Hitting the Sweet Spot

Remember that commercial, “Everyone is good at something”? Well, Nancy & Greg McTiernan are good at making chocolate. The owners of Sweet Spot Chocolate Shop may have stumbled upon their calling in life, but there’s no question they responded to the call at the top of their voices.

After realizing that ice cream and fudge were popular new items at their garden centre, they tried to buy a fudge-making machine to help increase their production capacity. When I heard this story, my first thought was, a fudge machine? I’ve seen aisle after aisle and shelf after shelf of bread machines, pasta machines, ice cream machines and so on, but where can one find one of these elusive fudge machines?

As fate would have it, the seller of the fudge machine refused to provide Nancy and Greg with his magical device without them first going to candy-making class, and in making the demand, set them on a path paved with chocolate.

Walking into the small shop in Elmsdale, I was hit first with the smell: rich, sweet chocolate with whiffs of mint. It is an unpretentious place, with racks of solid chocolate lobsters and Nova Scotian flags, boxes of mixed chocolates and display cases filled with oh so many delights.

Nancy & Greg were more than happy to show us around their tiny factory, where they create small batches of their hand-made chocolates. They make efficient use of the space and run their operations with four to six staff, including the husband and wife duo. Nancy gave me a crash course in chocolate dipping, showing her skills in marking each butter-cream with their customary drizzled “B”. I loved getting my hands into the warm dipping chocolate but can’t blame her in the least for giggling at my efforts.

Sampling some of the favourites was the highlight of our evening. The white chocolate popcorn, while unassuming in appearance, is a delicious combination of sweet and salt. Their maple nut fudge: creamy, smooth and luscious.

Sweet Spot’s meltaways are chocolate dipped in chocolate – how can you possibly go wrong with that? The outside layer delicately flavoured with mint, cappuccino or peanut butter, which melts away as you get to the solid chocolate centre.

They also make their own marshmallow to create chocolate-dipped s’mores (no campfire required) & Valentine’s hearts, and partner with some of the province’s local wineries on their Icewine truffles. In the summer, ice cream is served up dipped in their house chocolate, putting all other dips to shame.

To me, their pièce de resistance is the caramels. These are no Kraft caramels in plastic wrappers; these are pure bliss, with a buttery flavour reminiscent of childhood. Dipped in milk or dark chocolate, or just in their naked glory, they are worth savouring to the last oozy string.

While they may currently be limited in their space, I was excited to hear Sweet Spot will soon be moving into a much larger space, just at the other end of their parking lot.

Nancy and Greg explained that this expansion will allow them to increase their production, helping to fill their standing orders at the Halifax Airport and for their many corporate clients. Sweet Spot recently helped celebrate the announcement of “Ships Start Here,” providing Irving Shipyards with chocolate gifts for their employees and partners.

The expansion may also allow them to experiment with their fillings, like trying local maple syrup in their maple creams, something they can’t currently do with the equipment and space they have.

Only a 30-minute drive from Halifax and a five minute detour off the highway, Sweet Spot is a must for any chocolate lover.  On your first visit to the shop, you’ll be welcomed with a free sample (or two) and I’m sure, like me, you’ll be hooked at the first bite.