Oh fudge! Hurricane woman creates sweet business through jars and bars

Written by Jessi Bang
February 12, 2023

HURRICANE —A woman known for her rich fudge has cooked up a successful business — chances are, you’ll like it a choco-lot.

Debbie Forbes poses with her husband Rich inside their booth at the St. George Downtown Market on Feb. 4, 2023 | Photo by Jessi Bang, St. George News
Debbie Forbes poses with her husband Rich inside their booth at the St. George Downtown Market on Feb. 4, 2023 | Photo by Jessi Bang, St. George News

“I’ve always been the one that brought the fudge,” Debbie Forbes, owner of D’s Fudge and Gifts, said. “Everyone just loves it.”

Forbes said whether she’s making it or buying it, fudge always has been a major part of her life. In 2018, she had the idea to place her St. Patrick’s Day mint fudge in individual containers and posted them for sale on Facebook. The orders and support she received from friends and family led to a delicious business idea. 

She began to make fudge jars, which allowed consumers to heat the fudge in the microwave and eat it with a spoon. She sold the jars at local events once a month, with plans to go bigger.

But bigger didn’t happen right away.

With a move from Heber to Hurricane, combined with the pandemic, she decided to put the business on the back burner.

When the owners of Red Canyon Company showed interest in selling her fudge in their co-op one year ago, it reignited her desire to get back into the business. She began to experiment with a wide array of flavors, and in September, sold her fudge at the St. George Downtown Farmers Market for the first time.

Fudge jars by D's Fudge and Gifts are seen on display, location and date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Debbie Forbes, St. George News
Fudge jars by D’s Fudge and Gifts are seen on display, location and date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Debbie Forbes, St. George News

The original plan was to attend markets periodically for fun, but the response from the community mixed with her love for trying new things has kept her going.

“I just decided to give it a shot,” she said. “And it’s just kind of blown up. I had around 10 flavors, now I have 20 different flavors that I’m putting together. It’s been fun.”

Unique fudge flavors made by D’s Fudge and Gifts include root beer and lemon lavender. February’s flavor of the month is red velvet, which includes a cream cheese and red velvet swirl, available in both jars and bars.

The most popular flavors are chocolate, peanut butter, salted caramel and Penuche — a lighter-textured fudge made with brown sugar and vanilla. The business has also collaborated with O’ So Good Olive Oil & Balsamics, another local small business, to create fudge flavors such as O’ So Good Peach and O’ So Good Rasberry Chocolate.

“I just love making the different flavors, but I definitely don’t want to eat them all,” Forbes said. “So the markets have been great, and we sell out almost every week.”

A variety of fudge by D's Fudge and Gifts is shown, location and date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Debbie Forbes, St. George News
A variety of fudge by D’s Fudge and Gifts is shown, location and date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Debbie Forbes, St. George News

All fudge and its packaging are made in the couple’s home, where they have a separate fudge freezer specifically for the business.

As for the base recipe, Forbes said she’s not quite sure where it came from. She’s had a blast experimenting with unique flavors and has created a variety of fudge recipes that are all her own.

“I’m already doing way more than I thought I was going to do,” Frobes said about the business.  “We just want to see where it goes from here.”

Her husband, Rich Forbes, assists with the business by labeling items and packing supplies in and out of local events, while Debbie Forbes does all the cooking. The couple can be seen running their booth together on the weekends.

Purchase from D’s Fudge and Gifts online via their website. Shop in person at the downtown Modern Farm and Artisan Co-op (MoFACo), or visit them at the St. George Downtown Farmers Market on Saturdays. Follow @dsfudge_gifts on Instagram and Facebook for more information.

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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2023, all rights reserved.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jessi Bang was born and raised in Utah and has a passion for nature and the great outdoors. She graduated from Kaplan University in California with a degree in criminal justice. She has extensive experience in marketing, content creation, photography and copywriting. You can find her showcasing outdoor adventures through her blog, “The Rambling Raccoon.” In her free time, she enjoys climbing mountains, trail running, working out and cuddling her two lovable pups.

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @STGnews

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