+ New Improved Flavor! Companies everywhere seem to think that changing their products will increase sales. From the “new” Coke to putting purple horseshoes in Lucky Charms, big businesses love to change. And doesn’t it seem that the best tasting treats get changed the fastest? In the late spring of 2008, the 117 year old [...]

I have always known that Jelly Belly manufactures more than their trademark jelly bean; however, my knowledge of the rest of their product line is rather limited. I attribute this fact mostly to price issues. As anyone who sees Jelly Belly products already knows, they are considered to be a gourmet line of candy widely [...]

I love Christmas. I am a fool for all things holiday. I celebrate September, October, and November 25th as 3 months, 2 months, and 1 month until Christmas, respectively. The tree goes up and the carols come out as soon as the turkey is finished, and December 26th is the darkest day of my year. [...]

A side-effect of doing the Great Chocolate Experiment posts is that I’ve become a lot more inclined to try unusual chocolate bars when I see them in stores. After all, if even my hopelessly amateurish attempts at candy-making can make unlikely combinations like garlic and chocolate taste good, then how much better will a professional [...]

To me Godiva is like the Starbucks of chocolate. It’s a bit pretentious, often overpriced and it’s available everywhere, lurking in book stores, airports, hotels, even clothing stores. But, just like Starbucks, Godiva knows how to deliver. The company’s chocolates are pricey but consistently good. The Godiva people also know how to saturate a market, [...]