All along the Kitsap Peninsula, it seems the Sugarplum Fairy has sprinkled a little magic sugar dust to bring smiles to kids and grown-ups alike. After all, who doesn’t like a little chocolate, bonbon or peppermint wrapped in a big bow this time of year? To find a special treat, explore the sweet shops of Poulsbo, Bainbridge, Bremerton, Port Orchard or Gig Harbor to create your own chocolate tour.
First Stop: Gig Harbor
The Gig Harbor Candy Co. is owned by Patti and Phil Michelsen, with their son, Jordan, helping to manage the business. While Gig Harbor Candy Co. doesn’t have a storefront, the chocolate is locally crafted and sold in various locations, including Harbor Greens, Metropolitan Market, Town and Country Market (both Bainbridge and Poulsbo), Direction Apparel, Finholms, Safeway stores, Fred Meyer stores, Rosedale Garden and Local Whimsy.
The history of this company goes way back to the 1990s. There was a candy shop in the same mall as Gig Harbor’s El Pueblito restaurant. The original owner sold the company to his neighbors, Joe and Lori Bowman, who moved the company to their home and made candies only during the holidays. Phil Michelsen sent some toffee to his elderly father, who just loved every bite. When his father wanted more, Michelsen couldn’t get it because it wasn’t the holidays. So, what did he do? In 2014, Michelsen convinced the Bowmans to sell him the company. Initially, the Michelsens had three recipes, and candy began to flow to Phil Michelsen’s dad.
Gig Harbor Candy Co.
“Joe Bowman came to our house to teach us how to make candy, and we began selling at local farmers markets. Harbor Green’s buyer tried it, wanted to put it in their store, and the company grew from there,” Patti Michelsen said. “It’s been a great adventure, and we have such terrific employees who are really the heart and soul of our candy.”
Gig Harbor Candy Co. specializes in dark or milk chocolate sea salt caramels, dark or milk chocolate English toffee, vanilla English toffee, Tiger Butter Espresso Butter and, especially for the holidays, peppermint bark. It also offers a sugar-free variety of sea salt caramel. To have a sample of Gig Harbor Candy Co. chocolates, visit the factory, located at 2310 Mildred Street West, suite C101, in University Place. Call 253-310-5252 or go to gigharborcandycompany.com for online orders.
Next: Port Orchard
The Candy Shoppe, owned by Theresa and Sean Ross, is a family-run business, with all family members contributing to its operation. Like the Gig Harbor Candy Co., this charming little shop in downtown Port Orchard has been around for a long time. It’s actually the shop’s 25th anniversary; however, the Ross family only purchased the business this last spring.
The Candy Shoppe
“It was just a serendipity moment that all matched,” said Sean Ross. “Theresa had this idea to sell candied nuts. Her parents are small-business owners, and she’s been wanting to do something like this for a long time.”
The family had been regular customers at The Candy Shoppe. One day, Theresa Ross was at the shop, chatting with then owner Tami Spore, who was thinking of selling.
“When Theresa told me that, we did not think twice. We just jumped. And Tami was so great, teaching Theresa how to make the fudge and haystack candy,” Sean Ross explained.
The family has big dreams for the shop. “We want it to be the jewel of Bay Street and to have so much cool stuff, it is a must-stop,” Sean Ross said.
In addition to fudge, the shop offers a wide selection of gummies from the Albanese Gummy Factory in Indiana, foreign candies, European chocolate bars, novelty candies reminiscent of the 1950s and 1960s, toys, games and even socks.
The business is open seven days a week and is located at 833 Bay Street. More information is available at thecandyshoppe.org, or call 360-874-2576.
Third Stop: Bremerton
Amy’s Decadent Chocolates is owned by Amy Jablonski, who created the shop over 20 years ago in a location that was initially just a commercial kitchen, evolving into the sweet shop it is today.
Amy’s Decadent Chocolates
“My mother taught me how to make chocolates. My recipes were originally my grandmother’s, passed on to my mom. I made adjustments to get the larger batches,” Jablonski explained while offering a sweet sample.
