Recently I had the pleasure of sitting down with Martin Wærn for his podcast, Letters from America, made together with the Embassy of Sweden. We talked about something close to my heart: what makes Swedish candy so special, and how I came to open a Swedish candy store all the way over here in Massachusetts. I wanted to share a little of that story with you here — and the episode itself.
Why I left Sweden to sell candy in America
I didn't set out to run an ordinary candy shop — I wanted to recreate something personal. Growing up in Sweden, our Saturday candy, lördagsgodis, wasn't just a treat; it was a tradition we shared as a family. I wanted my customers here, and the Swedish expats who miss home, to feel that same thing. So I packed up my family's recipes and my know-how, moved to the U.S., and eventually found my spot in the seaside town of Hull, Massachusetts.
The hardest part of building it from scratch
Starting over in a new country meant building almost everything myself — sourcing real Swedish candy, finding the right location, and introducing something most Americans had never tried. I didn't want candy that only looked Swedish. I wanted the real thing, flown in fresh, so it tastes the way it does back home. That's the promise my shop is built on.
What we sell — and what's not in it
At Nantasket Sweets, everything is chosen to feel familiar to my Swedish customers and a genuine discovery for first-timers:
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Fresh, flown-in Swedish pick-and-mix — sold lösviktsgodis-style, by weight, the Swedish way. You build your own bag.
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Small-batch chocolates I make by hand — including my sea salt caramels.
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Homemade fudge.
Something I'm proud of is what isn't in it. I use natural colours — from ingredients like beetroot and turmeric — and real cane sugar instead of high-fructose corn syrup. It's candy that tastes like Sweden, and candy you can feel a little better about.
How it's grown since 2020
What started as a personal dream has become one of New England's go-to spots for Swedish sweets. Since opening in 2020, I've welcomed Swedish expats after a taste of home and curious New Englanders trying it for the first time. And now we're taking the next step — a second store on Charles Street in Boston's Beacon Hill, opening in July 2026. It tells me what I believed from the very start: people don't just want candy, they want the memory that comes with it.
About Letters from America
Letters from America is a year-long video podcast made with the Embassy of Sweden in Washington, D.C., hosted by the Swedish storyteller and photographer Martin Wærn. He's travelling across the U.S. in an Airstream trailer, telling the stories of Swedish heritage in America — honouring the roughly 1.3 million Swedish immigrants who settled here, and the people keeping that heritage alive today. I was honoured he wanted to include my story, and our conversation about Swedish candy.
FAQ
Q. What is Nantasket Sweets by Swedes?
A. It's my Swedish candy store, which I opened in Hull, Massachusetts in 2020, with a second opening on Charles Street in Beacon Hill, Boston in July 2026. We sell imported Swedish pick-and-mix candy, small-batch chocolates I make by hand, and homemade fudge.
Q. Why did you open a candy store in America?
A. I wanted to bring the real taste and feeling of Swedish candy here — for the expats who miss home, and for Americans who'd never tried it. For me it was as much about sharing a memory as building a business.
Q. Where are your stores?
A. In Hull, Massachusetts, and from July 2026 a second store at 115 Charles Street in Beacon Hill, Boston. Both offer authentic, flown-in Swedish candy rather than local imitations.
Q. What makes your candy different?
A. I fly it in fresh from Sweden rather than making it to imitate the real thing, and I use natural colours and real cane sugar instead of high-fructose corn syrup. That, and the personal story behind it, is what sets Nantasket Sweets apart.
Q. What is Letters from America?
A. A video podcast and year-long U.S. road trip made with the Embassy of Sweden, hosted by Martin Wærn, telling the stories of Swedish heritage in America — including mine.
Closing
Getting to tell my story on Letters from America meant a great deal to me — it's not every day someone drives an Airstream to your candy shop to talk about home. If it's made you curious about real Swedish candy, I'd love for you to try some.
Build your own Swedish pick-and-mix online, or come visit me in Hull — and soon, on Charles Street in Boston.