
January 20, 2025
WEYERHAEUSER – Built on a passion for crafting batches of homemade confections, Just Fudge has produced rich, handmade fudges in a variety of creative and traditional flavors for many years.
While the start of her business was unexpected, Owner Jenniffer Towers said she continues to elevate her fudge-making skills by taking each recipe to new heights.
A rather sweet journey
More than 25 years ago, Towers said she received a bundle of fudge as a gift from a friend during a girl’s weekend trip.
The gifter, she said, had also shared the fudge recipe with her.
What Towers could never have known at the time, she said, is after some tweaks to the recipe, it would later become the base of her future business.
“I made it for family and friends for years, but not once did I think I would be selling it one day,” she said.
Towers said she had often made other chocolates and candies before but had not experimented with making fudge until she received the original recipe.
However, she said, once she made it, the fudge quickly became a cherished family staple, especially during Christmas.
“I never intended to start a business,” she said. “It just happened.”
When the local Kiwanis chapter was planning to host a craft sale for their fall 2017 fundraiser, Towers said the group approached her with a request to contribute.
“Of course, I said ‘yes,’ and without even thinking, made eight different flavors of fudge to sell,” she said. “That was the first sale I participated in.”
The fudge was a big hit, Towers said, and soon, with the help of her daughter, Heather, she was in business – a journey she began in steps.
“We started going to shows and it just grew,” she said. “We started with small shows, then made some money to pay for the next batches of fudge and moved onto a more expensive show that made more money.”
Towers said opening and owning a business was new to her, and she credits her daughter’s organizational help with a website, social media and business essentials.

“Heather was my strength,” she said. “I had no idea where to even start, as I had never considered owning a business, let alone a business that was food orientated.”
Towers said there was much to learn, yet she received tremendous support.
“Just Fudge grew because of my whole family volunteering and supporting it,” she said.
Between her husband, parents, her grown children and their families, her sister Tammy and cousins – some of whom would drive for hours to help – Towers said the outstanding group effort has contributed to her success.
“It has turned into a family affair,” she said. “I’m truly blessed with the memories we have made, the time shared and the love shown.”
Challenges become dreams
With her business goals planned out, Towers said she began testing more recipes and started cooking her fudge out of her daughter-in-law’s family restaurant.
“It was a great beginning,” she said. “Customers and staff sampled a lot of fudge back then.”
Unfortunately, Towers said she would face her first big challenge as a business owner when the restaurant sadly burned down, immediately halting production of her products.
“It was not a fun moment in our fudge world,” she said.
Not ready to throw in the towel, Towers said she contacted Bob Lorkowski, a local businessman, in hopes of securing a new place.
She said Lorkowski had purchased the former Weyerhaeuser school and converted it into incubator spaces for new businesses, creating a perfect opportunity for Towers.
“He offered us a space in the kitchen along with two other small businesses,” Towers said.
She said Just Fudge also has a classroom for storage and an office area in the building.
Towers said she is exceptionally grateful to Lorkowski for his kindness, as it helped her to continue her business.
“He gave us that area rent-free for a year, and extended that through COVID-19 to help us out,” she said.
Towers said Lorkowski’s generosity continued, as he bought an additional empty building within the community and developed it into a retail shop.
“Just Fudge and more than 40 other local crafters now have a place to sell our products,” she said.
Towers said she has no plans to open her own storefront, but instead will sell at Gateway Gourmets in Bruce and other places in the area, plus at vendor events and shows.
“I’m happy to travel for shows, meet new people and run into repeat customers,” she said.

