Belgian Chocolates

Hershey, Pennsylvania – the Town That Chocolate Built

The town of Hershey in Pennsylvania owes its entire existence to chocolate. It was built by Milton Hershey to house his workers close to what was then the biggest chocolate factory in the world. Completed in 1905, the revolutionary factory produced milk chocolate bars, which until then were only available as luxury Swiss imports, and became the first product to be marketed nationally throughout the USA.

Because of his Mennonite background, as well as producing the world’s best chocolate, Hershey also had an overwhelming desire to build a model town around his factory. He wanted to afford his employees comfortable homes, inexpensive transport, education for their children, and recreational facilities, like many chocolate manufacturers of his time. Over in England Joseph Rowntree, a fervent Quaker was also building his model town of New Earswick near his factory in York, mirroring the development of Hershey’s empire in Pennsylvania.

Modern-day Hershey is still relatively small, recording a population of just over 12,700 in the 2000 census, and carries the nickname Chocolatetown. As you can imagine everything in and around the town relates to Hershey and chocolate, so if you are not fond of the sweet stuff it’s not the place for you!

Adjacent to the town is Hersheypark, one of the USA’s original theme parks. Opened in 1907 it was originally a private leisure park solely for the benefit of Hershey employees, but eventually was opened up to the general public. Now the park stretches over 110 acres and contains over 60 rides and other attractions, including 10 hair-raising roller coasters. There is so much to do at Hersheypark that many visitors choose to spend a night or two at a hotel in Hershey so that they can make the most of their visit to Chocolatetown.

As well as Hersheypark there are many other sights in and around the town of Hershey; ZooAmerica – a fantastic North American Wildlife Park that is firmly pro-conservation and where animal welfare is paramount, and Hershey Chocolate World – an interactive chocolate experience – are two of the biggest. Other attractions include; the Hershey Bears – the ice hockey team that have been playing in the town for 70 years, and other leisure activities such as golf, concerts and shows.

Although many of the modern attractions and activities in Hershey would have been beyond the imagination of Milton Hershey - the man who was responsible for starting it all – there is no doubt that he would be fascinated and enthralled by everything that has grown up in his name. If he was alive today he would no doubt be as excited as the many children that visit Hersheypark today.

About the Author

Elisha Burberry is an online, freelance journalist and keen movie-goer from Scotland. Her interests include travelling, cooking and photography.

5 Pound (2.5 KG) Candy Bar from Hershey's

HERSHEYSSTORE World's Largest HERSHEY'S Milk Chocolate Bar $39.99 WAS $44.99 NOW $39.99 No need to adjust the resolution on your monitor; this chocolatebar really is that big. In fact, its the Worlds Largest HERSHEYSMilk Chocolate Bar! Chocolate lovers, rejoice! Weighing in at afull five pounds of pure chocolate deliciousness, this is onemonstrous chocolate bar! Get ready to be the absolute hit of theparty when you show up toting this great big HERSHEYS bar. Or makea really sweet impression on someone you love.

HERSHEYSSTORE HERSHEY'S Bar and HERSHEY'S KISSES JIBBITZ $5.95 Dress up your CROCS HERSHEYS style! HERSHEYS-themed JIBBITZ add a terrific touch of whimsy to your favorite pair of fun, frolicsome footwear. These miniature replicas of a HERSHEYS Milk Chocolate bar and a HERSHEYS KISSES Chocolate (complete with plume) will make your CROCS look as great as they feel. HERSHEYS bar measures 1¼" x ½"; HERSHEYS KISSES Chocolate measures approximately 1½" x 1". Collect them all!

HERSHEYSSTORE HERSHEY'S Milk Chocolate Bars - 36-ct. Box $19.95 All the deliciousness of a rich, creamy HERSHEYS Milk Chocolate bar... times 36. This box contains nearly 3½ pounds of pure chocolate scrumptiousness – all wrapped up in individual wrappers. How convenient is that?!Also available in: SKOR, WHATCHAMACALLIT, ZAGNUT, ZERO brands and HERSHEYS Milk Chocolate with Caramel.

