‘All sorts of hearts and goodies’
Wainfleet’s Marshville Chocolates busy leading up to Valentine’s Day
Looking to capture someone’s heart this Valentine’s Day or satisfy the sweet tooth of your sweetheart or significant other?
Mary-Beth Benner and Heather Vandelaar can help you with that over the next couple of days.
The co-owners of Wainfleet’s Marshville Chocolates might even be able to get you out of the doghouse if the day of romance somehow slips your mind.
“We’re very busy … we’re out in the back shop making all sorts of hearts and goodies,” said Benner, adding it’s the third busiest time of year for the shop on Highway 3.
Only Christmas and Easter are busier, with the store typically going through more chocolate at Easter.
Still, in the two weeks leading up to Valentine’s Day, Benner said the business goes through a lot of chocolate. The shop will use about (226 kilograms) of chocolate.
“All of the grandparents have come in and bought their chocolate, people from a distance have come in this week or over the weekend,” said Benner.
Customers come from Niaga-
ra, Hamilton, Oakville, Mississauga and Buffalo for the store’s sweet treats at Valentine’s.
“We’ll have a big rush right until the last minute,” said Benner.
“And on the morning of the 15th for those who may have forgotten,” added Vandelaar.
She said with the poor weather Tuesday, the shop lost a day in Valentine’s sales but will open at 8 a.m. Wednesday and Thursday and close later to deal with an expected rush. Closing times will be announced on the shop’s Facebook page — www.facebook.com/Marshville Chocolates. People can also call the store at 905-899-2380.
Customers who tend to come in at the last minute are men, the women said.
Vandelaar said many regulars will come in and ask what their significant others get when they frequent the shop.
“We’ll take a mental note of that and help them out if they’re not sure,” she said.
Benner said most people come in looking for heart-shaped chocolates, others look around until they see something they like.
“We have boxes made out of chocolate that are heart-shaped and filled with all kinds of chocolate hearts.”
The store will ask about any allergies and in addition to traditional milk, dark and white chocolate offers no-sugar-added and vegan Valentine’s goodies. The delicious treats can be found online at marshvillechocolates.ca.
“This is not just a store where you come with your to-do list,” said Vandelaar.
“It’s an experience,” said Benner.
Benner said a fourth generation of families now comes into the store, in its 41st year.
Benner’s mother, Elaine Malowany, started Marshville out of her home in the early 1970s before opening the store, once a hardware shop owned by Benner’s father.
Vandelaar is one of the people who have been lifelong customers of Marshville. She’s been coming to the store for about 30 years and took part ownership last August after working there for a year and a half.
Vandelaar said working in chocolate is a career for which there’s never a day you don’t want to go to work.
“The days fly. You’re always working toward some special occasion or event … we have so much fun in here,” she said.