Orders can be placed through Just Fudge’s website (justfudgewi.com), Towers said, and her fudges can also be found at various vendor events in Wisconsin, as well as at a spring show in Shakopee, Minnesota.
She said her mother, Kathe, and others help her to prepare for shows.
“Sometimes we only need to cook one day a week,” she said, “and other times we are cooking every day for a week straight.”
The amount of prep work, including cooking, marketing and packing, Towers said increases when she is preparing for shows, but thankfully Kathe, Tammy and Heather lend a hand as needed.
“I couldn’t do the shows without them,” Towers said.
A menu of many flavors
Known for its indulgent sweetness and creamy texture, Towers said fudge is made from boiling sugar, butter and milk (or cream), stirring it continuously until smooth and leaving it to set.
She said Just Fudge specializes in this classic style but also offers a dairy-free line, as well as some soy-free flavors.
Most of their fudge, she said, is also gluten-free.
“Our fudge is handcrafted in small batches,” she said. “We do not add any stabilizers, gums or preservatives.”
As a traditionally soft dessert, Towers said she packages her fudge in small cups accompanied by a label and spoon for customers to enjoy on the go.
The combinations of flavors are endless, Towers said, and while Just Fudge stirs up more than 30 signature flavors, new ones are always on the stove.
“We make a variety of flavors using white chocolate, chocolate and dark chocolate fudge,” she said, “but new flavor ideas can come from anywhere and everywhere.”
Towers said customers can select from popular flavors like peanut butter, mint or traditional fudge, plus sink their teeth into more adventurous pairings and seasonal specialties.
“Our blueberry-lemon-lavender fudge came from a scone that Badger Brew in Rice Lake makes,” she said. “It’s the best scone ever, and it makes a great fudge, too.”
Towers said she has also considered customer requests when whipping up new flavorful batches.
“A customer had been asking for PB&J,” she said, “so we tried it this fall, and it was amazing.”
Towers said her list of flavor ideas is always growing as she finds inspiration from other foods.
However, she said, sometimes, finalizing the perfect recipe takes time.
“Some of the fudges just work with the first batch,” she said. “Others, like pumpkin cheesecake, took seven different batches and three years to get it right.”
When it comes to naming her offerings, Towers said simplicity is key.
“I try to not make it difficult,” she said. “I like to just name them by what’s in them, like our white chocolate-cherry-pecan-coconut fudge – it is what it is.”
While some names may be a mouthful, she said the product is worth every bite.
Towers said she has retained many of the flavors she has made throughout the years but replaced others as trends change.

“This last year, we have seen our best sellers be outsold by some of our more unique flavors,” she said.
Towers said these unique flavors include the white chocolate blueberry almond lavender; Mexican hot chocolate; white chocolate key lime cheesecake and German chocolate cake, but she has been making room for new additions as well.
“A few months ago, I made, for the first time, boozy white chocolate cinnamon bourbon,” she said. “This is the best fudge I have ever made, and it sells out quickly.”
Just Fudge also sells fudge trays, which Towers said are great for parties and also offers gift box assortments.
The next batch
Even with a strong collection of fudges, Towers said she is always working hard to make Just Fudge’s next product batches even better.
She said she is looking forward to seeing what the future holds for her business, including expanding product lines and building on tradition.
“A few fun things have started because of fudge,” Towers said. “Sometimes when the grandkids have a birthday, they get to pick any flavor of fudge or make up a new one. Then we make it for their birthday treat for school.”
When it comes to her business, Towers said she also plans to continue to involve those around her and support other small businesses.
“Some of our local school students taste-tested flavors, giving me wonderful feedback, as well as writing descriptions for some fudge flavors – some we have used for our website,” she said.
Towers said she is proud to partner with the area’s school for its biannual music department fundraiser, and other local businesses throughout the county have invited her to sell fudge during their special events.
Many others, she said, have offered their support by purchasing appreciation gifts to give staff during the holidays.
“My community has been a huge part of my business,” Towers said.
Looking ahead, she said she’s optimistic and has wholesome plans for her sweet endeavor, including new flavors for her dedicated customers and inspiring the younger generation.
“In the next five years, I hope to see more of my grandchildren involved with the business,” Towers said.
While there have been both challenges and triumphs, Towers said all have been great lessons that make her appreciate her business and customers even more.
“Cooking and making a great fudge starts with the ingredients – you must have good ingredients to make a great product,” she said. “Of course, you have to love what you do.”