A new collab has bloomed between a New West flower shop and a Burnaby chocolate company. The result is a delicious visual treat.
Besides colourful bouquets of fresh hydrangeas, spray roses and gerberas, River Market-based Bunches & Blooms has also started offering a limited selection of chocolates from Burnaby-based small business, Truffle Pig Chocolate.
This new arrangement had been a long-time coming, said Robin Schafer, owner of Bunches & Blooms.
“The reason I went with Truffle Pig is because when I started researching for chocolate shops, I found that they (Truffle Pig Chocolate) were, like myself, a small business, started by someone who had gone out on a limb by themselves and pursued their own passion,” said Schafer.
Truffle Pig Chocolate was founded by Shelley Wallace in 2007 with the mission to offer ethically-sourced delectable chocolate to its customers.
Schafer, who had come across the company a few months ago, was impressed by the efforts they took to make sure their products were slavery free, had traceable ingredients and a transparent supply chain. He decided to stock up their pig-shaped chocolates at his store a month ago.
Customers are delighted to see the chocolate piggies offered at his flower shop, said Schafer. Going forward, he plans to expand the offerings by bringing in Truffle Pig's season-specific chocolates to complement the fresh flower arrangements at the store.
Currently, though, the store only offers one combo: red Ecuador roses with a box of assorted Truffle Pig chocolates. But those who want to mix and match their lilies and sunflowers with five-piece or 11-piece chocolate boxes can do so too, said Schafer, who's still testing out the market for the new add-on treats at his shop.
“I bought some specialty chocolate boxes with Pride banner on them to test customers' response. They were really super popular. They're all gone.”
Bunches & Blooms is located at the River Market, 810 Quayside Dr.
