Bedford Candy Bar shelves | Photos by Michelle Gillan Larkin
Nostalgic and current-day sweet treats are the name of the game at this new candy store from the folks at G.E. Brown Fine Food & Provisions.
Operating under the premise that every town needs a good, old-fashioned candy store — where kids and grownups alike can indulge in the moment and make memories to last a lifetime — the couple behind Bedford institution G.E. Brown Fine Food & Provisions has launched the Bedford Candy Bar, featuring retro sweets and modern sugary faves. “The space became available and we thought, ‘what will bring more [visitors] to Bedford?’” recalls Jennifer Vellano, who co-owns the shop with her husband, Jim. The pair knows their way around edibles, having met and spent their early careers in some of NYC’s top kitchens, Per Se among them.
The Bedford Candy Bar occupies a relatively small footprint smack dab in the middle of the main thoroughfare of downtown Bedford, but the offerings inside are extensive, which can be quite a precarious situation for those with eyes bigger than their stomachs (you know who you are). “Our candy shop nods to nostalgic and new candies alike, as well as soft-serve ice cream, hard ice cream from Longford’s, hot dogs, popcorn, flurries, milkshakes, and gifts,” explains Vellano.
Most childhood craves are there for the asking, including, SweeTARTS, Razzles, Milk Duds, Charleston Chew, Ring Pops, and Chunky Bars, along with an eye-catching display that dispenses M&Ms in a rainbow of colors, tub after tub of Jelly Belly jelly beans in every flavor under the sun, a wall of Pez products, and a circular contraption that dishes out Pucker Powder, a.k.a. lightly-hued pure sugar in an array of tastes.
Candy by the pound is also on offer with neatly arranged bins of caramels, hard candies, salt water taffy, lollipops, Tootsie Rolls, and bubble gum galore, plus a gleaming glass case of chocolate-covered Oreos, chocolate-dipped pretzels dotted with M&Ms and Reese’s Pieces (say when), and more traditional chocolates, bon bons, and truffles.
For those on break from self-induced sugar highs, there’s a section of shelves with family-oriented games, activities, signature apparel, and giftable items (most geared toward the younger set) like nifty little DIY planter kits. The setup is so very sweet that it’s virtually impossible to pick up a token gift for a loved one without a tasty treat for oneself.
Bedford Candy Bar
627 Old Post Rd, Bedford; 914.234.8645
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