Tracy Morgan and her husband, Sean Morgan, are the creators of "Grown Up Gummies," wine-infused gummy candies that come in a variety of shapes, including mermaid tails, dinosaurs, ducks, sharks, octopuses and race cars.
The idea started after Tracy Morgan came across a recipe online.
"I saw a special on Pinterest about wine gummies, and I like my wine and I like gummy bears, so I tried that recipe and it was terrible," Tracy said. " So, I thought there has got to be a way to make this taste good."
Perfecting the recipe was not easy.
It took Tracy and Sean about a year.
"We'd make two or three batches a month and it failed," Tracy said. "Then we finally came across the recipe we use now."
Once they had a recipe they liked, the Morgans began giving the gummies as Christmas gifts to friends.
"And they were just blown away," Tracy said. "They said you have to find a way to make this legal.. to sell this."
Working with the North Carolina Department of Agriculture, the couple launched "Grown Up Gummies" in 2018.
"You hear them say 'Grown up Gummies,'" Sean said. "That's the first thing that draws them over.. and they're very interested in what makes them grown up, it's been a real big success."
Today, Grown Up Gummies are sold online at Grownupgummies.net. You can also find them on the company's Facebook page, at festivals and at five retailers, including the Made in NC Store in downtown New Bern, which features products made across the state.
"It's a good mix," said Amanda Wentworth, the store manager of the NC Made store in Newbern. "Being in downtown Newbern, we get a lot of traveling people coming through looking for those unique, interesting items made here."
The Morgans are proud of their product. They believe the wine gives the candy a flavor that sets it apart from traditional gummy candy.
"It has a unique flavor," Tracy said. "You can taste that essence of wine. A lot of people tell us it's their happy product. It's what they go to when they need a boost or a lift."
The couple also offers a wide variety of shapes, making each bag unique. Their gummies are made in the shape of sharks, octopuses, race cars, dinosaurs, mermaid tails and more. They have 150 to 200 shapes, so no two bags are alike.
While the shapes may vary from bag to bag, each package shares one thing in common: It's proudly made in North Carolina.
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