HERSHEYSSTORE HERSHEY'S AIR DELIGHT Milk Chocolate Bars - 24-ct. $17.95 When you want a chocolate treat that leaves ordinary in thedust, you want the creamy, delicious taste and airy texture of aHERSHEYS AIR DELIGHT Milk Chocolate. Through the magic ofHERSHEYS, weve aerated pure, creamy milk chocolate and formed itinto 1.4-oz. bars. Now you can get all the deliciousness ofHERSHEYS AIR DELIGHT Milk Chocolate Bars in a 24-count box. Thatsmore than two pounds of amazingly smooth, light and deliciousHERSHEYS Milk Chocolate goodness... just perfect for sharing!Also available in multi-bar cartons: HERSHEYS Milk Chocolatewith Caramel, SKOR candy bar, ZAGNUT candy bar, WHATCHAMACALLITcandy bar and ZERO candy bar brands.

HERSHEYSSTORE HERSHEY'S Lenticular Cup $3.95 Nope, your eyes arent playing tricks on you. This cleverchocolate-brown cup really does have shifting images! Hold it one way and it shows awrapped HERSHEYS Milk Chocolate bar; turn it a smidgen and itssuddenly an unwrapped bar with a sizable bite taken out of it. Andthe concentric circles of dots seem to swirl and dance as you moveand turn the cup. Made in U.S.A. Its PURE HERSHEYS... and purefun!

HERSHEYSSTORE HERSHEY'S SILLY BANDZ $7.95 Now you can display your love of HERSHEYS for all to see – with SILLY BANDZ! Its the fashion craze thats sweeping the nation! SILLY BANDZ are wearable rubber bands that come in fun shapes. Use them as rubber bands or wear them as bracelets. You can even string them on necklaces to display in their natural shapes. In this SILLY BANDZ 12 pack, you get orange REESES Peanut Butter Cup-shaped BANDZ and HERSHEYS KISSES Chocolates-shaped BANDZ in pink and blue, plus HERSHEYS Product Character-shaped BANDZ for HERSHEYS milk chocolate bar character, HERSHEYS KISSES Chocolates character and REESES Peanut Butter Cup character in chocolate brown, royal blue and tangerine.

HERSHEYSSTORE HERSHEY'S Candy Store Tin $16.95 Its a charming return to yesteryear. This quaint tin replicatesthe charm and wonder of the corner candy store from days gone by.Reminiscent of a turn-of-the-century shop, this adorable tinre-creates, in stunning detail, every feature of a HERSHEYSstorefront, complete with brick façade, marquee bannerproclaiming it "The Great American Chocolate Company,"KISSES-shaped lighting fixtures and brass bar-handled glass entrydoors. Inside this endearing 5" L x 2" W x 8¼" H tin is atreasure trove of HERSHEYS MINIATURES Assortment – a full 21ounces. What a wonderful gift this Candy Store Tin would make forsomeone special in your life!

HERSHEYSSTORE HERSHEY'S Ceramic Candy/Cookie Jar $15.95 Its got to be the most adorable oversized cupcake ever! Butthis ones made of ceramic, standing 7¾" high and 4" around atthe base (and 6" at its widest point). This cleverly designedceramic jar features a grey base with a HERSHEYS logo and a lightchocolate-colored "icing" lid topped with an oversized HERSHEYSMiniatures Milk Chocolate bar – and can hold a treasure troveof your favorite HERSHEYS goodies.

HERSHEYSSTORE Chocolate Lovers Keychain $6.95 The little rhinestone-accented pink heart in the middle of this keyring tells the whole story: Chocolate Lover. And that distinctive shape dangling next to the HERSHEYS Milk Chocolate Bar could be only one thing: a HERSHEYS KISSES Chocolate. Love and KISSES – what more could you ask for? So stand up and proclaim your love... for chocolate!

