Bayside Chocolates, a back-to-basics candy shop in Lubec and the easternmost chocolate kitchen in the United States, will have its peppermint patties included in celebrity gift bags at the Academy Awards on Feb. 28, The Quoddy Tides reported.
Owner Cheryl Till, who bought the shop in 2015 from the estate of Eugene Greenlaw, has been nominated as “Best Chocolatier” at the event.
According to the business’ website, Till was born and raised in East Machias. Her love for home brought her back from travels to Florida and Missouri. As a child and young adult, making chocolates at Christmas was a yearly tradition.
Chocolate is a big tradition at the event. In 2014, Wolfgang Puck’s pastry chefs created 6,500 chocolate Oscars served to celebrities during the annual post-show party, according to the LA Times.
In general, the chocolate industry offers a wide variety of opportunities for small business owners such as Till, weathering economic recession well and growing despite increased health-consciousness and calorie counting, according to a recent industry report at franchisehelp.com.
The global chocolate market is expected to grow from $83.2 billion in 2010 to $98.3 billion in 2016, according to a report by marketsandmarkets.com.
Till told The Quoddy Tides that her patties were discovered by a member of celebrity chef Bobby Flay’s team.
Read more
Chocolate maker Bixby & Co. wins $30K startup prize
Six Maine companies receive Good Food Awards