Whetstone Chocolates facts for kids

Whetstone Chocolates is a famous chocolate company located in St. Augustine, Florida. It was started in 1967 by a couple, Henry Whetstone and Esther Whetstone. They began by making chocolates right in their home kitchen! They also had a small ice cream shop called Tedi’s Olde Tyme Ice Cream, which is still in the historic part of St. Augustine today.

Over time, their business grew a lot. They even became a big factory that made chocolates for many places. In 2002, Whetstone Chocolates joined with two other candy companies, Oakleaf Confections from Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and Niagara Chocolates from Buffalo, New York. Together, they formed a larger company called SweetWorks. However, by 2004, Whetstone Chocolates decided to focus on making special, handmade chocolates instead of selling them all over the country. They still make and sell their delicious chocolates in St. Augustine.

According to their website, Whetstone Chocolates now focuses on making "artisan chocolates." This means they create smaller batches of high-quality, unique chocolates, often by hand.

The Story of Whetstone Chocolates

Whetstone Chocolates started as a small family business. Henry and Esther Whetstone poured their passion into making tasty treats. Their daughter, Virginia Whetstone, shared that her father was very clever. He even invented many of the machines used to make candy at their factory.

For example, he created a special machine that could perfectly mix chocolate and nuts to make their popular "nut cluster" candies. He later sold the idea for this machine. Virginia also mentioned that her brother developed machines for the chocolate production line. He even holds patents for his designs, especially for chocolate and toy combinations.

Hank Whetstone, another family member, explained that combining chocolate with toys offers a huge opportunity. The company planned to explore this area with other partners in the candy industry. This shows how Whetstone Chocolates has always been innovative and creative with their sweet treats!