The Chocolate Factory
Photo by Jessie Mogle
Just a few delectable morsels.
A sweet aroma seduces your senses as you enter into a candy land of rich chocolate. Chocolate-covered pretzels, Oreos, marshmallows and coffee beans sparkle in elegant wrapping, tempting customers to purchase them.
Peterbrooke Chocolatier, a shop in Jacksonville, spends its time turning an ordinary dessert into a masterpiece of art.
“The most creative things that we've done have been for parties and events,” says Peter Behringer, president of the company and son of owner Phyllis Geiger.
Plant manager Marty Lyp has sculpted life-size chocolate film reels and camera replicas for events such as the Jacksonville Film Festival.
One of their hottest-selling wedding designs is a four-foot chocolate fondue fountain with a specially formulated pump that keeps the chocolate flowing. Skewers are set out for guests to dip treats such as marshmallows, pretzels, strawberries and pineapples into the thick, creamy, lava-like chocolate, said Behringer.
Although Peterbrooke has nine locations around Jacksonville, and has even branched out to Winter Park, its beginnings were humble. The shop, named after Phyllis Geiger’s children, Peter and Brooke, began in San Marco, an upscale, yet quaint Jacksonville neighborhood in 1983.
While Geiger's European training has resulted in the creation of many fine chocolates, her most sought after recipe was invented accidentally. Peterbrooke's chocolate-covered popcorn may not be their most aesthetically pleasing innovation, but the taste alone leaves one with no doubt that it is in fact a work of art. According to the shop's Web site, Geiger claims, “It is a gift from God.”
Behringer recalls that in a rush to give away free samples during Holiday Magic in 1984, a yearly event in San Marco where participating shops each contribute a treat, Geiger dashed over to a nearby movie theater, purchased popcorn and sprinkled Peterbrooke's signature chocolate over it so she would have something to give out.
Customers poured into her shop requesting the salty, sweet morsels.
“By the third time, she realized she better start selling it,” Behringer says.
Whether you enjoy the tongue-tingling contrast of chocolate and popcorn or the fresh zest of chocolate-covered strawberries, Peterbrooke has enough sweets to satisfy everyone's cravings.