The Land Down Under, Part 4: Sticky

 When the pandemic started, we all know how awful it was for small, family-owned businesses. Everyone had to find a way to swim, or let themselves sink, and it was truly a very difficult time for so many.

But one business, a candy shop in The Rocks of Sydney, found a way to "just keep swimming," and that way was to lean way into social media. Sticky, a shop with it's candy-making kitchen on view to anyone who would like to watch, started recording live streams on TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook. They upped their YouTube usage. Suddenly, they were getting millions of views from people stuck at home looking for something to watch. It turns out watching candy-making is rather mesmerizing. Suddenly, they were selling and shipping their candies all over the world. 

I came along to Sticky's Facebook a couple of years ago, caught by the magic of watching molten candy be molded into images, then manipulated into hard candies, called "lollies" in Australia.

Having watched Dave and his crew make candy more than once, I was excited to see them in person, so on Tuesday, I headed back to The Rocks to watch one of their Facebook live streams.

I arrived early, and chatted with Dave himself, and his helper for the day, Nick. While chatting, I also bought several bags of finished candy to bring home as gifts, and for sharing at next month's book club meeting, which I'm hosting with an Australian theme. 

This was my second day in Australia, and of course, before I could even arrive at Sticky, I needed my caffeine. I stopped at Starbucks, then wandered around The Rocks a bit waiting for the live stream time.

The seating at Starbucks is kinda cool. Discourages
working, encourages conversation.

Cannot miss that bridge.

This book handbag was adorable!

SO tempting, but the shop wasn't open yet.

I was excited to see Dave himself on the job for the live; he doesn't do all of them. I introduced myself as an American fan and we chatted with a mom and son from North Carolina for a bit before the live stream was to start. 

Dave making simple lollies before the live stream.

Nick helping

Another employee, Lily, came out promptly at 9:30 to man the phone they use to record the live stream. Meanwhile, she's responding to people in the chat of the live stream on her own phone, bantering back and forth with Dave and Nick, and making it just a fun, interactive experience. 

I was there for THIS live stream, a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles lolly that would later go in a set with others. 

Adding color to the molten candy.

Lily keeping tabs on the chat.

Adding flavors and mixing (the flavor was
strawberry for these ones).

Creating an image of Raphael the turtle from
hot, stretchy candy.

This part is cool--the candy design has been
made quite large, and now they are stretching
it out to a small cylinder so it can harden
and be chopped.

They always offer a little taste when they finish,
so this is the product of what I watched them
make. It took them an hour.

Below, a few random phone videos I took. It was really fun watching them, meeting some of the crew I've seen on Facebook so much, and buying some for souvenirs and gifts. My hat is off to David for not only surviving the pandemic, but thriving. 

I left happy, clutching a bag of candy and some Aboriginal art pieces from a shop next door. I had big plans for the afternoon--a trip to Taronga Zoo!