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Cabot's Candygram: A visit to the factory

Cabot's Candygram: A visit to the factory

When you think of a candy factory what do you imagine?  Do you think of the wild and fantastical world of Willy Wonka, Charlie, and the Oompa Loompas? Or maybe it looks a little bit more like the candy factory in Dick Van Dyke’s Chitty Chitty Bang Bang - everything toot sweet and truly scrumptious?

 

Well as much as we love sentimental candy factories in the movies, the reality is even more delightfully fizzy-pop!

I recently took a tour of our candy factory located beneath the store at 276 Commercial Street in Provincetown, Massachusetts. Cabot’s started hand producing our signature candy in 1927 as the seaside-leisure boom was in full 1920s swing, and finally had to open a factory and store in 1955 to accommodate the demand for our taffy.  As I entered the factory floor my senses prickled with the bouquet of sweets being cooked, cut, rolled, and wrapped all around me. The master candy maker to my right was boiling special ingredients in a 10 gallon copper cauldron over flames that reach up to 500 degrees fahrenheit. The apprentices to my left stretched and kneaded each 50lb slab of cherry, sea salt caramel, beach plum or any one of the more than thirty five flavors onto stainless steel cooling tables ready to receive the sticky-sweet, hand-formed treat. Straight ahead, gleaming and hulking machines of unmatched strength pulled and formed the salt water taffy bands into the poppable-unwrappable treat that we all know and love. 

Pouring the first ingredients for taffy

Taffy-pulling machines

Working magic with 50lbs of taffy

Taffy rolled and ready for wrapping

Taffy wrapping machine

Ready to eat!

It is quite a sight to see and if you have a chance to stop by the Ptown store, you may catch a glimpse as we pull and wrap on the sales floor! In the meantime, we have been busily posting videos and photographs on our Facebook and Instagram pages - Like and follow us to stay up-to-date on happenings in the stores and factory!

Stay sweet!



 

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