Are you a rookie?

We’re less than two weeks away from our first anniversary here at The Candy Store and we’ve had such an incredible year! We’ve gotten to know so many wonderful people as they’ve come through our door for snacks and delights. If you’re one of the few, however, who hasn’t yet had a chance to take in the sights, smells and tastes of The Candy Store, we understand it can be a little overwhelming at first (especially for the true chocoholic or sweet tooth!). So for the soon-to-be initiated, a survival guide of Ottawa’s sweetest spot:

1. Take your time. There is so much to see here and it really is so much fun to take it all in. Our goodies range from retro, gummies, licorice and bon bons to gourmet chocolates, nougat, British treats and, of course, our malt balls from New York City. With such an incredible array to choose from, you’re going to be thankful for a little extra time. And don’t forget to look behind the counter – it’s so easy to become mesmerized in the store that you don’t even notice our floor to ceiling jars behind the counter until the end – that’s not something you want to miss out on!

2. Make your own mix. With so much selection, it can really be hard to narrow down what you’d like to take home with you. Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered: you can mix our delicious bulk selections into your own personalized bag. There are bags and scoops around the store for you to help yourself and you can ask any of our cheery candy consultants for help with the over sixty types of items behind the counter. We have one rule: candy with candy and chocolate with chocolate. And yes, we DO have the patience to get you “one of everything from behind the counter.”

3. Ask, ask, ask! If you don’t know what something is or would like some recommendations, please ask us. There are candies and chocolates from all over the world at The Candy Store and we love to be able to share our knowledge of the origins, ingredients, tastes and stories surrounding our selections. We try everything we stock, so we’re an excellent resource.

4. Structure your visit. This is a tip for anyone coming to visit us with little ones: we’ve found they really love to make their own bags from behind the counter. Because we weigh our candy, you can set guidelines for them to follow while making their choices, such as a limit of 100 grams. This a sneaky way to get a little math into the day because after adding each candy we’ll put the bag on the scale for them to count up just how much they have left in their 100 gram allowance. Our veteran candy choosing little ones have gotten really good at learning how much individual pieces of candy weigh and it becomes a game. Alternatively, giving a dollar limit as a guideline works and makes them think about their candy in an entirely different way!

5. Give it a whirl. Our last tip is one of our favourites: Try something new! With so much to choose from, why not branch out a little and get something you wouldn’t otherwise try or find elsewhere. Are you a dedicated gummi girl? Try a few of our chocolate selections – we can even ease you into it with chocolate covered gummi bears. Already a total chocoholic? You might find yourself pleasantly surprised by our English bon bons!

Regardless of how you approach a visit to The Candy Store, we’re certain you’ll always have a sweet time!

Labels: Candy, chocolate, Maltballs, nougat

posted by The Candy Store @ 12:41 PM