I remember, when I was a kid, telling a friend that when I grew up, I wanted to have a swimming pool full of melted chocolate. Now that I’m an adult, the idea no longer appeals to me; besides being messy and — let’s face it — unsanitary, the maintenance alone would be an absolute nightmare! However, my love of that king of confections remains strong. White, dark, milk, studded with nuts, draped over caramel, or simply on its own — is there anything as divine as biting into a sweet, rich, melt-in-your-mouth piece of handmade chocolate? I think not.
So imagine my delight when, a few weeks ago, I walked along the side of the historic brick building that houses Harbor Sweets in Salem, MA. The smell of butter and sugar wafted out into the street below, mixing delightfully with the crisp winter air and beckoning me onward. Once inside, I was greeted by a view that evoked childhood fantasies: shelves lined with beautifully wrapped chocolates, beyond which was the factory itself, featuring antique copper kettles and all sorts of machines and molds for making those magical handmade goodies.
Harbor Sweets was founded in 1973 by Ben Strohecker, the inventor of the signature Sweet Sloop — a triangle of luscious, almond buttercrunch made in-house, dipped in white chocolate, and then marked with a teaspoon to resemble a sailboat, with a “hull” composed of dark chocolate and ground pecans. CEO Phyllis LeBlanc describes Strohecker as a marketing genius with unique ideas on how to do business. Nearly forty years ago, while studying business at Salem State and working her way through college, LeBlanc answered an ad for a chocolate dipper. “It sounded fun and different,” she remembers. LeBlanc continued her career at Harbor Sweets while earning an MBA at Boston University, and, in 1999, she bought the company.
Although she describes herself as a business person who ended up in the food industry, LeBlanc is happy to be where she is. “I’m a sweets fiend,” she admits. “I mean, I love dessert, but in my book, don’t get me a fruit tart — dessert is not dessert unless it includes some chocolate.” Her passion for local history is echoed in her company’s products. In addition to Sweet Sloops, the nautical-themed Harbor Sweets line includes one of LeBlanc’s favorites, the Sand Dollar (caramel and pecan enrobed in dark chocolate). While in grad school twenty years ago, LeBlanc, who does dressage, created a business plan for an equestrian-themed line of chocolates and convinced Strohecker to take a chance on it. Within four weeks of its launch, Dark Horse Chocolates made enough of a profit to cover its own development costs.
“That proved to us that part of our strength is creating something that not only tastes good, but that people have a real connection to,” states LeBlanc. “We try to connect to people’s passions, their lifestyle.” In 2012, she launched Salt & Ayre, which features an assortment of delectable truffles and chocolates in exotic flavors: chai, café au lait and Thai ginger sea salt, to name a few. “It was really fun to develop that line. We wanted to retain the passion people have for travel and local history,” LeBlanc explains. “I’ve always been intrigued by New England’s spice trade history. The first millionaires in Salem made their fortunes trading pepper.”
The people who work at Harbor Sweets are equally dedicated; many of them have worked there for over twenty years. Some live so close by they’re able to walk to work. They just got through their busiest time of year, the Thanksgiving and winter holidays, but Easter, the second busiest, is just around the corner — not to mention Valentine’s Day. If you don’t expect to receive a heart-shaped box of delectable candies from your sweetie, I suggest you hop to it and treat yourself to the R.L. Strohecker Easter Rabbit, a unique solid chocolate bunny filled with an assortment of nuts, caramels, and buttercrunch. As for the future, LeBlanc reveals she’ll be launching a new line of confections this summer. She won’t say much more about it than that it's honey-based, but I’m already buzzing with excitement to try it!
85 Leavitt St., Salem, 800-243-2115, harborsweets.com
