It’s the ‘bomb’
Hardin Valley’s Berrylicious Bouquets offers hand-dipped goodies
“We do anything dipped in chocolate,” she said. While her main dipped products are strawberries, she also carries other hand-dipped goodies, such as Oreos, graham crackers, Twizzlers, pretzels and even hot chocolate “bombs.”
What are hot chocolate bombs? Allitt places hot cocoa inside hollow chocolate shells. then, hot milk poured over the concoction “melts all the chocolate,” she said.
“It makes a really decadent cup of hot chocolate.”
A huge hit with customers, “from Thanksgiving to Christmas, we sold 4,000 hot chocolate bombs,” Allitt added.
But, her most popular, signature treats are the bouquets of hand-dipped, chocolate-covered strawberries — some painted in various themed colors or drizzled with more chocolate.
With Easter taking place Sunday, April, 17, families can order berries in all the spring colors, along with ones shaped like bunnies, eggs, as well as mini hot chocolate bombs.
She also customizes bouquets for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and all other occasions, working
with sports teams, schools, churches and organizations for fundraisers.
“We just did some for the Hardin Valley Academy (Spirit of the Valley) Marching Band, and we’re doing one for Diamonds Cheer Team,” she added.
“All of our orders go through our website, berryliciousbouquets.com, and we deliver all our products,” Allitt said.
While she does not have a storefront, to avoid the delivery fees, people can choose
to pick up the orders at her pick-up location, Atrio, 109 Suburban Road, Suite C-102, located off Bridgewater Place. Allitt also sells her chocolate items at Water Into Wine, where she provides the restaurant’s dessert boards.
Getting the idea to dip strawberries as a way to treat family and friends, Allitt started the business 11 years ago.
“We entertain quite a bit, but I don’t bake,” she said. “I realized I could dip strawberries and make them pretty.
“People would ask me to make them for different events,” Allitt added. “I knew another mom who made chocolate truffles and other fancy chocolates. She offered to let me use her kitchen.
“My husband said if I tried it for a year, he would build me a kitchen to code in our basement,” Allitt said.
Eight months later, he started building it.
When he was transferred to from Sarasota Springs, New York to East Tennessee seven years ago to work at Oak Ridge National Laboratories, she recalled it took time to find a house that would have the right space for her business model.
“For a little space, we do a lot,” she said. “Last year, we used 1,800 pounds of chocolate.”
