J. Evelyn Confections

As a retail manager for 15 years, Jayne Hoadley loved to surprise her employees with her homemade chocolates. “More than a few times I would hear, ‘You are in the wrong business!’” Jayne says.

Then, with the encouragement of friends and family, she struck out on her own and opened her own artisan chocolate business, J. Evelyn Confections, in 2008. “I am definitely now in the right business,” she adds.

Sharing her decadent creations with people, and watching the pleased expressions on their faces, inspires and proves to her candy making is what she was destined to do.

But “candy” is too pedestrian a word for what Jayne creates.

She markets her handmade J. Evelyn Confections — truffles, caramels, toffee and assortment of other sweets — through online sales, and they go like hotcakes.

An Indiana Artisan food jury panelist even asked if he could take the box home after the panel sampled her work.

“It is my love, my passion, and I am so very proud to introduce and share my locally based business with the Indianapolis community and beyond,” Jayne says.

Jayne designs her artisan candies to create a sense of nostalgia for the customer.

Each piece is hand scooped or hand cut and then dipped without an ounce of aid from machinery.

“No two pieces are the same — just like grandma made,” Jayne says. “Much time and care goes into every batch we prepare.”