Keep Calm and Eat Chocolate
An interview with Christine Eccleston.
Like many others, I have a sinfully delicious guilty pleasure; chocolate! I enjoy all things chocolate. Some of my favorites are chocolate raisins, chocolate pretzels, chocolate covered fruit, fudge, truffles, and sometimes something as simple as a dark chocolate bar, just to name a few. At any given time you may find some stored in my cabinets, fridge, freezer, and sometimes even my car. To those who say I have an addiction, I say Keep Calm and Eat Chocolate.
So it should be no surprise to hear that I have racked up quite a few frequent chocolate miles at Chocolate Dreams, a local chocolate store, or as I call it a “choclatique.”
When you enter Chocolate Dreams, a quaint chocolate store located off of Tiogue Avenue in Coventry Rhode Island, you are immediately consumed by the sweet smell of chocolate confections. After you pull yourself down from the chocolate cloud, you just glide in and your eyes begin to dance around the display tables that are dripping with candy, chocolate, and sweet treats, oh my!
This small Rhode Island business has quite the selection of sweet treats from homemade truffles and fudge to candy that brings me back to my ‘80s childhood. Focused on making all your chocolate dreams come true, Chocolate Dreams, specializes in favors, gift baskets, “Kid-In-A-Candy-Store Birthday Parties,” truffles, confections, homemade fudge, and their signature “Popcorn Crunch.” And if buying chocolate isn’t enough for you, Chocolate Dreams also carries an array of candy- making supplies.
WARNING!, Only experienced candy-makers beyond this point. All joking aside, Chocolate Dreams carries candy-making supplies for all levels of chocolate lovers. They are always happy to share tips and tricks of the trade with their customers so that you will have as much fun making candy as you do eating it. They carry hundreds of chocolate molds, and if by chance you still don’t find the one you’re looking for, don’t you fret my chocolate friend. They are always willing to order a mold for any occasion.
Last month I had the opportunity to sit down with the owner of Chocolate Dreams, Christine Eccleston. Here is what I found out.
Q: How long has Chocolate Dreams been in business?
A: Chocolate Dreams has been in business for about 10 years. My sister-in-law owned it before me and during that time I helped her out during their busy seasons and had a great time doing it. In the back of my mind I couldn’t help but think how much I would love to have my own store, and what a change it would be to work for myself. The opportunity came up and I was ready for the change in careers and haven’t looked back since. It’s been a fun and exciting new adventure so far.
Q: What is the most popular chocolate you sell?
A: Our most popular chocolate that we sell would have to be a toss up between our Oreo Dreams, which are chocolate covered Oreos, and our “Popcorn Crunch,” which is popcorn drizzled with dark milk and white chocolate with a pinch of salt for that sweet and savory taste that everyone loves.
Q: What is your favorite chocolate to make and eat?
A: Right now I would have to say my favorite chocolate to make and eat would be between “Popcorn Crunch” and our “Dark Chocolate Caramel Sea Salt Fudge.”
Q: What is the best part of your job?
A: I would have to say the best part of my job is making new creative confections that my customers are excited to buy and eat! It makes me happy and eager to create many more new treats for my customers. I love when customers come in with questions as to whether we can create something that I haven’t made before. I am always intrigued and excited to see if I can do it. I love the challenge.
by Regina Hogan
Graphics & Interactive Media Instructor at Davies Technical School
RICM Assistant Secretary
Like many others, I have a sinfully delicious guilty pleasure; chocolate! I enjoy all things chocolate. Some of my favorites are chocolate raisins, chocolate pretzels, chocolate covered fruit, fudge, truffles, and sometimes something as simple as a dark chocolate bar, just to name a few. At any given time you may find some stored in my cabinets, fridge, freezer, and sometimes even my car. To those who say I have an addiction, I say Keep Calm and Eat Chocolate.
So it should be no surprise to hear that I have racked up quite a few frequent chocolate miles at Chocolate Dreams, a local chocolate store, or as I call it a “choclatique.”
When you enter Chocolate Dreams, a quaint chocolate store located off of Tiogue Avenue in Coventry Rhode Island, you are immediately consumed by the sweet smell of chocolate confections. After you pull yourself down from the chocolate cloud, you just glide in and your eyes begin to dance around the display tables that are dripping with candy, chocolate, and sweet treats, oh my!
This small Rhode Island business has quite the selection of sweet treats from homemade truffles and fudge to candy that brings me back to my ‘80s childhood. Focused on making all your chocolate dreams come true, Chocolate Dreams, specializes in favors, gift baskets, “Kid-In-A-Candy-Store Birthday Parties,” truffles, confections, homemade fudge, and their signature “Popcorn Crunch.” And if buying chocolate isn’t enough for you, Chocolate Dreams also carries an array of candy- making supplies.
WARNING!, Only experienced candy-makers beyond this point. All joking aside, Chocolate Dreams carries candy-making supplies for all levels of chocolate lovers. They are always happy to share tips and tricks of the trade with their customers so that you will have as much fun making candy as you do eating it. They carry hundreds of chocolate molds, and if by chance you still don’t find the one you’re looking for, don’t you fret my chocolate friend. They are always willing to order a mold for any occasion.
Last month I had the opportunity to sit down with the owner of Chocolate Dreams, Christine Eccleston. Here is what I found out.
Q: How long has Chocolate Dreams been in business?
A: Chocolate Dreams has been in business for about 10 years. My sister-in-law owned it before me and during that time I helped her out during their busy seasons and had a great time doing it. In the back of my mind I couldn’t help but think how much I would love to have my own store, and what a change it would be to work for myself. The opportunity came up and I was ready for the change in careers and haven’t looked back since. It’s been a fun and exciting new adventure so far.
Q: What is the most popular chocolate you sell?
A: Our most popular chocolate that we sell would have to be a toss up between our Oreo Dreams, which are chocolate covered Oreos, and our “Popcorn Crunch,” which is popcorn drizzled with dark milk and white chocolate with a pinch of salt for that sweet and savory taste that everyone loves.
Q: What is your favorite chocolate to make and eat?
A: Right now I would have to say my favorite chocolate to make and eat would be between “Popcorn Crunch” and our “Dark Chocolate Caramel Sea Salt Fudge.”
Q: What is the best part of your job?
A: I would have to say the best part of my job is making new creative confections that my customers are excited to buy and eat! It makes me happy and eager to create many more new treats for my customers. I love when customers come in with questions as to whether we can create something that I haven’t made before. I am always intrigued and excited to see if I can do it. I love the challenge.
by Regina Hogan
Graphics & Interactive Media Instructor at Davies Technical School
RICM Assistant Secretary