Barbara K. Adamski, Writer, Editor, & Certified Proofreader, Greater Vancouver, Canada

How Sweet it is (Canadian Retailer, March~April 2007, 840 words)

Purdy's Chocolates celebrates 100 years with a party, a cross-country tour, a new book and—what else?—lots and lots of chocolate.

It's a bit hard to believe as she stands next to a 21-kg chocolate Easter egg—one of many succulent treats on display (including a chocolate pig, in honour of Chinese New Year) at the Purdy's Chocolates factory and store on Vancouver's Kingsway—but Karen Flavelle didn't always see chocolate in her future.

The eldest of four children, she recalls that her father's chocolate factory wasn't a huge part of their lives growing up, although she does have fond memories of playing hide-and-seek in the factory, something her own three children have never been allowed to do (of course, father Charles likely didn't know what his children were up to, either).

In addition, Karen and her siblings were not invited to join the family business, which their father took over in 1963. According to Flavelle, Charles "didn't believe in parachuting kids into business over long-term employees." So all four went off and did their own thing, with Karen going to university in Ontario, traveling through Asia for a couple of years, and then heading off to England.

"When I came back from England," she recalled, "I sat down and said, 'What am I good at, what am I not good at? What do I love doing, what do I not like doing?' And lo and behold, a medium-sized retail business kind of emerged off the page. So I started talking to my [father] about whether that might work or how that might work."

It took a few years to put everything in place. Karen, who had spent many years in marketing for General Mills and Cara Operations and developed a stronger interest in the retail side of things, joined the business in 1994, when Purdy's consisted of 41 stores and a 57,000 sq. ft. plant on the Kingsway.

Charles no longer plays an active role in the store's operation, but Karen says he is still around as an unofficial consultant, someone to "bounce ideas off." While Charles's love is the factory, says Karen, hers is the store. "I visit every store once a year," she says, adding the visits typically take place during the peak times: Christmas,Valentine's Day, Easter and, most recently, Chinese New Year.

Purdy's Chocolates has been a Vancouver mainstay since 1907, when Richard Carmon Purdy opened up his first chocolate shop on Robson Street. In 1925, Purdy sold the business to Hugh Forrester, who saw it through the Great Depression and the Second World War before selling the four stores and 3,500 sq. ft. factory to Charles, who in turn sold it to his daughter in 1997.

The owners may change, but the store's success has been a constant for 100 years. In celebration of its centennial, Purdy's has planned several events and special projects. Until May, the Telus World of Science in Vancouver is horne to a display that presents the science, history and pop culture of chocolate. As well, the Chocolatour, which features 2.5-metre chocolate sculptures, is visiting 11 Ivanhoe Cambridge shopping centres across the country. Purdy's and Ivanhoe Cambridge have also collaborated to raise money for the Can West Raise-a-Reader program through the sales of a children's book titled The Chocolatier's Apprentice.

Another centennial legacy is the Purdy's coat of arms, the design of which Flavelle says was quite challenging. The emblem incorporates two reindeer (representing Christmas, Purdy's biggest season) facing each other. Between them is a grid design, reminiscent of a box of chocolates. While Purdy's had originally planned on an Easter bunny standing opposite a reindeer, the two animals looked odd being the same size. (Originally, the design was also to include tiny hedgehogs along the bottom, in honour of one of Purdy's most renowned chocolate treats, but they had to veto that decision when it became difficult to tell what they were.) With the finishing touches of Purdy's deep purple signature colour and a motto of "Quality, Taste, Tradition," the design is as rich as a Purdy's truffle.

When asked about a typical day in the work life of Karen Flavelle, she pulls out a day planner that contains notations of board meetings, warehouse tours and conferences, many of them confectionary-themed, such as "confectionary as a part of a healthy, active lifestyle," a belief that has certainly become more mainstream now that the benefits of chocolate, particularly dark chocolate, have been getting a lot of press.

And of course, Karen personally tastes every new Purdy's creation. The latest is a Guinness truffle (containing Ireland's famed dark brew) that Purdy's plans to have in shops in time for Father's Day. Karen's own personal favourite Purdy's treats are the Sweet Georgia Brown, which are roasted pecans smothered in caramel and milk chocolate, and the Hedgehog, with its creamy hazelnut truffle filling.

Future plans for Purdy's Chocolates include further expansion in Ontario. The country currently has 50 stores across the country, with most in British Columbia and Alberta. There are four stores in Ontario, a fifth set to open in Erin Mills, Ont., and plans for 20 more. The future looks sweet.