See's Candy Store Opening and Review

Last night Sharon of Simply Lovely and I attended a local blogger event that we were randomly invited to at a mall in our town.  A new See's candy store is opening, and they invited us to come sample their candy and learn about the company!  I also got to meet some local bloggers as well, including Fawn of Instead of the Dishes, Jil Powers, and Nancy of There Is Grace!  They were all very nice and it was a pleasure to meet them!

Now, I'm currently sucking on one of See's vanilla lollipops, and it is sucker perfection.  But I'll get back to the reviewing in a second; here's some history that really helped me appreciate the company so much more, being a vintage lover and all!

Random fact to begin, the "I Love Lucy" episode in which Lucy and Ethel try to work in a chocolate factory was filmed in a See's warehouse back in the day.

The scene also shows how factory workers didn't use gloves to box the chocolates.  They used (and still use to this day!) a system of tissue paper and little paper cups to box them, and they never touch the chocolate!  Sharon and I attempted this in a competition to pack a 12 chocolate box the fastest.  We didn't win, but we got to keep the box of chocolates!

Now to the technical stuff: See's was started by Mary See and her son in 1921, and the company still uses some of her original recipes and decorates their stores to resemble her retro kitchen:

Isn't she such a cute old lady?!

Then (in the 40s):

And now:

As he explains how to box the chocolates without gloves!

They have a ridiculously amazing array of candies, and they're all beautifully displayed on little stands in cases in each store!  They are also big on sampling (can I hear an "Amen" to that?), and every single thing I tried at this event was delicious, including my favorite.....

The Apple Pie Truffle!

Yes, it's white chocolate..... with Granny Smith apples and cinnamon inside..... Delicious!  It will change your life.  The man behind the counter also recommended microwaving these for a few seconds to make them taste even better, like hot apple pie!  My boyfriend is a sucker for apple pie more than pretty much any other food in the world (except perhaps steak and bacon; it could be a tie), and I'm thinking he may have to receive some of these for Valentine's Day...

That man behind the counter was full of helpful hints.  Not only are these chocolates good on their own, but he also suggested dropping some of the very chocolaty varieties into your coffee to melt, yum!  Sounds like a great idea to me!

All in all, I DEFINITELY recommend their candies.  They have so much variety, there's bound to be a candy for everyone.  They also have health-conscious options like sugar-free products, and none of their candies contain preservatives!  They have gifts for every price range as well, ranging from gifts under $10 (like a box of peanut brittle) to gourmet gift boxes exceeding $80 (like their Gift of Elegance box).  Valentine's Day is coming.......

And when it's passed..... What's more hospitable than chocolate?!  What's more welcoming than candy?!  This is a blog about vintage lifestyle and hospitality, so what could be better than an old-fashioned candy shop?  It combines the two loves in an amazing way.

What do you guys think?  Did you see any candies you would especially like?  Have you tasted See's candy before?  What did you think of it?

I collaborated with my local See's candy store for this post.  I received an entry to this evening blogger event and a bag of chocolate and candy which I promptly hid in my dorm room so the other girls couldn't find it.  All thoughts and opinions are honest and my own. For more details on my collaboration policies, read this post.