Just walking into the shop, with chocolate smells oozing into every pore, it’s pretty easy to see why Amy’s Decadent Chocolates received WestSound Magazine Readers’ Choice Award many times. There’s an old-fashioned milkshake blender for rich shakes, waffle cones for huge ice cream cones and rows and rows of chocolates in beautiful cases. Each piece of chocolate is handcrafted. Blocks of fudge, creams, caramels and chocolate-covered nut confections are each molded or rolled into a little bit of perfection.
Jablonski ensures that the products used in her chocolates are all locally sourced. For example, for the peanut butter cups, she uses Kingston’s CB Nuts. For her prized dipped apples, she uses Washington state Granny Smith varieties.
“I won’t compromise the real ingredients. I use butter, sugar. Not coconut oil. Everything is from scratch,” she said.
Nowadays, Ester McKay makes the chocolates for Jablonski. She has been making chocolates for the last 13 years, giving Jablonski the chance to just savor what she loves about her shop.
“I eat chocolate every day. Eat dessert first, right?” she said, laughing. “During the holidays, we always have chocolate Santas, peppermint caramel apples, peppermint marshmallows. We are seasonal. In the summer months, we have blackberry marshmallows.”
Amy’s Decadent Chocolates is open seven days a week and is located at 2801 6th (6th and Wycoff). Boxes can be specially made, and chocolates are gift-wrapped. Go to amysdecadentchocolates.com for information and online orders, or call 360-377-2252.
Next Stop: Poulsbo
My, oh my, Sugarplum Fairy did give an extra dusting to this wonderful town. Just off Highway 310 is ChocMo, owned by Peter and Colleen Crabtree and part of the Crabtree Kitchens enterprise. A very modern, warm, glamorous entry invites guests to ChocMo on one side and Crabtree Kitchen + Bar on the other. ChocMo bustles with families, first responders, students and moms, with patrons savoring crepes, salubrious coffees, crepes, sandwiches and, especially, chocolate croissants with whipped cream on top. The gem is the chocolate counter with row upon row upon row of confections, each a little work of art.
ChocMo
Colleen Crabtree, Peter’s mother, says the Crabtree family had a farm and were part of the Market Animal Program. This is where the kids learned to raise and sell the animals. Then, in high school, Peter Crabtree developed a fondness for chocolates.
“He was always very, very entrepreneurial,” she said. “When he was in high school, he learned to make truffles. Peter sold them at school, then at farmers markets. He bought his first chocolate equipment from the money he made selling animals. I think he was about 16.”
That was over 20 years ago. Today, the business is multifaceted and thriving. As for the chocolates, they, too, are thriving. Cameron Heyes, who was raised in Poulsbo, is the company’s head chocolatier. For the truffles, a ChocMo’s specialty, Heyes starts with the outside first, with a giant slab of ganache. The fillings are added and rolled. The company acquired Bainbridge Island’s L’Atelier Chocolates in 2022, and these molded chocolates take days and are simply beautiful works of art that look like little roses, lemon pieces or even a friendly dog.
For the holidays, there will be special flavors, including eggnog, cranberry orange, peppermint mocha and pumpkin spice. The shop sources its chocolates from responsible small farmers in the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua, and handles the entire process of roasting the cocoa beans. Look for ChocMo’s own bean-to-bar chocolates.
ChocMo is open seven days a week and is at 19225 8th Avenue NW, suite 101. Call 360-930-0283 for information. Orders can be placed at chocmo.com.
Another Stop in Poulsbo
Boehm’s Chocolates of Poulsbo, owned by Suzanne Suther and Karen Suther, is part of a legendary Northwest brand. It was the first-hand dipped chocolate in the Northwest, far before Dilettante and Fran’s. Go back 85 years, imagine the tall trees and the ruralness of Western Washington. There was this chocolate maker named Julius Boëhm. He was born at the end of the 1800s and raised in Austria and Switzerland. He was a natural athlete, an Olympian at both the 1924 and 1936 games, and his family were chocolate makers.
