Gourmet Candy

Trends in Treats (From page 169) knows it’s best to limit in-house supply to peak flower buying periods.

Staying local is important to McIntosh and her long-standing association with Chocolate Necessities causes many regular customers to unconsciously link the two businesses. “Sometimes they’ll want to pair different chocolates we only carry during the holidays with a floral arrangement. They’ll say ‘Oh, you’re not offering it now?’ but we’ll usually relent and launch into our old spiel of this, this plus the price points!”

First quarter sales were strong at Nandy’s Candy in Jackson, Miss., and there’s every indication the trend will continue. “Candy and sweets are something that always bring comfort and joy,” said Emmie King who now runs the business her mother started 42 years ago. “No matter how bad the day is, you either need

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What Practices Put In Place During The Pandemic Restrictions Will Be Kept? Why?

At family owned and Vermont-based The Village Chocolate Shoppe in Bennington and The Village Peddler and Chocolatorium in East Arlington, hand sanitizer and masks remain on offer. “Probably the most significant thing is requiring that all our employees be vaccinated,” said Denise Monte, a daughter of the owner. The Monte family operates the stores. “Most of our employees continue to wear masks too because although we know our own status, we don’t know necessarily know the status of our customers.”

No-contact flower delivery – once a staple of the pandemic – is still practiced in many instances by M & M Floral & Gifts in Bellingham, Wash. The florist seldom schedules morning deliveries and always calls ahead in warm weather if they plan to leave a floral arrangement on the porch. “Flowers will wilt and any chocolate add-ons will melt!” said Owner Mary Sue McIntosh. “Still, we’ll wait if we sense it’s an older person who’s slowly coming to the door. It’s nice to hand them an order rather than expect them to bend over and pick it up.”

Nandy’s Candy in Jackson, Miss., shortened its hours during the height of pandemic restrictions and they’ve kept the policy in place to a certain extent. “Not a whole lot – just closing an hour earlier on Saturdays now and closing altogether for the three-day summer holiday weekends of Memorial Day, the 4th of July and Labor Day. It doesn’t really affect my bottom line and I’d rather give people the time off. It helps boost morale,” Owner Emmie King said.

Signage outside Classic Flowers & Confections in Cypress, Calif., continues to recommend that all who enter wear a mask. “As people come in, we encourage them to put one on. We have to be careful,” Owner Rosa Solis said. ❖ a piece or maybe your friend does!” During the warm months customers gravitate towards more summertime treats inside her 1,750-square-foot production facility which devotes 350-square-feet to retail space. They want things that travel well – items like s’mores, caramel popcorn and Jelly Belly gourmet jellybeans. Despite their sticky nature, pralines are in demand too since they’re such a staple in the South. “Tourists passing through ask for them as do locals hosting family gatherings.”

King relies on creative merchandising to increase sales. “I think it’s all about packaging and creating gifts that go together. When people want to give something to someone, they may consider gifting a mug or a plate –items that are more of a keepsake. So, we think why not fill it with candy?” By way of example, Nandy’s Candy features cute little pie tins filled with chocolates shaped like the state of Mississippi. “It’s a very popular item for customers to gift to other people in state or out. People like something that’s ready to pick up and go – something that is already wrapped and looks like a gift when they walk out the door.”

As for what’s new in the world of candy, King has seen Hot Cocoa Bombs give way to Smash Cakes – confections that resemble giant cupcakes but come complete with a little hammer to better access the candy that lies hidden within. “You can fill them with M&Ms or chocolate gold coins or just about any kind of small candy you can think of.” Nandy’s Candy has created large Smash Cakes (or Smashers as they’re also known) to serve as birthday party centerpieces intended for people to share.

When pairing floral arrangements with sweets, Classic Flowers & Confections in Cypress, Calif., puts a slight spin on proceedings. “We have freshly baked pastries like macarons, brownies, gooey chocolate chip cookies and lemon bars,” explained Owner Rosa Solis “So customers have a variety of confections to choose from if they want to include a box of them when ordering flowers.” If someone is browsing flowers on the shop’s website, they can click on the Flowers and Sweets selection and get the same thing.

The French confections known as macarons are particularly colorful and pair nicely with floral arrangements. Classic Flowers & Confections sells macarons individually but packs of seven and fourteen are also available. People stopping in to get flowers can also take a seat at one of several tables located inside and outside to order tea or a beverage along with a confection. Fresh flowers and freshly made treats – now that’s a winning combination! ❖