Confectioner Chat: Gabby Corpus on Launching Sweet Ghost, Sourcing Chocolate & More
Plus, the downright delightful allure of the naanwich and where to find one
Meet Sweet Ghost Founder Gabby Corpus
By Erin Edwards
I’m sure Gabby Corpus, the founder of Columbus-based Sweet Ghost, had better things to do than talking to me on the Thursday before Easter.
She’s a chocolate maker, after all.
“Preparing for Christmas is a bit more like a marathon, whereas Easter and Valentine's are a little bit more like a sprint,” Corpus says. This week, that means 8 a.m. to 2 a.m. workdays for the home-based confectioner.
Sweet Ghost’s line of gourmet chocolate bars, bonbons, marshmallows and baked goods first caught our eye at the Worthington Farmers Market. Columbus doesn’t have many gourmet confectioners, so we wanted to learn more about how Corpus got her start.
“One of the first jobs that I ever had was actually working in a chocolate store. I was looking just for some extra money,” says Corpus, who moved with her family to Columbus in 2008. Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory had a store in Polaris at the time, and Corpus says she practically begged the owner to hire her.
“He kind of took a chance on a 17-year-old kid, probably because he was very, very desperate, but I'm very grateful,” Corpus says. She enjoyed the job and ended up working there for three years.
After graduating from Ohio State and working in the corporate world for a few years, Corpus decided to make a change. “I wanted to do something for myself that makes me feel really happy, and that allows me to have a creative outlet,” she says.
Corpus launched Sweet Ghost as a home bakery in 2023, holding her first pop-up that December at Village Lights in German Village. She also did a bunch of pop-ups at the North Market, which allowed her to hone her product line based on customer feedback and sales—or lack of sales.
Her initial plan was to specialize in shiny, elegant chocolate bonbons. “But I wasn't really seeing the kind of sales and movement and excitement behind them,” she says. “Eventually, we kind of decided to take a simpler approach, and my husband was like, ‘I would just love a good candy bar.’ "
Consumers agreed and sales of Sweet Ghost’s chocolate bars soon started taking off.
“I think bonbons can be intimidating for people who might not know enough about them,” Corpus says, “but a candy bar, to me, is very synonymous with American candy and confection culture.”
Today, Sweet Ghost offers a variety of chocolate bars, including limited-run flavors like masala chai caramel as well as what Corpus calls the “core four.”
The most popular item by far, Corpus says, is the Berry Blast, a dark chocolate bar with freeze-dried strawberries, raspberries and blueberries. Second is a dark chocolate bar topped with roasted and salted pistachios. Next is the turtle bar, a milk chocolate nod to the OG pecan, caramel and chocolate confection. Rounding out the core four is the Strawberry Supreme in which white chocolate is mixed with freeze-dried strawberries and topped with even more red berries.
One thing that sets Sweet Ghost apart is that it sources chocolate from Valrhona, the French premium chocolate manufacturer.
“The reason I love Valrhona is because not only do I think they make a fantastic tasting product, but I like the way that they do business,” Corpus says, noting that Valrhona has a Certified B Corporation designation. “They source ethically. They pay their farmers well. … They try to [follow] very sustainable farming practices.”
In addition to chocolate, Sweet Ghost also offers baked goods like delightfully sinful salted shortbread chocolate chip cookies. Akin to a buttery and dense cookie dough, each cookie is dotted with 63-percent dark chocolate chips and feels almost comically heavy in your hand.
More recently, Corpus added giant marshmallows to her product mix. Flavors range from classic vanilla bean marshmallows to monthly marshmallow flavors like mint chocolate chip (March) and toasted coconut (April).
What’s next for Sweet Ghost?
“We're just growing really quickly—which is great—but we need more space,” Corpus says, adding that she is actively looking to move Sweet Ghost into a commercial kitchen.
You can order Sweet Ghost treats at thesweetghost.com, where you’ll also find an extensive list of retail locations that carry its products. On Saturdays, you can find Sweet Ghost’s table at the Worthington Farmers Market. Otherwise, look for Sweet Ghost’s products at Weiland’s Market, Littleton’s Market, Charmy’s Market (formerly Hills Market Downtown) and Beechwold Farm Market.
Behold the Naanwich
By Bethia Woolf
A tender seekh kebab—your choice of chicken, beef or lamb—wrapped like a mummy in garlicky, buttery strips of naan and cooked to juicy perfection in the tandoor. This new delicacy is spicy, meaty, crispy and downright delightful.
We’re talking about the viral naanwich, which recently landed in Columbus.
The naanwich is said to have been first crafted by chef Akbar Singh, the tandoor master behind the UK’s Chef Platters in Manchester. Honestly, why didn’t anyone think of this before?! Especially in a country so partial to sausage rolls and with so much Indian food, I don't know why it took so long.
Closer to home, Tandoori Grill owner Syed Abbas saw a video of the dish on Instagram and was immediately captivated. His restaurant makes seekh kebabs and naan so it was easy for him to start playing around with the concept. His kids, friends and staff all enjoyed it—and now you can, too.
Get your hands on this cult favorite from 11:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Thursdays only at Tandoori Grill on Bethel Road.
Thanks for the tip on Valrhona chocolates. T