See’s Candies Gets Spooky
Charles A. See founded See’s Candies 100 years ago in Los Angeles, selling confections made from his mother Mary See’s recipes. While the company passed out of the See’s family control decades ago, See’s Candies is still going strong. Berkshire Hathaway purchased the company in 1972 and See’s still produces candies and confections in both Northern and Southern California and has greatly expanded distribution including retail shops in airports and several Asian countries.
A mid-tier specialty brand, See’s Candies continues to maintain “quality without compromise,” striving to make each of its 800 million candies made each year taste like they came right out of Mary See’s kitchen. Every piece of candy is packed individually by hand and many pieces are decorated by hand as well.
See’s Suppliers
See’s partners with local suppliers that share the brand’s quality commitment. For instance, this year marks 75 years of the company’s relationship with Guittard Chocolate, which is based near their Northern California production facility and has been making chocolate since 1868. In addition to Guittard, See’s also works with Challenge Butter, which was founded in 1911; C&H Sugar, which dates back to 1906; and Mariani Nut Company, founded in 1972 in California’s Santa Clara Valley.
Halloween Orange & Chocolate Creams photo credit See's Candy
Halloween Selections
Candy sales peak around the holidays and in recent years Halloween has become an increasingly important marketing holiday along with Valentine’s Day, Easter and Christmas. See’s introduced its Halloween creations 25 years ago, and as is the case with their other seasonal candies, production of many of their confections is very labor intensive. For example, for Halloween, the company’s Chocolate Marshmallow Jack-O’-Lanterns are hand-decorated. Other candies get special holiday packaging such as chocolate and butterscotch lollypops which are given a seasonal look in Trick or Treat Lollypops tins this year. Witches’ hats and Frankenstein faces reveal the sweet treats underneath. ($17.25/online)
Mini Halloween Cat Box photo credit See's Candy
This year See’s introduced a Mini Halloween Cat Box filled with a mini-assortment of milk and dark chocolate favorites, including Milk Chocolate Jack-O’-Lanterns and a Dark Walnut Square. ($14.25, shops/online)
Happy Jack and Friends Box photo credit See's Candy
Mixed selections also include this year’s Happy Jack and Friends Box packed with See’s lollypops, Milk Chocolate Balls, a Milk Chocolate Ghost and a bag of sour jelly beans. ($10.25, shops/online)
Classic See’s Halloween-specific confections include Halloween Orange & Chocolate Creams with candy ghosts and smiling pumpkins. The ghosts adorn the Milk Chocolate Creams, and the tangy Orange Creams are decorated with smiling pumpkins. ($9.50, shops/online).
Looking Ahead
While classic assorted chocolates have been a mainstay and the brand maintains an old-fashioned appeal and image, See’s added chocolate truffles to their line in 1985 and continues to update selections for major holidays. While chocolate and candy may not be as the top of mind for Thanksgiving as it is for Halloween and Christmas, See’s does offer seasonal Thanksgiving confections including apple, pumpkin, and pecan pie flavored truffles, pumpkin spice lollypops, and molded hollow milk and dark chocolate turkeys wrapped in foil.