Day 3 Dorothy Cox Chocolates

Last Spot on the Tour - Dorothy Cox's Chocolates

Thank you to the Cox family for hosting us at the store!

Touring the Production Area

The chocolate panning machine is making chocolate covered cranberries

The non-pareil machine was purchased in 1978 and has made 2,000lbs of non-pareils in one day!

These panned cranberries get coated with 100lbs of chocolate per 50lbs of fruit in the rotating drum.

Dorothy Cox is known for her great gift baskets and their buttercrunch toffee

The RCI New England Chocolate Tour notebook includes information about each store.

Day 3 Hilliards Chocolate Systems

Alan Hillard, founder of Hillard Chocolate Systems, delighted attendees during the Tour with Jim Connelly, purchasing and sales department.

Arriving at Hillard Chocolate Systems

Thank you to Hillards for hosting us on the Tour! David Jones, Hansel & Gretel Candy Kitchen (RCI board president 2009-2010), Jim Connelly and Sheri Anderson, office manager receive the RCI plaque thanking them for the visit to Hilliard's.

Hillards supplies for making chocolates

The Hillards showroom

Special guest Herm Rowland, president of Jelly Belly, joins Kelly Brinkmann from RCI on the tour day.

Day 3 Green Mountain Chocolate Factory & lunch at Chateau Italian restaurant on Lake Winnecunitt

Bill and Lisa Campbell welcome us to Green Mountain Chocolate in Hopedale, MA.

The pallet receiving area is a great area to inspect containers before they are ever brought into the facility.

Lunch at the Chateau Italian Restaurant on Lake Winnecunitt

Striping black raspberry truffles.

Tasting truffles in the retail area.

Thank you Campbell family and staff for hosting us and giving each of us 32 truffles!

Inspecting procedures are very important in any facility and they have thorough practices at Green Mountain.

Day 3 Hilliard's House of Candy

Day 3: The last day of tours on the RCI New England Chocolate Tours

Chocolate Pops!

Starting the tour day at Hillards House of Candy in Easton, MA.

Ice cream at 11am is divine! Taste testing all day is such hard work!

The packing wheel slowly rotates so the assorted boxes can by hand-packed by Cheryl

Hillards House of Candy

Attendees having a great time

Charlie, the owner, giving the Behind-the-Scenes tour

Kahlua Truffles

Learning to make peppermint cremes. After they set, they will be enrobed in chocolate.

Making nut clusters with a fork.

Hillards historic signature flagship store.

Hang bagging non pareils

The store interior speaks of Judy's style.

Ice Cream display

Hillards dipping machine keeps the chocolate tempered and ready to use for dipping.

Making chocolate covered cherries - my favorite fruit serving!

Day 2 Nichols Candies, Inc.

The enrobers are tucked away in the basement of this quaint waterside store. Barbara Nichols and Esther Whetstone catch up with each other.

This 1972 Hillards enrober is the core of their machinery.

At Nichols, they pair you with a personal shopper to choose your chocolates displayed on trays under plastic sheeting.

Thank you to Bill and Barbara Nichols and their staff for hosting us!

It's a wonder how they get any work done at Nichols Candies in Gloucester, MA with a view of the water like this!

The party always ends up in the kitchen with Bill.

Talking about what Nichols makes at its store.