McCrea's Candies
McCrea's Candies is a Boston-based, family-owned manufacturer of handmade gourmet caramels selling nine signature flavors direct-to-consumer via Shopify, to corporate gifting clients with volume discounts, and to retailers through a wholesale portal and the Faire marketplace.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2010
- HeadquartersBoston, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What McCrea's Candies does
McCrea's Candies is a Boston-based manufacturer of handmade gourmet caramels, founded by Jason McCrea and operating since 2010 as a privately held, founder/family-owned business. The company produces nine signature flavors (Black Lava Sea Salt, Cape Cod Sea Salt, Classic Vanilla, Deep Chocolate, Single Malt Scotch, Tapped Maple, Rosemary Truffle Sea Salt, Dark Roast Mocha, and seasonal Chocolate Peppermint) using a slow-cooked copper kettle process grounded in the founder's chemistry background, with daily-fresh, clean-label ingredients including locally-sourced New England dairy, Hawaiian Black Sea Salt, organic maple syrup, and Single Malt Scotch. Each caramel is hand-packed and individually wrapped, and the output spans tubes (~19 pieces), pillow boxes, 15-piece gable boxes, curated gift collections, and party-sized assortments.
The business operates a four-channel go-to-market model. Direct-to-consumer e-commerce through a Shopify storefront (mccreascandies.com) is the primary channel, with products priced from $14.95 to $69.95 and digital gift cards issued at $25, $50, $75, and $100. A dedicated corporate and business gifting program ([email protected]) targets enterprise and SMB buyers with tiered volume discounts of 10%, 15%, and 20% on orders of $350-$999, $1,000-$4,999, and $5,000+ respectively, plus customization, multi-recipient shipping, and a 2025 Holiday Gifting Catalog. A wholesale program distributes case quantities through a dedicated B2B portal (mccreascandies-wholesale.com) and the Faire marketplace to retail and gift shops.
The company is led by Founder and President Jason McCrea and CEO Kate McCrea, supported by a Director of Logistics (Cheryl Bornstein) and Director of Kitchen Operations (Ann Roberts), with a stated headcount of 11-50 employees. McCrea's has accumulated mainstream media features across Oprah Magazine, Today Show, Good Morning America, Martha Stewart, Food Network, CNN, Vogue, People, Wirecutter/NYT, Good Housekeeping, Food & Wine, and BuzzFeed, and maintains active social channels on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and Pinterest alongside an email newsletter. The firm has no disclosed funding rounds, no subsidiaries, no M&A activity, and no patents or trademarks on file.
McCrea's Candies firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- McCrea's Candies
- Legal name
- McCrea's Candies
- Website
- https://mccreascandies.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2010
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- McCrea's Candies is a Boston-based, family-owned manufacturer of handmade gourmet caramels selling nine signature flavors direct-to-consumer via Shopify, to corporate gifting clients with volume discounts, and to retailers through a wholesale portal and the Faire marketplace.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where McCrea's Candies is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Boston
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
McCrea's Candies business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Direct E-commerce Sales: Primary revenue stream through direct-to-consumer online sales via mccreascandies.com. Customers purchase individual products including tubes, pillow boxes, gable boxes, and gift boxes ranging from $5.95 to $69.95.
- Corporate/Business Gifting: Volume business orders with tiered discounts (10% for $350-$999, 15% for $1,000-$4,999, 20% for $5,000+). Includes corporate order forms, multiple recipient orders, and customization options for business gifting needs.
- Wholesale Distribution: Wholesale portal at mccreascandies-wholesale.com and Faire marketplace for retail and gift shop distribution. Case quantities available (6-pack cases).
