It’s a Date
Brand-new Raleigh-based sweet treat is set to sweep the nation.
Bringing new meaning to things that are “naturally”(bitter)sweet is the origin story behind brand-new direct-to-consumer Raleigh-based national sweets brand Spring & Mulberry.
Just launched March 22 from the brains of some of today’s top biz masterminds Kathryn Shah and Sarah Bell—former Pantone VP of global marketing and head of soft product development for Harry’s Grooming, respectively—the revolutionary wellness-minded modern food brand takes the category of treats next level via a simple ingredient list and wholly unique superfood sweet source serving up a decadent taste experience.
But the life recipe that inspired the brand recipe isn’t filled with all sweet moments. After a cancer diagnosis in her early 30s, co-founder Shah quit sugar and took a deep-dive into the healing power of food. While kicking cancer’s ass, the Harvard MBA-grad began experimenting with a trio of healthful ingredients to satisfy her sweet tooth—thus forming the foundation of these globally inspired sweet treats.
Transcending the idea of indulgence, these avant-garde goodies invite an exploration of flavor and depth. “Really the idea is to explore the beauty and the pleasure of whole pristine ingredients,” says Shah, “while showing off the spectrum of sweetness and depth of flavor that lies beyond sugar.”
And before you go thinking this is just another healthful snack biting into a saturated market—think again. Healthful—check. But this isn’t your monk fruit or latest fad sugar substitute. Instead, the local female power duo delivers the first-to-market date-sweetened chocolate bar in all its rich, velvety goodness—with zero grams of
added sugar.
“I’m personally really a fan of dates,” says Shah. “They are just so good for you. They’re packed with nutrition—and they have this jammy, caramelly flavor, which is just so lovely.”
With a base of just three organic ingredients—cacao beans and cacao butter making up the other two—the chocolate shines through in this handcrafted bar. Dropping in five fab flavors that would make Wonka proud (“The strawberries taste like strawberries!”), the bars harbor a host of high-quality ingredients—think lavender, bee pollen, tropical fruits and spices—to round out the pentad of evocative offerings. And—no shortcuts here—they don’t sleep on spice either, sourced directly from Spicewalla in Asheville.
“I’m so excited to put it out in the world,” says Shah. As are we all. To start, the fix is in online, as the brand launches via its website, and at select trendy specialty food stores and lifestyle boutiques locally and in select national markets to follow (stay tuned to the website for deets). The brand is also big on Raleigh—and on community—and is primed to continue to partner for pop-ups and the like (think a potential Mother’s Day chocolate and wine tasting at Hartwell Market).
And while you stay tuned for what’s beyond the bar, one thing is certain: “any product that we launch will kind of follow a similar mantra.” $15 each, gift packs: $45 for three & $75 for five flavors,
springandmulberry.com
