Vermont Nut Free Chocolates

What Vermont Nut Free Chocolates does

Vermont Nut Free Chocolates is a family-owned specialty confectioner founded in 1998 by Mark and Gail Elvidge in Grand Isle, Vermont, after their son Tanner was diagnosed with a life-threatening peanut allergy. The company operates a dedicated manufacturing facility in Colchester, Vermont (18,000 sq ft) that is 100% free from peanuts, tree nuts (including coconut), sesame, eggs, shellfish, and fish, with monthly random allergen testing and a full-time food safety employee. It produces an artisan portfolio of chocolates, truffles, caramels, fudge, barks, granola bars, trail mix, baking ingredients, and event favors under trademarks including Skippers®, TANABAR®, Sun Blossoms®, Sunaroos®, and Smurtles®, all Star-D Kosher certified.

The business operates a hybrid go-to-market model spanning direct-to-consumer e-commerce at vermontnutfree.com (with Subscribe & Save subscriptions and Sweet Rewards loyalty), wholesale distribution to 500+ retail locations including Whole Foods, Wegmans, Kings Food Markets, Balducci's, and Plum Market (via a dedicated wholesale site and Faire.com), a B2B corporate gifting program with custom baskets and direct-to-recipient shipping, a fundraising program for schools and organizations (35% revenue share with no upfront costs), and a custom event favors program for weddings and parties. Pricing spans $3.19-$32.95 for individual items and $8.00-$165.95 for gift baskets, with subscription and wholesale tiers.

The company is privately held with no external institutional funding, no parent company, and no subsidiaries. The Elvidge family maintains operational control. Recent strategic activity has centered on facility capability expansions (2018 Colchester relocation, 2024 egg-free transition), product reformulations (2026 Skippers plant-based colorant relaunch, commitment to remove all artificial dyes by end of 2026), marketing team expansion (May 2026), and restructuring (June 2026 closure of in-person factory retail with continued local pickup). Geographic reach is North America (U.S. and Canada).

Name

Vermont Nut Free Chocolates

Legal name

Vermont Nut Free Chocolates

Website

https://vermontnutfree.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Vermont Nut Free Chocolates is a family-owned specialty confectioner founded in 1998 that produces peanut- and tree-nut-free artisan chocolates, caramels, fudge, and granola bars in a dedicated allergen-free facility, selling direct-to-consumer online, through 500+ retail doors, and via B2B gifting and fundraising programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Allergen-Free Confections

NAICS

Confectionery Manufacturing from Purchased Chocolate (311352), Confectionery Merchant Wholesalers (42445), Confectionery and Nut Retailers (445292), Nonchocolate Confectionery Manufacturing (31134), Grocery and Related Product Merchant Wholesalers (4244)

SIC

Bakery Products (2050), Food And Kindred Products (2000), Wholesale-Groceries & Related Products (5140)

akta.pro primary industry

Pastry, Cakes & Desserts Wholesale (AFAIAFAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Chocolate & Confectionery Shops (THAFAGAD), Gluten-Free & Allergen-Friendly Bakery Wholesale (AFAIAFAF)

Keywords

• Nut-free chocolates
• Allergen-free confections
• Gourmet chocolate manufacturer
• Allergy-safe candy
• Chocolate gift baskets

Headquarters

HQ city

Colchester

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Direct-to-Consumer E-commerce: Online sales through vermontnutfree.com since 1998. Consumers purchase individual products, gift baskets, and subscriptions. Revenue from product sales at listed prices with Subscribe & Save discount option.
2. Wholesale to Retailers: Wholesale program for retailers including Whole Foods, Wegmans, Kings Food Markets, Balducci's, and 500+ retail locations. Separate wholesale catalog with pricing through dedicated wholesale website and Faire.com marketplace.
3. Corporate Gifts B2B: Custom corporate gift orders for business clients. Personalized messages, ribbons, direct shipping to recipients. Revenue from wholesale-level B2B pricing.
4. Fundraising Program: Schools and organizations earn 35% of sales when supporters shop through fundraising portal. No upfront costs, direct shipping to supporters' homes.
5. Event Favors Custom Orders: Custom chocolate favors for weddings, showers, birthdays with personalized boxes, ribbons, and engraving. Direct sales to consumers planning events.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion5 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Vermont Nut Free Chocolates manufactures and sells gourmet peanut-free and tree-nut-free chocolates, caramels, fudge, granola bars, trail mix, and gift baskets from a dedicated allergen-free facility in Colchester, Vermont. The company sells direct-to-consumer through vermontnutfree.com, wholesale to retailers including Whole Foods and Wegmans, and runs corporate gifting, school fundraising, and custom wedding/event favor programs.

