After a facial pain disorder made him unable to continue his career, Jayson Lewis took the leap to learn sugar work. Starting out selling at markets as a creative outlet, Confection Obsession has recently expanded to a brick and mortar store.
Tell us about yourself and Confection Obsession.
After spending a decade building my career in hairdressing, I had a sudden onset of a facial pain disorder called Trigeminal Neuralgia which started as what seemed to be a tooth ache and spread to cover my entire face 24/7 within 9 months. It took my career from me, along with much more. I knew I wouldn’t be able to do hairdressing again and that I won’t be able to work for someone else again.
I’m a super creative person and always have been, jumping from one idea to the next and back again. After finishing up in the hair industry, I fed into cycles of depression for 6 years because I had no creative outlet. I didn’t realise just how much of an effect on my mental health this would have, and I still didn’t see until I was out. To find a creative outlet again was a massive relief not just to me but to everyone around me.
After those six years, I decided to stop allowing my brain (anxiety) and body to limit me, and so I decided to learn sugar work – something I always wanted to learn but was too scared of. Sinking your hands into super-hot molten sugar? YIKES.
It started simply with friends taste testing and suggesting I take it to markets to see how it goes and almost immediately we saw that we would need to develop our recipes to allow for commercial production, which was quite the rollercoaster! Especially as the sugar is heavily influenced by the weather, pressure lows / highs and humidity, and with Townsville weather, that was quite the hurdle!
From making $500 – if that – and being completely self-taught – we have grown to a business that holds thousands of bags of lollies, at any given time, within 12 months. Most of which has happened in the past 6 months.
It grew so much, so quickly, that we already have had to move to a larger location with a larger production area, and are excited to open it in early December. Because everything we do is based on customer interaction and creating smiles, of course we’ve made it so the doors can be open to the public where anyone can come and see how it’s all done, from stretching and cutting rock to whipping up marshmallow with an outlet store. You can even talk to the confectioner.
Our new shop in Domain West will open on December 21 and it didn’t take us long to know that that place was the right fit.
We specialise in cut rock using no machinery, old school techniques and basic equipment, choosing to focus on incredible, accurate flavour and texture. It didn’t take long for people to start asking for a wide range of different confections, so we’ve expanded the range from just rock to marshmallow, gummies and freeze-dried confections with a list to come, some of which are currently being developed.
We can attribute part of this success to our belief that buying local wherever possible is of high importance. Even the vanilla extract we use is made in Townsville, using ingredients produced in Townsville.
Another part is that we’ve also made everything as allergy friendly as we can (though we don’t advertise it – that’s our little secret) so have a large range of dairy free, gluten free and a good range of vegan options. The best bit? No one can even tell. Combined, my family have decades of experience substituting and preparing foods for dietary requirements, so we know our way around that pretty well.
Everything we sell is made by us – in Townsville – by hand wherever possible or freeze dried by our Townsville based partner.
What has been the most challenging aspect of owning Confection Obsession?
I don’t enjoy the business side of the business. It can be difficult to wrap my head around. That’s where my husband Scott comes in. He’s the brains and I’m the hands. I’m much more active on the creative side, find it difficult to reign in and can get carried away experimenting – which I guess is how we ended up with a Rum Ball flavoured lolly. Scott takes care of just about everything other than production.
What is a fun fact about yourself?
My creative side kind of stops my brain turning off. I’m always jumping from one idea to the next from when I wake to when I fall asleep (and probably still in my dreams), sometimes they cross, get mixed up and bring about something new and wonderful. Many of the best things are made from an accident or something going “wrong” so I’m in no rush to change that.
What is the best piece of career or business advice you have ever received?
”Every complaint is an opportunity to gain a loyal client” was something I was told in hairdressing and I still believe it in this industry today. If you can handle a complaint well and turn a negative experience to something overwhelmingly positive, you’ll likely score a long time customer / client.
Going forward, what is next on the cards for Confection Obsession?
Looking ahead, I am excited to build on the momentum my business has already gained through valuable partnerships with local businesses between Townsville, Ingham and Ayr. It has been a privilege to work alongside other businesses within our community, and I am eager to expand these connections further. I look forward to continuing to work with like-minded locals and to meeting new people, uplifting and learning from one another.
Additionally, I will continue to expand my own knowledge and skills to offer more services within our community that fit perfectly into our health and wellness paradigm.
Main image – Jayson Lewis
Images Credits – All images supplied.
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