Harbor Sweets Rings in 40 Years of Chocolate Bliss
Harbor Sweets, a longtime favorite New England chocolatier known for its iconic Sweet Sloops® and essential milk and dark chocolate gifts, is celebrating its 40th anniversary this month. To commemorate the special occasion, the company has introduced a new luxe line of handcrafted chocolates, Salt & Ayre that was several years in the making. The seven heavenly bite-size chocolates are made with the finest 70% dark chocolate and include Chai, Café au Lait, Hazelnut and Espresso, and three sea salt pieces Caramel with Himalayan Sea Salt, Crystallized Ginger with Thai Ginger Sea Salt, and Almond Buttercrunch Toffee garnished with Chipotle Sea Salt.
“We’ve been asked by retailers and customers to create a truffle line, but have waited until now to introduce the best possible product. We’re confident that we have a stellar and unequal handmade dark chocolate that both our current fans and new ones will savor,” said Harbor Sweets’ CEO & Owner Phyllis LeBlanc. “Salt & Ayre’s sky blue contemporary packaging is a standout and was widely embraced at the Summer Fancy Food Show.” Salt & Ayre ranges from $5.00 to $28.00 MSRP.
Harbor Sweets has grown significantly since its humble beginnings back in 1973. Today, the company employs over 100 people, and has several product lines such as its Classics with original nautical designs of Sweet Sloops, Sand Dollars, and Marblehead Mints. Its Dark Horse Chocolates, a special equestrian themed line for horse enthusiasts, plus its Perennial Sweets, a line launched twelve years ago that embraces gardening. Each year, close to a quarter of a million Harbor Sweets chocolate packages are sold and shipped to the White House and to far-flung locations such as Switzerland and Japan. Specialty gift shops and boutiques sell its premium products across the United States.
What is unique is what has not changed at Harbor Sweets in four decades. The company still employs its original chocolate making techniques using copper kettles and wooden paddles, combined with the finest local ingredients of fresh butter and cream. It embraces its personal connections with its retail and direct customers. Moreover, it supports the community, rehires seasonal, and part time neighborhood workers, many of whom are 20-year veterans to work the line. Extraordinary is that Harbor Sweets does not outsource and continues to work steadily from its only factory, a red brick non-automated building where uncompromising hands-on manufacturing is the norm.
LeBlanc attributes Harbor Sweets’ longevity to its ability to apply the simple age-old concept of the Golden Rule, “treat others with honor and respect as you yourself would want to be treated” and not rushing the R&D process. The chocolatier’s stellar reputation can be seen in the custom orders for the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Massachusetts Financial Services, Putnam Investments, Metropolitan Opera, the Guggenheim Museum, and the Smithsonian Institution.
“We have growth on our mind at Harbor Sweets and are looking for new audiences that appreciate exceptional, tasting experiences like Salt & Ayre,” says LeBlanc. “We’re ready for Harbor Sweets to no longer be a hidden gem, treasured by friends and family, but a sparkling one that’s always in demand.”
About Harbor Sweets® – An American chocolate tradition since 1973, Harbor Sweets produces handcrafted artisan chocolates from its historic red brick building in Salem, Massachusetts. The chocolatier is best known for its flagship Sweet Sloops®, an almond butter crunch sailboat with a jib of white chocolate floating in dark chocolate with a pecan spindrift washing its sides, along with collectible gift packages that celebrate coastal New England. Harbor Sweets’ factory offers weekly tours. The company was recognized in 2011 and 2012 as one of the top 100 Women Led Businesses in Massachusetts. www.harborsweets.com
Twitter: @harborsweets @darkhorsechoc
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