When Rob Arno tasted his bride's peppermint chocolate bark creation he knew it was time for him to take on a new role—that of a nagger.
"He kept telling me you have to make this and sell it," Cindy Arno said. At the time she was making the bark for friends and families and occasionally for Bungalow in Hailey.
Though both Rob and Cindy have full-time jobs, as a painter and seamstress respectively, they decided to combine their talents for cooking and marketing.
The result is Arno Confection Perfection, which turns out handmade, premium chocolate bark in five flavors, out of the basement kitchen at the Golden Elk café in Hailey. The most popular flavor is peppermint, but the orange, raspberry and cherry are equally yummy. Rob's new creation is coffee, which will be available exclusively at Golden Elk.
At the "Death By Chocolate" event in Twin Falls last year, their first public foray into the gourmet candy business, they won both third place from the judges and second for people's choice.
"It's a lot of hard work, but I've always been really crafty," Cindy said. "We use only premium ingredients. We don't scrimp."
Rob is doing most of the cooking these days, while Cindy has perfected the packaging. Five percent of the proceeds are donated to the Advocates for Survivors of Domestic Violence and they often donate the bark to other causes.
"We are fully aware of the community's support," Cindy said. "We so thank the community."
The bark is available at Ketchum Kitchens, the Golden Elk, Vintage Gypsy, Bungalow and Atkinsons' in Hailey.
Becky Ludwig of Bellevue is also in the gourmet candy business these days. Her Bellevue Brittle is available at Iconoclast Books in Ketchum.