said Shenkman, 51, who lives in Florida.
"Everyone has a cheat day in their diet, and the fair is the day they can justify cheating," he said. "I leave all the calories in the last bite, so as long as you don't eat the last bite, you won't get all the calories."
Alicia Shoults, marketing and public relations director of the fair, said deep-fried foods help create unusual experiences for those wanting to try a variety of food.
"Interesting deep-fried items or things served on a stick are one of those things that make the experience memorable," she said.
For Shenkman, the brainstorming process happens in his Bulk Candy warehouse in Florida on two "Fry-days" a year where he and his helpers experiment with anything and everything they can throw in the fryer. Shenkman said he does not taste test the results because the food upsets his stomach, but he looks for the general consensus from his helpers to find "the one."
"When everyone raves about it," he said, "I know it is a good item."
While Shenkman will
deep-fry almost anything, he has encountered foods that aren't meant for deep-fried goodness.
"Little gummy bears do not work. They usually get disintegrated in there," he said. "Laffy Taffys and Mary Janes don't work, either."
As the trend of deepfrying foods has become popular over the last 13 years — kicked off by the deepfried Snickers — Shenkman said that he is challenged to think of innovative foods to test.
"Now it's like: beat the Joneses!" he said. "You gotta come up with something new in order for people to try it out.”
Preparing for the state-fair circuit is no easy feat, said Shenkman, who sells candy and deep-fried foods at eight different state fairs every year. He is on his feet for 20 hours at a time, keeping watch over six stands while ensuring operations run smoothly and customers are happy.
"I love the fair, but it is extremely hard work for me," Shenkman said. "I love leaving for the day because then I get time to put my feet up and rest for the day."
Shenkman is well stocked: Rows of tables decorated with brightly-colored candy — from Clark Bars to Ring Pops — formed a maze in the back of the Bricker Building at the Ohio Expo Center on Monday. Overall, he will have 75 pallets worth of candy available for purchase at the fair, leading him to an easy conclusion:
"We will have more candy than you can eat here."