Hershey $10.19 The name Hershey evokes many things: chocolate bars, the company town in Pennsylvania, one of America's most recognizable brands. But who was the man behind the name? In this compelling biography, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Michael D'Antonio gives us the real-life rags-to-riches story of Milton S. Hershey, a largely uneducated businessman whose idealistic sense of purpose created an immense financial empire, a town, and a legacy that lasts to this day. Hershey, the son of a minister's daughter and an irresponsible father who deserted the family, began his career inauspiciously when the two candy shops he opened both went bankrupt. Undeterred, he started the Lancaster Caramel Company, which brought him success at last. Eventually he sold his caramel operation and went on to perfect the production process of chocolate to create a stable, consistent bar with a long shelf life...and an American icon was born. Hershey was more than a successful businessman -- he was a progressive thinker who believed in capitalism as a means to higher goals. He built the world's largest chocolate factory and a utopian village for his workers on a large tract of land in rural Pennsylvania, and used his own fortune to keep his workers employed during the Great Depression. In addition, he secretly willed his fortune to a boys' school and orphanage, both of which now control a vast endowment. Extensively researched and vividly written, Hershey is the fascinating story of this uniquely American visionary.

HERSHEYSSTORE Red Valentine's Day Tower $49.95 Sweet on someone special? Then give that someone special something sweet. A HERSHEY’S Red Foiled Large Tower makes an exceptional statement for Valentine’s Day. This three-tiered tower contains more than three full pounds of delicious HERSHEY’S treats in festive holiday wrappers. The bottom layer is filled with two pounds of assorted HERSHEY’S KISSES Milk Chocolates, REESE’S Peanut Butter Cup Miniatures and HERSHEY’S Milk Chocolate Bar Miniatures. Just on top of that is a red-foiled box containing 14 oz. of HERSHEY’S HUGS candies. And topping it all off is yet another red-foiled box filled with 6 oz. of HERSHEY’S KISSES Milk Chocolates.

HERSHEYSSTORE HERSHEY'S Chocolate Lover Hat $19.95 Individual grey-shadowed brown letters spelling out HERSHEYSare appliquéd across the front of this distressed-look hat.This six-panel cotton khaki hat with chocolate-brown accents,simulated grey paint spatters and worn brim, is adjustable, with ahook-and-loop fabric closure at the back. Screen printed across theback is "Chocolate Lover" – in case anyone had anydoubts.

HERSHEYSSTORE HERSHEY'S Baseball Hat $14.95 This great HERSHEYS baseball hat is as handsome as it is comfortable. Stylish blue hat features a clever appliqué on the front – a white patch with "HERSHEY" in prominent red lettering above a street lamppost with name signs showing the corner of Cocoa Ave. and Chocolate Ave. We cant think of a better place to be. Batter up!

HERSHEYSSTORE World's Largest HERSHEY'S KISS Milk Chocolate $22.95 WAS $24.95 NOW $22.95 At a hefty 2 pounds 12.8 ounces, this eye-popping HERSHEYS KISSES Milk Chocolate is sure to make even the most dedicated chocolate aficionado goggle in awe. Concealed within this hollow KISS™ Milk Chocolate are a full seven ounces of standard-size HERSHEYS KISSES Milk Chocolates. The Worlds Largest KISS™ Milk Chocolate is the sweetest way to show that special someone how much you care. Dimensions: 7¾" W x 7¾" D x 8½" H.

HERSHEYSSTORE HERSHEY'S Chocolate Mint-Flavored Baking Chips $2.75 Add a kiss of mint to your baking. HERSHEYS Chocolate Mint-Flavored Baking Chips will add just the perfect touch of minty deliciousness to whatever youre baking up. Its the perfect marriage of smooth milk chocolate and the fresh sparkle of mint. Grab a bag and stir up some fun in the kitchen today! 10-oz. bag.

HERSHEYSSTORE HERSHEY'S Chocolate-Scented Candle Jar $22.95 Ahh, chocolate! Has there ever been an aroma more alluring, more enticing or more enthralling? With the HERSHEYS Chocolate Scented Jar Candle from the HERSHEYS Kitchen collection, you get a full-size 24-oz. jar candle with a wonderfully sweet, tantalizing scent. Now you can enjoy the fragrance of pure HERSHEYS Milk Chocolate any time you want – minus the calories.

