WCAX.COM Local Vermont News, Weather and Sports-Cotton Candy Year-Round

Milton, Vermont - August 7, 2009

Sharing a bag of cotton candy with her little sister at the Addison County Fair & Field Days, 11-year-old CareyAnne Howlett of Bridport says, "I like it! It melts in my mouth!"

Asked if she wishes if she could enjoy that mainstay of fair midways year-round, Howlett beams, "Yeah!" Now she can.

Businessman Matt Mullen says, "Why not be able to buy it and have it all year-round?"

From a converted room in his family's home, Mullen operates the Cotton Candy Connection, explaining, "I knew people would buy cotton candy year-round because everyone loves cotton candy."

He does admit there are a few "haters" out there, but Mullen packages the familiar cherry and raspberry flavors as well as Vermont maple -- made from real maple sugar.

Pouring sugar into his spinner, Mullen chuckles, "Just pour it into the magic machine and it does all the work!"

The lifelong Milton resident studied business at Champlain College and has experience working in retail management. He says there's something about fair food he just loves. He craved cotton candy all year long, and figured others would, too. Mullen says, "A lot of people look at me funny and say, 'How can you make cotton candy work?'"

But after two years in business, he now feeds about a dozen retail spaces and ski resorts with fresh bags or tubs of the sweet stuff. Of those initial doubters, Mullen says, "They don't look at me funny any more. They realize now -- it's actually working!"

"The cotton candy man," as Mullen's friends now call him, also sells the treat to groups who mark it up for fundraisers, with promises of no financial losses to the non-profit if a fundraiser gets washed out by rain. His maple puffs are popular with brides and grooms as a wedding favor. "I say you can do anything and everything with cotton candy," Mullen laughs.

Kids actually aren't necessarily the top customers. Adults seem to enjoy the melt-in-your mouth spun sugar as a taste of nostalgia.

Mullen says, "My hope someday is to be in a national chain store with it. When we move out of the house into a bigger facility, we can see ourselves in a specialty food store."

The fresh cotton candy is sold at several retailers, including Apple Mountain on Church Street in Burlington, Cheese Traders on Williston Road in South Burlington, the Burlington Bay Market and Café on Battery Street, Sweet Thing on Church Street in Burlington, and the Hudson News gift shop in the Burlington Airport.

Mullen also will sell some of his other food products, including ribbon fries, on the midway at the Champlain Valley Fair later this month.

Matt Mullen's "Made in Vermont" idea helps extend this sweet taste of fair season.

You can e-mail Matt Mullen for more information on his products.

Jack Thurston - WCAX News - Made in Vermont