The two world wars were not kind, and long story short, Boëhm made his way to the United States and eventually to Issaquah, where he established his homemade candy factory, complete with a chalet, a chapel and various Swiss and Australian displays of sculptures and art.
Boehm’s Chocolates
The candy was unlike anything Americans had tasted and was enormously popular, as were the tours of the candy factory. He hired Suzanne Suther to be his assistant manager and factory tour director. The business continued to grow, and in 1987, Suther purchased Boehm’s of Poulsbo, opening the shop during Poulsbo’s annual Viking Fest. To this day, the store continues to feature the Issaquah handmade chocolates.
“It’s a legendary candy shop,” Suther said. “It’s really part of the fabric of Poulsbo.”
Boehm’s chocolates are made in a traditional European manner — think marzipan and chocolate. They are handmade and rolled in an old-school tradition, unique to the Northwest, and not found anywhere else in North America. To find these recipes, one usually goes to Austria or Switzerland.
Unlike the original shop in Issaquah, Boehm’s of Poulsbo will custom-package your choice of chocolates. If you keep your Valentine’s box, you can get it refilled year after year. Poulsbo residents keep their chocolate boxes as souvenirs and return to replenish them.
The shop is always filled with chocolates and Northwest gifts, especially toys and children’s books, as Boëhm loved kids. But the main attraction, as always, is chocolates — the originals, right from the idealistic chateau in Issaquah.
Boehms’ Chocolates of Poulsbo is open seven days a week and is located at 18884 Front Street. The shop ships throughout the continental USA. For information, call 360-697-3318 or go to boehmspoulsbo.com.
Final Stop: Bainbridge Island
In addition to L’Atelier, owned by the Crabtree family, there is a longtime Bainbridge candy shop, Bon Bon Candies, owned by Kate Durand and located right in the middle of Winslow.
This is a true local candy shop featuring fudge (who doesn’t like fudge?), truffles made by the local chocolatier Pink Peony, saltwater taffy, nostalgic candy like licorice and gummies, peanut butter cups, turtles, nut clusters, and let’s not forget the giggle with the Pez dispensers of every kind, bringing up childhood memories.
Durand purchased the shop in 2023, but it was initially established, like many of the candy shops mentioned, years ago. This one, in 2007 by Lisa (Dunlap) Wangen. Durand was looking for a business that would be both profitable and fun and a good fit for Bainbridge Island. Bon Bon met all the criteria and had the long-term (as the saying goes) chops.
Bon Bon is filled with fudge, handmade truffles, yummy candies of every variety, beautiful trays of candy wanting to be tasted and souvenirs of visits to the island, and will ship candies to all places in the Lower 48 states. Fudge is made in-house, and Durand sources candies from both local and global suppliers. It is a must-stop for a day visit to Bainbridge.
Bon Bon Candies is open seven days a week and is located at 203 Winslow Way E. It can ship, as well as deliver on Bainbridge Island. Go to bonboncandies.com or call 206-780-0199.
Finally, L’Atelier, up the street from Bon Bon, is not only a studio, as in the French meaning of L’Atelier, but a little jewel box of a candy shop. It does require a few steps to enter, but once you’re there, you’ll experience the art of small-batch, couture chocolate-making. Here, you can find the precision of the chocolate made by the Crabtree brand in small, seasonal quantities and pair it with the perfect bottle of wine to complement the finest confection. Yes, a bit pricey, but when are jewels not? Truly worth a visit.
L’Atelier Chocolates is open daily and is located at 380 Winslow Way, suite 102. Call 360-626-9044 or go to lateliertr.com for orders.
So, embrace your own Sugarplum Fairy imagination, go on your own chocolate adventure and rest assured, the Sugarplum Fair would never mention calories. Chocolate is, after all, a food group. Send your sweets to those you love, and have a happy holiday season.