HERSHEYSSTORE HERSHEY’S Chocolate World Filled Glass $14.95 Whether its filled with yummy HERSHEYS Assorted Miniatures, REESES Peanut Butter Cup Miniatures and HERSHEYS KISSES Milk Chocolates or a serving of ice-cold chocolate milk, this glass serves up pure happiness. Sturdy glass bears the HERSHEYS CHOCOLATE WORLD Attraction logo on the front and is laser etched all over with little HERSHEYS logos (which show up great when the glass is filled with chocolate milk, by the way). Glass comes filled with a full 8 oz. of HERSHEYS Miniatures Assortment, HERSHEYS KISSES Milk Chocolates and REESES Peanut Butter Cup Miniatures, all temptingly tied with a luxurious chocolate-brown satin bow. And the accompanying tag features a recipe for a delectable Cocoa Chocolate Shake. What more could you want?

HERSHEYSSTORE HERSHEY'S Bar and REESE'S JIBBITZ $5.95 Dress up your CROCS HERSHEYS style! HERSHEYS-themed JIBBITZadd a terrific touch of whimsy to your favorite pair of fun,frolicsome footwear. These miniature replicas of a HERSHEYS MilkChocolate bar and a package of REESES Peanut Butter Cups will makeyour CROCS look as great as they feel. HERSHEYS bar measures 1¼"x ½"; REESES pack measures 1¼" x ⅝"⅝".Collect them all!

HERSHEYSSTORE HERSHEY'S Double Chocolate KISSES Cookies Candle $17.95 Ahh, chocolate! Has there ever been an aroma more alluring, moredecadent or more enthralling? With the Double Chocolate HERSHEYSKISSES Milk Chocolates Cookies jar candle from the HERSHEYSKitchens collection, you get a full-size jar candle with awonderfully sweet, tantalizing aroma; plus youll find a detailedrecipe on the back label, so you can re-create that great chocolatescent – in edible form – right in your very ownkitchen. Dimensions: 3¾" Diameter x 4¾" H.

Choc-O-Lantern Halloween Gift Basket $34.99 Loaded with two-and-a-half pounds of nothing but 100% top-shelf chocolate candy, this outstanding Halloween gift is the perfect way to say 'Happy Halloween!' Inside the classic Halloween Jack-O-Lantern, they'll find all their favorites including M&M's, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, Twix, Snickers, 100 Grand, Butterfinger, Hershey's Bar, Kit-Kat, Nestle Crunch, and tons more! For a chocolate lover, there is no finer Halloween gift basket than this!

Hershey's Chocolate Bar Plush Pillow Large $28.95 Hershey's Chocolate Bar Plush Pillow Large is filled with 100% polyester fiber, measures 28 L x 15 W x 3 D.

Hershey's Chocolate Bar Plush Pillow Medium $18.95 This one is made for all the Hershey's Chocolate Bar lovers out there. It comes to you in this pillow version that you can now take with you where ever you go. These are very comfy and are great to use while studying so your college kid will appreciate you sending them this pillow. Made of polyester, measures 19 L x 11 W x 2.5 D.

Hershey's Squishy Pillow - Chocolate Bar by Group Sales Senario $17.95 Filled with 100% polyester beads. This soft and comfortable pillow makes the perfect gift! Measures 16 inches long x 9.5 inches wide x 2.5 inches deep.

Hershey's: All Time Favorites Assortment Chocolate, 16.3 Oz $5.24 Hershey's Milk Chocolate Bar, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, Kit Kat Wafer Bar, Almond Joy Candy Bar Kosher

Hershey's: Giant Bar Milk Chocolate, 7 Oz $1.97 Kosher dairy

Hershey's: Special Dark Chocolate, 6.8 Oz $1.97 Giant BAR MILDLY sweet CHOCOLATE KOSHER DAIRY NATURAL source Of flavonol antioxidants

Hershey's: Symphony Creamy Milk Chocolate, 6.8 Oz $1.97 Giant BAR KOSHER dairy

Sweets In Bloom Chocolate Indulgence Hershey Base And Candy Bar Bouquet $46.96 Sweets In Bloom Chocolate Indulgence Hershey Base And Candy Bar Bouquet: Eye-popping creation

The Hershey's Milk Chocolate Bar Fractions Book $187.54 A Hershey's milk chocolate bar is made up of 12 little rectangles that provide perfect opportunity to teach fractions. A bunch of comical cows, some cocoa pods, and stalks of sugar cane join the fraction fun.