Product overview

Vermont Nut Free Chocolates operates a direct-to-consumer e-commerce business selling nut-free gourmet confectionery products. The product portfolio centers on chocolate candies and treats (including Skippers®, truffles, caramels, fudge, bark, and chocolate-covered pretzels), complemented by safe snacks (TANABAR® granola bars and trail mix), baking ingredients (chocolate chips, cocoa powder, melts, and confectioner discs), and gift offerings (gift baskets, gift cards, and special occasion chocolates). The company runs a 100% peanut, tree nut, coconut, sesame, and egg-free facility, with products also available through wholesale channels, fundraising programs, and corporate gifting services. Core products include Mini Caramel Cups, Skippers®, Chocolate Covered Pretzels, Mini Chocolate Bars, Fudge, Truffles, Sun Blossoms®, and the TANABAR® granola bar line.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Mini Caramel Cups Bite-sized chocolate cups with rich caramel filling, available in milk chocolate and dark chocolate with sea salt. 12 cups per bag (4.2 oz). Sold to consumers via online store and to retailers wholesale.
• Skippers® Candy-coated chocolate pieces, the company's signature product, made with real cocoa butter and plant-based colorants. Safe for individuals with peanut and tree nut allergies.
• Chocolate Covered Mini-Twist Pretzels Mini-twist pretzels enrobed in milk or white chocolate, 7oz bag.
• Mini Chocolate Bars Assorted mini chocolate bars in milk, dark, and crispy chocolate varieties, sold by the bag.
• Fudge Small-batch fudge in chocolate and maple (with Vermont Maple Syrup) flavors, made with Vermont butter and milk. 8oz.
• Pretzel Caramel Bark Chocolate bark featuring pretzels and caramel, 12oz.
• Truffle Assortment Assorted chocolate truffles in a box, various flavors.
• Grand Assortment Large boxed chocolate assortment featuring a variety of truffles, caramels, creams, and other filled chocolates.
• Fruit Creams Chocolate-covered fruit-flavored cream centers.
• Sun Blossoms® Sunflower butter filled chocolate cups, the nut-free alternative to peanut butter cups. Available in milk and dark chocolate in regular and mini sizes.
• TANABAR® Granola Bars Nut free granola bars in chocolate chip and sweet raisin varieties. Available individually or in box of 12.
• Trail Mix Nut free trail mix.
• Caramels Chocolate-covered caramel pieces in assorted boxes.
• Hot Cocoa Mix Hot cocoa mix for making chocolate beverages at home.
• Jelly Beans Assorted 'Fruit Medley' jelly beans in orange, cherry, strawberry, lime, grape and lemon flavors. Available in 5oz or 16oz resealable bags. Being discontinued as artificial dyes are removed.
• Crispy Cups Chocolate cups with crispy rice filling.
• Solid Chocolate Shapes Hand-made and hand-wrapped solid chocolate shapes including animals, seasonal items, and decorative pieces in milk, dark, and white chocolate.
• Nonpareils Chocolate pieces covered with sugar pearls, available in dark and milk chocolate.
• Chocolate Coins Chocolate coins in various sizes.
• Chocolate Drops Chocolate drops in milk and dark chocolate.
• Chocolate Pops Solid chocolate shapes molded atop lollipop sticks, including everyday, sports, special occasion, and celestial designs.
• Gift Baskets Pre-made gift baskets and build-your-own basket options, including Birthday Gift Box, Best Sellers Gift Basket, The Vermonter Gift Basket, Large Gift Basket, and custom basket builder.
• Subscribe & Save Subscription program offering automatic delivery of products on customer-defined schedules at a discount. Customers can skip, swap, or cancel anytime.
• Sweet Rewards Program Loyalty program where customers earn 1 point for every $1 spent, with 50 bonus points for joining. Rewards redeemable for discounts.
• Special Occasion Chocolates Customizable chocolate shapes for events including baby shower favors and party favors for weddings, showers, birthdays, and graduations. Personalized boxes, ribbons, and engraving services available.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 500 retail locations across the U.S.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• FARE (Food Allergy Research and Education)coreOthersVermont Nut Free Chocolates is a proud supporter of FARE, the world's largest non-profit dedicated to food allergy awareness, education, research, and advocacy. Company donates products to support FARE's mission.
