MORGANTON, N.C. — Why would a couple from Vermont choose the small town of Morganton in the Foothills of North Carolina to move to and open a downtown store? "Because we fell in love with the town within a few hours of visiting," Sarah Merrill said.
Sarah and Craig Merrill opened Merrill Mischief, a candy and Christmas store in downtown Morganton, last year.
What You Need To Know
- Fudge originated in the United States, some stories claim, in Baltimore in the 1800s
- Fudge is made by mixing sugar, milk and butter, heating it to 240 degrees, and letting it cool
- Craig and Sarah Merrill moved to Morganton, N.C. from Vermont a few years ago and opened Merrill Mischief, a candy and Christmas store where Craig Merrill makes homemade fudge
The couple who previously lived in Vermont said their children were all grown up, and when they became empty nesters, they began to look around for a new place to call home.
"We came here on Tony, my brother Tony’s, suggestion and we fell in love with the place immediately, like literally within the first four, five hours," said Sarah Merrill.
Sarah Merrill is an artist, and her husband Craig Merrill made fudge back in Vermont.
“Why fudge? Fudge is happy. I mean, why not fudge? Everybody that tries fudge it always puts a smile on their face,” Craig Merrill said. He arrives at the store around 8 a.m. and creates the concoctions. He usually has around 18 different flavors.
“I have a lot of customers that say, ‘Hey, I don’t like fudge.’ And I say, ‘Well, have you tried my fudge?’ And they end up trying it, you know, like my apple pie or pumpkin pie, and they’re hooked!” Craig Merrill said.