In 1990 when I was 16, I fell in love with all things culinary when I started working in the restaurant business in Ocean City, Maryland.

Fast forward to 2018, I have been in food service: beer, wine, liquor and food sales, as well as marketing and development for the past 24 years. I have befriended hundreds of operators in the hospitality industry. I love helping people with ideas and creating fun culinary and libation concepts.

Creating fun ideas for a customer in 2011 is how all of this nuttiness evolved.

John owner and operator at Crabs to Go in Berlin, Maryland asked me if I could help him with his menu; I could. We also started dating and I have been having a blast working a lot and keeping John happy with great meals and treats.

One day in 2018 he was eating a standard peanut bar complaining that it was hard as a rock. “Well, then STOP eating it!!! I will make you peanut brittle tonight!” I had never made it but how difficult could it be..

Well it wasn’t as easy as I thought, too soft, gritty, too salty…UGH!

After about 10 batches and switching around the recipe to using natural and top-notch ingredients we think we nailed it! I often hear ..

“This is the best brittle I have ever had!!”

“Can you add cashews and almonds to it?” He asked. Of course I could!

I was making small batches, quite a few batches a week because all of our friends and families were eating it as fast as I could make it.

This is when we decided to sell it in the restaurant and now it is my full time job!

In 2020, we created Clare’s Nutty Concoctions LLC, with the inspiration to make several brittles and treats with nuts. First, we are starting with the brittle that inspired us.

I’m still making it in small batches, for quality control. Of course with John still as my taste tester.

I have named it Golden Brittle after our precious and fun golden retriever Scarlett. When I’m not in the restaurant making brittle, we are enjoying life with Scarlett on or around the water.

Golden Brittle is available at Crabs to Go in Berlin, Maryland

Thank you and enjoy! Clare Shockley

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