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About Vermont Shortbread Company
In 1996, creative entrepreneur and food
lover Ann Zuccardy kitchen-tested some traditional shortbread
recipes, added a shake of this and a dash of that; infused
a bit of her own genius, and came up with the original recipe
for what is possibly the best-tasting shortbread on BOTH sides
of the prime meridian. Friends and neighbors who sampled the
goods were powerless to resist the rich, buttery shortbread
- "a taste of heaven melting in your mouth".
As Ann tells it, "I love food. I love
well-prepared food. I love sitting around a table for hours
eating and drinking too much. I love writing, thinking, and
talking about food incessantly. Ten years ago, I saw specialty
food as a hot growth industry and I was right… it’s
still growing and I’m in a great place to ride the wave."
A well-paying consulting stint as a tech writer afforded Ann
the best of three worlds: a flexible professional life, ample
time to spend nurturing her daughter; and the chance to slowly
develop her true passion, Vermont Shortbread Company.
Back in those days, Vermont
Shortbread was strictly a local phenomenon, lovingly prepared
in the kitchen of Ann's home and delivered by Ann herself
to a small crop of loyal customers. Today, the Vermont Shortbread
Company client base spans from coast to coast; and thanks
to the internet and enthusiastic word-of-mouth referrals,
Ann's shortbread is clearly going places -- this year, as
far as Nicaragua, Great Britain, and Korea!
Ann's gourmet treat has graced the tables
of many a blushing "Vermont Shortbride," arrived
on doorsteps at holiday time as "homemade goodness in
a gift box"; and served as a popular gift item for her
many small business and corporate customers. At the end of
2005, Ann and her husband built a commercial bakery in their
home and she's hoping that 2006 is the year she can officially
make Vermont Shortbread Company a booming specialty
food business. For Ann, the recipe for success includes
her prized shortbread oven; a stockpile of natural ingredients
including fresh, creamery butter, flour, nuts and assorted
flavorings; everything needed to package and ship shortbread
orders far and wide... and of course, a planet full of voracious
Vermont Shortbread fans!
In addition to shortbread, Ann's got other
creative ideas simmering on the back burner. She plans to
soon put her writing and teaching background to good use -
coaching fellow food entrepreneurs who are looking to expand
their own businesses. Ann serves on the Board of Directors
for Vermont-based non-profits, The
Burlington Currency Project and Child
Care Resource.
Ann credits an increase in local business
gift sales in 2006 to her recent acceptance for membership
to a BNI (Business Network International)
chapter. She is also on the Executive Board of Wild
Women Entrepreneurs, an organization that encourages women
entrepreneurs to reach their full potential in business and
in life.
Says Ann of her recent achievements, "Now
that I’ve built the facility in which to mass produce
my product, I've built a strong network, and I’m not
doing all the work alone, nothing can stop me." Whatever
happens, one thing's for sure... Ann's next shortbread endeavor
is sure to be a true culinary achievement.
Click
here to read Vermont Shortbread Company's Customer Policies |