- Gift Cards: Digital gift cards sold in denominations of $25, $50, $75, and $100. Delivered via email with instructions to redeem at checkout.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Volume Business Discounts - Tier 1: 10% off for orders $350-$999 |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Volume Business Discounts - Tier 2: 15% off for orders $1,000-$4,999 |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Volume Business Discounts - Tier 3: 20% off for orders $5,000 and up |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Single Malt Scotch Caramel - 5.5 oz tube (~19 pcs) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Acadia Gable Box Flavor Trio (15 pcs) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Flavor Family Box - Full Tasting Collection (36 pcs) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Black Lava Sea Salt Caramel - 5.5 oz tube |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Gift Cards |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Party Box - Bulk Party Size (80+ pcs) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Tall Gift Box - 3 tubes (~57 pcs) |
Go-to-market motion4 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels8 records
McCrea's Candies product offering
Product offeringCore offering
McCrea's Candies manufactures and sells handmade gourmet caramels that are slow-cooked in copper kettles using clean-label ingredients. The company offers nine signature flavors (Black Lava Sea Salt, Cape Cod Sea Salt, Classic Vanilla, Deep Chocolate, Single Malt Scotch, Tapped Maple, Rosemary Truffle Sea Salt, Dark Roast Mocha, and seasonal Chocolate Peppermint) packaged in tubes, pillow boxes, gable boxes, and curated gift collections. Products are sold direct-to-consumer via the company website, through a corporate gifting program with volume discounts, and via a wholesale portal and Faire marketplace for retail partners.
Product overview
McCrea's Candies is a gourmet caramel company offering a portfolio of nine signature flavors (Black Lava Sea Salt, Cape Cod Sea Salt, Classic Vanilla, Deep Chocolate, Single Malt Scotch, Tapped Maple, Rosemary Truffle Sea Salt, Dark Roast Mocha, and Chocolate Peppermint) across multiple product formats. The core offering consists of individually-wrapped caramels sold in pillow boxes (1.4 oz, 5 pieces), tubes (2.4 oz and 5.5 oz, approximately 19 pieces), and gable boxes (15 pieces). The product line extends to curated gift collections including the Flavor Family Box/Tube (9-flavor variety packs), the Greetings Collection (themed gable boxes for occasions like birthdays, holidays, and celebrations), the 4-Pillow Gift Sampler, Party Box, Tall Gift Box, and seasonal Holiday Gift Boxes. The company also offers Gift Cards ($25-$100 denominations), an Assorted Special Oops Bag (100-piece bulk assortment), and B2B services including a Corporate/Business Gifting Program with volume discounts and a Wholesale Program for retailers. All caramels are slow-cooked and handcrafted with clean-label ingredients.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Black Lava Sea Salt Caramel Slow-cooked caramel with crunchy Hawaiian black lava sea salt crystals, sold in a 5.5 oz tube of approximately 19 pieces. Designed for individual consumers seeking a savory gourmet caramel flavor.
- Cape Cod Sea Salt Caramel
- Classic Vanilla Caramel
- Deep Chocolate Caramel
- Single Malt Scotch Caramel
- Dark Roast Mocha Caramel
- Chocolate Peppermint Caramel
- Flavor Family Box
- Greetings Collection (Themed Gable Boxes)
- 4-Pillow Gift Sampler
- Party Box
- Tall Gift Box
- Holiday Gift Boxes (Starry and Cozy)
- Gift Card
- Acadia Gable Box Flavor Trio
- Assorted Special Oops Bag
- Corporate/Business Gifting Program
- Wholesale Program
Quantifiable outcome
- High customer satisfaction with 87-100% positive ratings across product reviews on Judge.me
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use McCrea's Candies
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
McCrea's Candies technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
McCrea's Candies partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- FairecoreMcCrea's Candies products available through Faire.com marketplace, enabling verified retail buyers to discover and purchase products for resale. Provides additional distribution channel for wholesale growth.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
McCrea's Candies competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Sugarfina: Premium DTC gourmet candy brand (candied caviar, gummy bears) with a similar gift-led, premium-positioned model. Targets adult gifting occasions with playful packaging and heavy celebrity/press features. Closely comparable product, customer, and channel mix to McCrea's.
