Did anyone see Valentine Kissables on the shelves this year?
I didn't.
I miss all the great seasonal color variations of Kissables! And come to think of it, I haven't seen many packages of Kissables around lately, period. Is this line being phased out?
UPDATE: I spotted one bag of Valentine Kissables on the clearance rack at Target today. So there's hope!
This Easter will be the final season for Joseph Schmidt Confections, according to an article in the San Francisco Chronicle yesterday.
The Schmidt line is owned by The Hershey Company via its Artisan Confections Company subsidiary. Hershey had announced the closing of the Schmidt facility in San Francisco just a few weeks ago.
I had noticed recently that Schmidt truffles and gift boxes were no longer available at Hershey's Chocolate World and feared the worst. The Joseph Schmidt site seems to be fully up and running, with no announcement of any kind; indeed, it features current Valentine confections that may be ordered online. If you're a Joseph Schmidt fan, as I am, you may want to place an order just for old time's sake.
Food & Wine Magazine issued its list of the top five milk chocolate bars, and The Hershey Company snared two of those five spots.
Coming in at Number Two: the Dagoba Organic Milk Chocolate bar. Dagoba is part of Hershey's Artisan Confections subsidiary.
And the Number Three bar on the list: the Hershey's Symphony bar.
Not a bad showing!
The Hershey Company announced yesterday that it will close the West Coast production facilities for its Joseph Schmidt and Scharffen Berger lines.
Joseph Schmidt and Scharffen Berger are two components of Hershey's Artisan Confections Co., a subsidiary specializing in premium chocolates. Dagoba Organic Chocolate of Ashland, Oregon also produces high-end chocolate under the Artisan Confections umbrella. Hershey acquired both the Schmidt and Scharffen Berger companies in 2005.
Sadly, jobs will be affected — reportedly, 150 jobs will be affected in this move to consolidate production and cut costs.
February is Hershey's secret season. No, Hersheypark isn't open. Visitor counts are low. We're a little short on hours of daylight.
But that makes February one of the best months to visit! You can get into some great restaurants without a wait, there's an impressive new museum to explore, the trees are often covered in snow or frost at the Hershey Gardens (half-price admission and the makings for some awesome wintry photographs!) and last, but not least -- you can hit some Chocolate-Covered February events!
Chocolate-Covered February is in its fifth year, and it's not just some random tourist bureau "event." There are some outstanding special chocolate-themed meals, seminars and treats around town in February. Whether you'd like to take in a $55 chocolate and cognac pairing with dessert buffet or you want to take the kids to Hershey's Chocolate World for free samples after the ride, there's something for every age and every budget. Guest chefs and notables often appear during the month to offer their expertise as well -- and it's a real treat to watch Joseph Schmidt or John Scharffenberger talk about their passion for chocolate, or to enjoy a meal of Alison Barshak's inspired creations.
So check out the event list and choose a few. Don't forget that many events require pre-registration. And immerse yourself in Chocolate-Covered February.
Champagne Truffle Kisses are back! If you missed out on this ultra-limited edition offering last year, you have another chance to buy Champagne Truffle Kisses. They're a perfect hostess gift, great for celebrating the New Year and, as you might expect, they make a nice little addition your desk drawer.
Way back in March, the line of Starbucks chocolates was launched with great fanfare here in Hershey. Why? While it's not easy to spot on the packaging, the Starbucks chocolates are manufactured by Artisan Confections Company, which is owned by The Hershey Company.
Slowly but surely, the line surfaced at Hershey's Chocolate World, department stores and select grocery stores. The hard-to-find Caramel Macchiato Truffles were sometimes spotted at wholesale clubs. And occasionally, a surprise addition to the Starbucks line-up would appear. Interestingly, there were no Starbucks Chocolates sold in a place you might expect them to be sold — in those ubiquitous Starbucks coffeehouses.
Just a few weeks ago, I spotted Starbucks Milk Chocolate Bars and Mocha Dark Chocolate Bars in the "factory overstock" area of Chocolate World and immediately thought the worst: that perhaps this line wasn't doing well enough to continue. That was depressing — this is some seriously good chocolate, REAL chocolate in an increasingly mockolate world.
But last week, I was stunned to see new Starbucks truffles at Target. In addition to the Caramel Macchiato Truffles, there were Gingerbread Latte Truffles, Eggnog Latte Truffles and Peppermint Mocha Truffles. Oh, happy day!
Maybe the Starbucks line will continue after all. Maybe Starbucks Chocolates will someday even be sold at Starbucks stores. But in the meantime, do yourself a favor and hurry to the nearest Target and snap up a few of these holiday offerings. They make most excellent hostess gifts. Or a tasty little stash for your desk drawer. Just sayin'.
Now that Halloween is in the rearview mirror, Christmas goodies have hit the shelves around Chocolatetown.
Actually, they hit the shelves at Chocolate World about a month ago, so the huge crowds at the AACA Fall Meet could take home some minty goodness. But this week, I've seen Hershey's Candy Cane Kisses, Mint Truffle Kisses and Limited Edition Mint Miniatures on grocery store shelves, so the holiday candy season is in full swing.
No sign of the Bliss Creme de Menthe Meltaways, however — after a brief appearance at Chocolate World, I haven't seen them anywhere. And unfortunately, there's been no sign of the Limited Edition Mint Kisses around here; they were my favorite Hershey holiday offering.
Visit Hershey's Chocolate World right after the AACA Fall Meet and you're almost certain to see Christmas confections on the shelves.
Yes, it's not even Halloween yet, and all of the autumn Limited Edition Kisses (Caramel Apple, Pumpkin Spice and Candy Corn) were available. But there was the unmistakable scent of mint in the air, and there they were: Hershey's Mint Miniatures, Candy Cane Kisses and — what?!? — Creme de Menthe Bliss!
Yes, the mint meltaway Bliss is off the production lines. The Creme de Menthe version brings the number of Bliss varieties to six:
The Creme de Menthe version has a strong peppermint flavor, but it mixes well with the sweet milk chocolate. This would be a perfect after-dinner treat!
Because October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I've been seeing a lot of pink-themed items in the grocery store aisles. It seems as though manufacturers have been piling on to the campaign to build awareness and fund research for a cure. And that's a Good Thing™.
The Hershey Company has done its part for breast cancer research by sponsoring the annual Tour de Pink and by releasing limited edition pink-wrapped chocolates each year for the past four years. This year, I've noticed York Peppermint Patties, Hershey's Nuggets and Hershey's Kisses all wrapped in pink foil.
With half of October still ahead, there's plenty of time to support the cause and donate to the cause of your choice..and pick up a few pink-wrapped goodies for the office while you're at it.