• FAACT (Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Connection Team)coreOthersDonor to FAACT which provides education, advocacy, and connections for families affected by food allergies and anaphylaxis. Supports Camp TAG for children with food allergies.
• Securing Safe FoodcoreOthersPartner organization focused on food allergy safety and education. VNFC is a proud supporter.
• Snack Safely / Safe Snack GuidecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner manufacturer in Snack Safely's Safe Snack Guides, a catalog of foods free of specific allergens updated every 4-6 weeks. Information sourced directly from manufacturers.
• Spokin Food Allergy AppcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerVerified Brand on Spokin app which helps manage food allergies and celiac disease. Includes holiday product guides and restaurant guides.
• Faire.comminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOnline wholesale marketplace where VNFC offers limited product selection. Retailers with Faire accounts can purchase wholesale products directly.
• Whole Foods MarketcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor retail chain partner selling VNFC products in stores across the U.S.
• WegmanscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional grocery chain partner selling VNFC products in their stores.
• Kings Food MarketscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional grocery chain partner with multiple locations selling VNFC products.
• Balducci's Food Lover's MarketcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSpecialty food retailer partner selling VNFC products.
• Plum MarketcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNatural and organic grocery chain partner selling VNFC products.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• No Whey! Foods: Specialty chocolate manufacturer producing peanut, tree nut, dairy, and egg free chocolate bars, truffles, and novelty items. Direct comparable on allergen-free positioning and product mix.
• Made Good: Allergen-free snack brand producing granola bars, cookies, and crackers free from the top allergens. Overlaps with VNFC's TANABAR® granola bar and trail mix lines in the school/allergy channel.
• Divvies: Allergen-free bakery and confection company producing peanut, tree nut, dairy, and egg free cookies, cupcakes, and candies. Direct comparable on allergen-free confections targeting families and schools.
• Enjoy Life Foods: Allergen-free snack and chocolate brand (now owned by Mondelez) producing cookies, bars, and chocolate free from the top allergens. Closest direct competitor in the dedicated allergen-free confectionery category.
• Pascha Chocolate: Allergen-free and vegan chocolate maker specializing in bean-to-bar dark chocolate without peanuts, tree nuts, dairy, soy, or gluten. Comparable bean-to-bar craft chocolate with allergen positioning.
• Free2b Foods: Allergen-free snack brand offering chocolate cups, bars, and baking products free from the top allergens, including sunflower-based chocolate cups that directly overlap with VNFC's Sun Blossoms®.

Broad incumbents

• Hu Kitchen: Premium chocolate and snack brand emphasizing clean ingredients, paleo-friendly, and dairy-free formulations. Comparable on premium positioning and allergen-conscious product development.
• Endangered Species Chocolate: Specialty chocolate bar brand offering natural, ethically-sourced chocolate with allergen-friendly product lines. Comparable on premium chocolate retail distribution and gift/candy channel.
• Tony's Chocolonely: Premium mission-driven chocolate brand with strong retail distribution across natural and specialty grocers. Comparable on premium chocolate positioning and presence in Whole Foods and similar retailers.

Regional players

• Lake Champlain Chocolates: Vermont-based premium chocolate manufacturer offering truffles, bars, and specialty chocolates. Comparable on craft chocolate manufacturing, Vermont origin, and gift/confectionery product overlap.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/vermontnutfree

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Vermont Nut Free Chocolates