- Vosges Haut-Chocolat: Chicago-based artisan chocolate brand known for exotic, ingredient-driven flavors (e.g., truffle, single malt, bacon). Operates boutiques and DTC. Comparable in flavor innovation, premium positioning, and gifting focus to McCrea's culinary-inspired caramels.
- Compartés Chocolatier: LA-based premium chocolatier with celebrity-driven, innovative flavor profiles and DTC-led distribution. Comparable in premium positioning, innovative flavor portfolio, and gift-led e-commerce to McCrea's.
- Chuao Chocolatier: San Diego-based premium chocolatier with chef-driven, innovative flavor profiles and DTC gifting focus. Similar size, artisanal positioning, and ingredient-led product strategy to McCrea's.
- Olive & Sinclair: Nashville-based artisan chocolate and candy maker using Southern-inspired, innovative ingredient combinations. Comparable artisan, premium-DTC positioning with culinary flavor twists similar to McCrea's Rosemary Truffle Sea Salt and Tapped Maple SKUs.
- Fran's Chocolates: Seattle-based premium chocolatier with DTC and gift-box focus, known for high-end flavor craftsmanship. Comparable premium positioning, gift-occasion focus, and individually-wrapped product presentation to McCrea's.
Broad incumbents
- L.A. Burdick Handmade Chocolates: Established New England (Woodstock, VT and Walpole, MA) premium chocolatier with retail cafés, wholesale, and DTC. Comparable artisanal positioning and New England provenance to McCrea's; broader chocolate portfolio and longer operating history.
- See's Candies: Iconic American boxed-chocolate brand with hundreds of retail shops and broad nationwide gift distribution. Comparable premium gifting focus but at much larger scale and a much broader product line than McCrea's.
- Tony's Chocolonely: Large, mission-driven premium chocolate brand with strong DTC and retail presence. Comparable premium positioning and gifting occasions but at significantly larger scale and broader chocolate portfolio than McCrea's caramel-focused business.
Emerging players
- Dandelion Chocolate: San Francisco craft bean-to-bar chocolate maker with café, DTC, and gifting focus. Comparable artisanal, ingredient-driven approach and gift-led retail experience; partial product overlap with McCrea's premium confection positioning.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
McCrea's Candies social profiles
Digital presenceMcCrea's Candies financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
McCrea's Candies leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
McCrea's Candies funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
McCrea's Candies M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about McCrea's Candies
What does McCrea's Candies do?
McCrea's Candies manufactures and sells handmade gourmet caramels that are slow-cooked in copper kettles using clean-label ingredients. The company offers nine signature flavors (Black Lava Sea Salt, Cape Cod Sea Salt, Classic Vanilla, Deep Chocolate, Single Malt Scotch, Tapped Maple, Rosemary Truffle Sea Salt, Dark Roast Mocha, and seasonal Chocolate Peppermint) packaged in tubes, pillow boxes, gable boxes, and curated gift collections. Products are sold direct-to-consumer via the company website, through a corporate gifting program with volume discounts, and via a wholesale portal and Faire marketplace for retail partners.
Is McCrea's Candies a public or private company?
McCrea's Candies is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was McCrea's Candies founded?
McCrea's Candies was founded in 2010. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is McCrea's Candies based?
McCrea's Candies is headquartered in Boston, United States, in the North America region.
How does McCrea's Candies make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Direct E-commerce Sales are the primary driver. The others are corporate/Business Gifting, wholesale Distribution and gift Cards.
Who are McCrea's Candies's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Sugarfina, Vosges Haut-Chocolat, Compartés Chocolatier, Chuao Chocolatier, Olive & Sinclair and Fran's Chocolates. Broad incumbents are L.A. Burdick Handmade Chocolates, See's Candies and Tony's Chocolonely. Dandelion Chocolate is listed as an emerging player.
Does McCrea's Candies have an API?
No public API is recorded for McCrea's Candies.