Robin Bequet opened Bequet Confections in 2001 in Bozeman. Following the large growth of the company, Bequet became part of the family-owned company Life is Sweet in 2019.
Watch the production process below:
Alongside local awards, Bequet is recognized nationally. The sofi Award is considered the most prestigious award in the gourmet food industry, presented by the Specialty Food Association. Below is a list of Bequet’s award recognitions:
- 2022 Gallatin’s Greatest: Best Montana-Made Product
- 2022 Gallatin’s Greatest: Best Candy Store
- 2022 sofi Gold Award: Celtic Sea Salt Caramel
- 2019 sofi Silver Award: Caramel Sauce
- 2016: sofi Finalist Award: Salted Mocha Caramel
- 2011: sofi Award: Butterscotch Caramel
- 2011 Gourmet Product Award: Green Apple Caramel
- 2007 sofi Award: Chipotle Caramel
- 2006 sofi Finalist Award: Classic Caramel
- 2006 sofi Finalist Award: Celtic Sea Salt Caramel
- 2005 Gourmet Retailer Magazine, “Aisle-by-Aisle” Contest Winner
- 2004 Gourmet Retailer Magazine, “Aisle-by-Aisle” Contest Winner
Bequet has 12 flavors to choose from:
- Celtic Sea Salt
- Classic
- Salt-Chocolate
- Butterscotch
- Salted Butterscotch
- Salted Mocha
- Green Aooke
- Chocolate
- Chocolate A L’Orange
- Chipotle
- Espresso
- Chewy
The most popular flavor among customers is the Celtic Sea Salt.
To make the product, steam-jacketed kettles are loaded with ingredients to cook the caramel, with batches weighing 750 pounds. The caramel is then poured onto cooling tables which allows it to cool in less than one hour.
Slabs of caramel are individually wrapped so they don’t grow back together before cutting and wrapping. The caramel is then rolled into long, thin strips for sizing. Next, a machine cuts and wraps the individual pieces.
A conveyor runs the caramels through a metal detector. Following that screening, the caramels are hand inspected for quality to ensure the pieces meet their size and wrap standards.
About 332,640 pieces are produced per day which equals 8,300 pounds.
