Durham caramel maker's treats included in Emmy 2022 gift bags

DURHAM, N.C. (WTVD) -- Caramel maker Dr. Monkey's Ridiculously Good Caramels was included in this year's Emmy gift bags to be given to the celebrity attendees.

Dr. Monkey's Ridiculously Good Caramels was created in Durham and is run by husband and wife duo Jeff and Bridget Levy.

"We make caramel the old-fashioned way. We wrap it by hand in wax paper and we sell it wherever we can. In the past, we've participated in farmer's markets and that sort of thing, and now we're in a few local stores." Jeff Levy said.

Though the official business is fairly new, Jeff has been making caramel and sharing it with family and friends for quite some time.

"So I started making them seven or eight years ago, and my daughter wanted some caramel and she was getting her braces off and I found a recipe and tweaked it a little, made it, and then everybody loved it and it just kind of grew from there. We went legit last year in 2021, formed an LLC and started pushing the business." Jeff Levy said.

Their caramels have gained recognition. Last year, they earned the first prize in their division at the North Carolina State Fair. Inclusion in this year's Emmy swag bags is the most recent achievement.

"We sent 60 half-pound bags and they were part of this huge giving suite where there are tons of different products that the presenters and the winners can choose from. So somewhere in Los Angeles, there are 60 celebrities of some sort that now are lucky enough to have a bag of Dr. Monkey caramels." Bridget Levy said.

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The Levys are hoping that this latest honor of being included in the Emmy gift bags will help them spread the word about their caramels.

"I think one of the bylines that Jeff has gone by for years is that the side effects of the caramels are happiness and smiling," Bridget Levy added. "So I think that if we got more people to be a little happy and to smile a little more with some caramel it's not a bad idea. That's what it's all about. Just having fun."