Béquet Confections: The Story Behind These Delicious Made-In-Montana Treats

Béquet Confections. We're sure you've heard of 'em! And if you haven't, prepare to have your mind blown.

Based right here in Bozeman, MT, Béquet Confections is a company known for their incredible handmade caramels ranging in flavor from Classic to Celtic Sea Salt(R) and more explorative flavors like Salted Mocha.  

Recently, our creative content team had the opportunity to visit the Béquet Confections location. We toured their facility, got an inside look at their processes, and met some of their wonderful team members. Needless to say, we left in awe of the day-to-day operations of this unique Montana-based company! 

The History of Béquet Confections

Béquet was first launched in 2001 when Robin Béquet, the company’s founder, was influenced by her friends and family to take her passion for crafting gourmet caramel and turn it into something profitable. 

Robin began cooking in a rental unit that was basically the size of a storage closet, but luckily, her caramels were instantly a hit. When asked about her next big thing, she was able to create 3 flavors almost on the fly - one being Celtic Sea Salt(R), which even today, is the company’s best-seller. 

The demand for her caramels continued to grow, and as her sales were on the rise, she went into a building unit in Four Corners. Eventually, they expanded into a larger facility built to their specifications on Caramel Court. They have been there since 2010, consistently growing and experimenting with new flavors as more people fall in love with their caramel! 

In 2019, Béquet Confections joined the Life is Sweet family of brands. With over 150 years of experience in the confectionery industry, this company is proudly family-owned and operated in the USA.

How Béquet Caramels Are Made

 
Traditionally, caramel is crafted using copper kettles, however, upon careful consideration, the Béquet team recognized the vulnerability of copper to dents and dings due to its soft nature. As a result, the company made a conscious decision to transition to stainless steel, prioritizing the safety and integrity of their caramels for customers!

One way that Béquet has made a name for themselves is through innovative flavors. Some flavoring, like cocoa liquor, is added during the heating and mixing processes, while others, like sea salt, are added after the caramel has been cooked. The team’s creative minds and willingness to experiment have led to some delicious flavor combinations like their beloved Salted Mocha! Who doesn’t want to enjoy a blend of delicious salted chocolate caramel and espresso?

At this point, the caramel is made, but the process surely doesn’t end there. Once the caramel has completely cooled, it goes into a very specific cutting and packing process. Large slabs of caramel are stretched and shaped into bite-sized pieces. Every piece of caramel goes through a set of quality control procedures, including a highly sensitive metal detector, to ensure the caramels are absolutely pure. If impurities are detected, the caramel is removed from the batch to ensure the highest quality. 

Finally, each caramel is individually wrapped, sorted, and prepared for packaging. It’s a labor of love from start to finish!

Béquet Caramels At Montana Gift Corral

If you’ve been following us for a while, you know just how much supporting Montana businesses means to us. As a locally-owned company, we have a passion for meeting Montana companies and creators, learning about their craft, and sharing that with our audience! You’ll find a vast assortment of made-in-Montana goodies over in our Montana Gifts collection.