Watching Herman Lanier make his candy is like witnessing passion materialize into something truly delicious. His all-natural, preservative-free, small-batch brittle has been a cherished delight for over 13 years now, rooted in a recipe passed down from his Aunt Marie in Northern Louisiana. In a small, certified kitchen tucked away in Washington, magic happens daily as Herman Lanier transforms his family’s legacy into brittle that will stay on your mind for weeks (as the author of this piece can attest).
Herman begins his process early each morning at 7 am, sometimes alone, sometimes joined by his family, as he produces 40 pounds of candied nuts a day.
His preferred nut? Macadamia, though he crafts a variety of flavors for his customers, both with and without chocolate. When a batch is destined for chocolate coating, Herman pours chocolate— sourced directly from California—into a machine that meticulously envelops each piece of brittle in just seven minutes, achieving the perfect, even coating. The smooth, precise process is deeply satisfying to watch, with Lanier’s eyes constantly on the pieces of candy in the making.
Before becoming a candy maker, Herman spent 32 years as a mechanical specialist at the University of Washington. “Oh, it helps for sure,” Herman says with a smile when asked if his mechanical expertise comes in handy for maintaining the equipment.
From candying the nuts to vacuum-sealing the bags (twice, for maximum freshness), every step of the 8 – hour process is completed in the certified kitchen of Lanier’s Fine Candies and under the guidance of Herman Lanier himself. The hum of production machines and the rich smell of chocolate fill the air as the various flavors of brittle are prepared from start to finish.
After each batch is made, Herman ships out his labor of love to eager customers across the U.S., fulfilling online orders and delivering to stores, including PCC. His brittle, beloved far and wide, delights anyone who gets to try. The embodiment of a family tradition and love for candy-making, Lanier’s Fine Candies is truly making the world a little sweater.
Hear from Herman Lanier himself as he candidly shares the story of his business, his passions, the lessons he has learned along the way, and the valuable advice he has gathered throughout his journey in an interview with NWMMSDC, conducted right in Lanier’s kitchen:
What’s your name, role, and business’s name?
My name is Herman Lanier. I’m called the Candy Man. The company is Lanier’s Fine Candies.
What does Lanier’s Fine Candies do?
We make brittle candy. All our candy is considered hard candy. We started with peanut brittle 50 plus years ago and we take our products and dip them in dark and milk chocolate.
How did your business start and why did you decide to start it?
It was – I was given a family recipe of peanut brittle back in the early 70s, and we played around with the candy. It took me maybe about 5 years to put my twist to it. And so, my sister-in-law took some candy one night to bowling and gave out some samples, and after returning home, she called and said: “We have orders.” So, it started from there – from just giving out some samples at the bowling alley.
And what happened then?
I worked for the University of Washington for about 32 years, and I tried to promote the brittle at the same time, but I couldn’t really move forward. So, I retired in 2011. I wanted to go after my little dream here, which is Lanier’s Fine Candies.
How has been pursuing your dreams going for you?
It’s going great. I love making candy, and when I’m making candy, it’s like a day I haven’t lived.
What is so rewarding to you about making candy? Why do you enjoy it?
Well, I love it because of what happens when I do demos. Customers will respond that they can’t believe they love the taste of it, and so that’s rewarding enough for me, just getting some great feedback from a product that I liked to design.
What does it mean to you to be a minority business owner?
Well, what it does, it means a lot because what happens is there’s no -if you have a product or a service and a great service, a great product, there’s no barriers, there’s not a color barrier there because if they consume and love it, they’re going to buy it. They don’t look at the color of your skin, they look at the quality of your product and the taste of 
your product.
In what ways has the Northwest Mountain Supplier Development Council supported you?
Lots of exposure. [The Northwest Mountain MSDC] will buy candy from me for various functions. Someone back then couldn’t do the packaging for my candy the way I wanted to but [the Northwest Mountain MSDC] gave me a lead where I ended up getting my packaging from. It’s been wonderful.
What are some challenges you had to face with your business and how did you overcome those?
Some of the challenges have been getting quality products. Sometimes, the peanuts have a lot of skin of them. The customer that consumes it, eats with the eyes first. So, one time during the pandemic, it was really hard getting great products. It was hard. And then, the prices shot up. We was able to stay in business during the pandemic, matter of fact my business couldn’t make products enough because of the website presence.
What do you wish your customers to know about Lanier’s Fine Candies?
I’d like for them to know that we make a hand-crafted product. We put a lot of time into it – a lot of effort and love. We use more nuts. If the product doesn’t look good to me, I use it for samples. They’re getting a great product every time. When we package our candy, we say 6 ounces, but I tell my daughter, what we do is that we insist on having on 6 plus ounces in there. Because we want to make sure our customers get more than what they’re paying for. If the customer likes it, they will come back and that has been part of our legacy so far.
What is some advice you would give other minority business owners?
Well, once you have a product or a service – just give it your best. It’s not an overnight success. It’s going to take some time, [it’s] going to take some effort. A lot of work, a lot of patience. So, my best advice would be if you find something you love to do and you can make some money off it, go for it. I love making candy. And I can make some money at the same time!
Thank you, Herman Lanier, for inviting the Northwest Mountain Minority Supplier Development Council over and for sharing your business, story, and passion.
Online shop: https://www.laniersfinecandies.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100067996422392
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laniersfinecandies/
You can also find Lanier’s Fine Candies at PCC stores, Cajun Seasoning and Spices, Made in Washington stores, and Evergreen Health gift shops.
If you would like to join Lanier’s Fine Candies in certifying your minority-owned business with the Northwest Mountain MSDC to gain access to corporate members and public agencies, please inquire here.
