Baxendale began advising San Diego-based SD Realty, a real estate company now with its sights set on the fast-growing cannabis sector, last June, with production to start soon.
Rise in popularity
SD Realty is making a substantial investment into producing cannabis sweets due to the huge rise in their popularity.
“The company wants to launch a new side to its business, so initially I acted as a consultant on the kind of production equipment and raw materials it needed to buy as well as putting some recipes together,” said Baxendale.
“We then progressed to producing samples and now full production with a view to a launch in the next couple of weeks.
“There is a different attitude to cannabis in much of America as well as a recognition of its health benefits.
“The range of products that are available is astounding, and there is growing evidence it can promote good general health in addition to a host of other positive effects.”
Baxendale, from Wigan in the UK, has 25 years’ experience in the confectionery business with a Master of Science (MSc) in Advanced Food Manufacture.
He is a former product development manager for Chewits and is a national consultant in confectionery production, with extensive knowledge of regulation and legislation in the industry, advising companies on everything from recipes to staff training and enhanced production techniques.
Sweet Academy
He was also one of the stars of the hit BBC 2 confectionery show The Sweet Makers and is currently working to set up a National Academy of sweets to teach a new generation the art of confectionery production and development.
It’s not the first time Baxendale has explored the idea of cannabis in confectionery. In May last year, he partnered with The CBD Works to create a CBD-infused ‘lozenge-type sweet’, now on sale.
In partnership with our sister websites NutraIngredients, CosmeticsDesign and The Grocer, FoodNavigator will be hosting the CBD Global Summit, to profile the pioneering brands, cutting-edge science, regulatory know-how and consumer insight that businesses need to capitalise on the cannabidiol (CBD) opportunity.
The two-day event, held in London’s Park Plaza Victoria hotel on March 16-17, 2020, will bring together key themes linking the consumer demand and innovation that is propelling CBD, to the tough questions around science, supply and legality.
Specialist speakers and panellists will weigh in to discuss the role CBD can play across the food, drink, nutra and beauty aisles.
Experts from disciplines including food and drink, health and beauty, retail, pharma, medical science and biotech will probe the business, science and regulation around CBD.
