I will admit this to you, my wonderful readers.... I have a sweet tooth. I love my sweets! And when I came across
Hammond's Candies I knew I just had to try this company out! I contacted them and they were so very nice to send me a few products to try. I was sent the Hammond's All Natural Chocolate Pretzels,
Grandma's Apple Pie Dip, and
Chocolate Cherry Cordial Dip.
AMAZING! That is all I can say! I loved all 3 products very much. First I opened the pretzels, and at first I thought they were chocolate covered pretzels, No! I was wrong. They were so much better! I have never tried a chocolate pretzel before, and well I now know I am hooked. I dipped it into the Grandma's Apple Pie Dip, it was so fresh, so good. Mouth watering, it had pieces of apples in it. Next I tried the Chocolate Cherry Cordial Dip, at first I didn't think I would like it, but it was very yummy. Not too chocolatey, not too much cherry flavor. It was just right.
All of these dips come in 6 different flavors, which is perfect, because you can't get bored with these at all, even if you were to try. I can not wait to try out the other flavors. These fabulous dips are only $6.95 each!
From Their Website:
Over the past 90 years, the "Mile High" city of Denver, Colorado,
has seen a number of fine chocolate and candy manufacturers come and
go, but one special company is still very much in business.
On his first day of high school, a young man named Carl
Hammond returned home and announced that he didn’t need any more
education. “Fine,” his mother replied, “but you’re not going to lie
around the house. Go get a job.” And that’s just what Carl Hammond
did; he got a job…as an apprentice in a candy factory.
In 1920, after several years of learning the candy
business, Carl T. Hammond, Sr. founded Hammond’s Candy Company in
Denver. He was inspired to become an entrepreneur after creating his
first original candy, Honey Ko Kos, chocolates topped with shredded
coconut. In his first few years in business, Carl did it all: He
developed the recipes, made the candy, sold the candy, and was his own
office staff. Eventually, he hired someone to manage the store while
traveled the West, selling his candy to other stores.
Business boomed during the “Roaring 20s.” While the Great
Depression brought many changes, Hammond’s went right on selling
candy, because even in those extremely trying times, people could
usually find enough money for the simple and sweet pleasure of
candy…but if people were going to buy it, it had to be good. Carl's
motto was "Nothing is more important that quality." This focus on
quality kept Hammond's modest factory on Platte River Street open, and
making a profit, throughout the entire Depression.
In the 1930s, a friend of Carl’s invented a
delicious confection: A bite-sized, soft marshmallow surrounded by
succulent caramel. Carl loved the product, and purchased the recipe to
produce in his factory, naming it the “Mitchell Sweet” after his
friend. The Mitchell Sweet became the signature candy in the Hammond’s
line, and this remains the case today.
In 1945, Carl’s son, Carl T. (Tom)
Hammond, Jr. and his wife June arrived in Denver, after Tom was
discharged from the Navy at the end of World War II. Tom went from being
Chief Petty Officer to apprentice candy maker. June soon learned the
candy business and joined the family business.
In 1948, Hammond's Candy Company moved to a new Denver location, at Bryant Street and West 29th Avenue.After Carl passed away, Tom took over the helm, and the business continued to flourish under his direction.
In 1967, Tom continued to expand factory
operations, purchasing an enrober, a machine used to coat treats in
chocolate. Each of Tom’s four sons worked in the business at one time
or another, but it was Robin, his only daughter, who chose the candy
business as her career.
In 1983, Robin’s husband, Emery Dorsey IV,
joined the business and learned the art of candy making from Tom.
When Tom passed away, Emery took over the management of the candy
factory. With the help of his wife and mother-in-law, he carried on the
Hammond’s tradition of candymaking for another 16 years.
In 1995, Hammond’s evolved from a local
treasure to a national name, when Williams-Sonoma placed an order for
hand-pulled lollipops, chocolate-covered toffee, and pepermint
pillows, all of which quickly became best-sellers at the company’s many
retail locations around the country.
In 1999, Hammond’s Candy was sold, and
with the sale of the company came huge growth. Hammond's grew from a
small factory with 10 employees, to a facility twice as large with over
60 employees. At this point, Hammond's also opened the factory to the
public, offering free tours and an annual Candy Cane Festival, an
event which is still held the first Saturday in December.
In 2004, Hammond’s moved to its current
location, a 35,000 square foot facility, just north of downtown Denver
on Washington Street and 58th Avenue.
In 2007, a group of candy lovers led by
Andrew Schuman, current President and CEO, took a close look at
Hammond’s. Schuman, using his specialty retail experience and an
entrepreneurial zeal very similar to Carl Hammond himself, saw Hammond’s
as a “sweet" company, waiting to be taken to the next level and
purchased the company. In just four short years, Hammond’s has doubled
in size and continues to thrive under the new ownership. It now
utilizes the services of over 120 employees and welcomes over 100,000
visitors a year! As the company has grown, so has its fame: Hammond’s
has been featured on CNBC, in the Wall Street Journal, and in other
national publications. Its products have been featured in magazines
and advertisements, such as
Martha Stewart Living and Every Day with Rachel Ray.
The factory is frequently featured on television shows such as Food
Network’s Kid in a Candy Store. Orders now come in daily from such
national companies as Whole Foods, Nordstrom’s, Dean & Deluca,
Cracker Barrel and hundreds of local and regional specialty shops across
the world. Hammond’s world-famous candy canes can be found in Canada,
England, Spain, Italy, Dubai, Kuwait, Japan, Korea, Israel, and other
areas around the world.
In 2010, Hammond’s purchased McCraw's
Candies, maker of that famous flat taffy you knew as a kid. McCraw’s
has been selling its world famous taffy for well over a century.
Mccraw's taffy is now manufactured and shipped from Hammond's Denver
factory.
In 2011, Hammond's is thrilled to have
entered the gourmet food arena with the launch of our succulent
dessert dips and snack pretzels. We offer a huge variety for one small
company, but (as Carl Hammond taught us) it's much more fun this way!
Check out all of their different Candy Types found
here. I am positive no matter what sweets you are looking for or craving, you will find them at
Hammond's Candies. They would make the perfect gift for any occasion as well.
Connect with Hammond's Candies:
Website
Facebook
Twitter
Buy It!
Remember as I stated above, you can purchase the dips for $6.95 and the pretzels for $3.45
Disclaimer: I was provided the products mentioned above, free of charge upon my request, to give my honest opinion. All opinions are 100% mine. I was not monetary compensated for this post.
