Meet the Son behind Sugar Plum Chocolates

Neil Edley at Sugar Plum Chocolates Store

Sisters and Brothers in Chocolate, today I want to introduce you to Neil Edley, Chief Innovation Manager for Sugar Plum Chocolates whose holiday bark we'll be examining in a few days.  Neil, thank you for agreeing to answer a few questions for us.

Thank you. I’m always happy to get a chance to talk about chocolate.     

First, your mother, Frann Edley, is the candy maker and founder of Sugar Plum Chocolates but has she passed along her candy making and chocolate working secrets to you?

Absolutely. She taught me a lot about the craft. She always emphasized using integrity in everything you do. To us that means always using the finest ingredients. Our products are only as good as what we put into them so we utilize quality all around.    

Would you tell us what a Chief Innovation Manager does?

I do a little of everything. As Chief Innovation Manager I create new ideas for different types of confections we can make but I'm also open to ideas from my kitchen staff. We want to think of things that are a little bit different but that are just delicious. We want to combine other flavors with chocolate like we’ve done with our chocolate bar collections.     

Sugar Plum Chocolates Christmas Display

How often does Sugar Plum Chocolates come out with new products?

We come out with new products all the time! We have a bunch of new seasonal products which are just incredible. For the fall we came out with a pumpkin bark box that contains pumpkin peanut butter, pumpkin cheesecake, and pumpkin spice latte bark. For the winter we have a white chocolate peppermint cookie bark and a gingerbread latte bark that are both new this year. We're currently planning some fun new goodies for Valentine’s Day and the spring.     

Without giving away trade secrets, is there a standard process Sugar Plum Chocolates follows when creating new products and how involved in that process are you personally?

Sometimes I get an idea or sometimes a member of our kitchen staff thinks it’d be fun to try something. We usually discuss it then we’ll make a prototype. We sample it then make any changes as needed. If it’s something we really like, we think how we can package and sell it. Basically, what product do I wish existed? What do I think the customer might want? I try to answer these questions with a uniquely flavored chocolate treat.     

For all the different products that Sugar Plum makes, what are your best sellers? Does that change from season to season?

Seasonal gifts are becoming more and more popular. Our pumpkin-inspired options are popular in the fall and our gift trays and our peppermint items are more popular around the holidays. It’s tough to ship chocolate in the summer months so we try to focus more on our flavor-infused nuts during the warmer months.      

What is your favorite candy or chocolate that Sugar Plum makes?

My personal favorite is our bourbon toffee bark. The taste of boozy chocolate is something we’ve been playing around with for a while and I really feel we hit this one out of the park. I like how the smoothness of the chocolate mixes with the nutty taste of the toffee bits with the overall oakiness of the bourbon flavor. It’s a really well-blended group of flavors and textures that all complement each other.    

Sugar Plum Chocolates Ribbon Cutting

Sugar Plum not only sells online but also has a retail store. Do you sell items in the physical store that you do not offer via online orders?

Everything we sell online we also have in our store. Sometimes shipping chocolate is tricky in the summertime though because of the heat.      
Sugar Plum has been in business for over 20. What is the secret to your success?

We offer a premium product. People will always flock toward quality. We make something you'd want to buy. We’re also always innovating and thinking of fun new things we can do with chocolate. Our chocolate bar collections on our website really exemplify how creative we can be.     

Finally, is there anything else you'd like our readers to know about Sugar Plum Chocolates?

We’ve been around for over 22 years. Our product is outstanding and we ship worldwide. If you want really good chocolate, we’ve got you covered.     

Thank you, Neil, for speaking with us today.

Thank you. It was my pleasure.     

Readers, if you have follow-up questions or comments please do leave them for us and Neil to check out.