By Alex Cash
Staff Writer
It’s 8:00 a.m. and four unique women in colorful, crocheted hairnets are getting ready for a week’s work of candy making. Melting butter, shaping caramels, and regulating the temperature of an important machine are all among tasks that the chocolate creation artists of Gilbert Chocolates take to get the beloved candies out to customers.
With 40 years combined experience, they know how to turn raw ingredients into decadent treats that will satisfy any sweet tooth. With just eight hands between them, they create product for all three of Gilbert Chocolates retail locations plus their wholesale orders.
They work in close proximity, in a small factory space within the building of their 233 N. Jackson Street location, so they have lots of inside jokes. However, as 16-year veteran Julie Howard says this, she gives a sly smile saying none of them can be shared. They all agree what happens in the chocolate factory stays in the chocolate factory.
A focal point of the entire operation is their enrobing machine which Kim Teachout, 12-year veteran, confesses is one of the hardest things to master. It is sometimes affectionately known as Erma Rose the Enrobing Machine. They find if they talk nice to her, she will behave better for them. “You see that fan there and also a heat lamp, it’s doesn’t self-regulate temperature, so we have to work with it a lot.”
In this machine, dollops of creme filling are placed and move along a conveyor belt passing through a curtain of chocolate. They are bound for a six minute ride through a refrigeration tunnel. Between the chocolate curtain and refrigeration the candies are labeled with markings letting the consumer and the packagers know what each chocolate is. Many are self-explanatory; “S” for strawberry, “V” for vanilla. At this particular time, a straight line means chocolate fudge filling.
At the end of the line, chocolates are boxed up and stored for selling in retail locations and for making boxed sets. There are dozens of flavors, all well organized, and a person with a massive sweet tooth would be in their own personal happy place.
When walking into any Gilbert Chocolates retail location the smell of chocolate can be an instant delight. After years of working with chocolate so closely, the creators can’t seem to smell the chocolate as strongly as untrained noses can. However, even after all these years, none of them are tired of eating chocolate.
“I eat more than I should, I wish I’d get sick of it,” says Howard.
“We have gum in every area so when we’ve had too much we can pop it in our mouths,” says Teachout. She points out all the various hiding places for their remedy for too much chocolate. They say they put the gum in to keep the chocolate out.
Aside from making dozens of tried and true decades old recipes, current owners Brian and Sally Krichbaum enjoy trying new flavors and creations in the factory kitchen. They work closely with the creators to get them just right for the customer.
There are 217 products made in house. Teachout says about 80 percent of the items sold in Gilbert Chocolates are their very own. To co-owner Sally Krichbaum having as much product be made in house as possible is very important. “We can control it better that way. If we have a big order come in, we know we can get it done ourselves rather than wait for another company to get it to us.”
In the summer months the workload tends to slow down, but around every holiday they agree that stress can increase. With increasing sales, it’s up to them to create enough of the beloved chocolates to meet growing demand. Around Christmas, candy packer Christine Valliere packs 3,000 pounds of product, a feat of which she is very proud.
Take a tour of the factory and downtown retail location to meet these women and see them in action. Learn more about how chocolate is made as well as the rich history of Gilbert Chocolates. Tours take place on Tuesdays at 10 a.m., Valentine’s Day through Thanksgiving. Reserve your spot by visiting their website gilbertchocolates.com/gilbert-factory-tours or call 517-764-3141.
Alexandra Cash is a Jackson native with a passion for world travel, culture, lifetime learning, and adventure. Visit her website to read stories of her adventures at alexandracash.com or view her videos on YouTube at Alexandra Cash – Cash’s Corner.