News

Confectionery company Darling Sweet, manufacturers of the best-selling Darling Sweet Toffees, Darling Sweet Soft Caramels and the recently-released Darling Sweet Fudge has moved!

The company, which started in 2014, and is co-owned by Hentie van der Merwe and Frits van Ryneveld, first set up a small production kitchen in a converted antique shop where they employed two assistants to help them produce their sweet treats. But as the popularity of the toffees - and the range – grew, so did the need for more space and in 2015 Darling Sweet packed up their pots and pans and moved into a large stately Edwardian building that once housed Darling’s General Dealer business in Lang Street.

Now, nine years later, Darling Sweet is on the move once again and this time has relocated to Evita se Perron at 8 Arcadia Street in Darling. Evita se Perron – established by Pieter-Dirk Uys in 1996 as the home of his famous Tannie Evita Bezuidenhout character - is a transformed train station with a theatre, museum and on-site rusk bakery named Swartland Kitchen. And now the new home of Darling Sweet!
Says van der Merwe: “We had an absolutely wonderful launch in the Piazza dolcEvita and celebrated our brand-new building and tasting room both of which make our offering at this space more versatile than ever.

“Locals, visitors and tourists can now visit Evita se Perron and watch a Tannie Evita show, browse through the Nauseam Museum and Boerassic Park as well as enjoy a truly South African experience - rusk tasting at our Swartland Kitchen tasting room.

“Of course they can also get to taste – and buy - our handcrafted toffees, soft caramels and fudge in the new Darling Sweet tasting room and also view our production facility.

One of the many guests who was at the launch, food and wine writer Greg Landman of Magic Grape Tours says: “It was a very special occasion celebrating with Hentie and Frits the talent and hard work they have put into the business as it goes from strength to strength. To top it all , they are both charming and, although obviously focussed, very relaxed and extremely hospitable.

“An absolute cherry on the top was being there with South Africa’s most famous white woman, the legendary Evita Bezuidenhout, who cut the ribbon to their great new premises.”

Since the inception of Darling Sweet the aim of the business was to grow and establish itself as a top quality South African confectionery company and the team has increased to 32 staff members ranging from toffee makers and wrappers to operations and marketing.

Says van Ryneveld: “We have had growth in all our departments and now have a dedicated tourism team, a packaging team, production, operations and finances.

Our motto has always been ‘Take your Time’ which pertains not only to the way our handcrafted products are made but also how they should be enjoyed – slowly!”

For more information on Darling Sweet and its range of products, visit the Darling Sweet website.