Iconic CT Chocolatier, Bridgewater Chocolate, Looks To Expand

As I bite into my first milk chocolate dipped crunchy peanut butter patty, I’m overwhelmed by the feeling that I’ve waited far too long to discover the edible joy that comes from the confections found at Bridgewater Chocolate. A trip to any of their stores, located in Brookfield and West Hartford (as well as a Westport weekend pop-up through December), will elicit a type of longing that will have you dreaming of chocolate at night. As Michael Stern once stated so perfectly…

“Walk into Bridgewater Chocolate, and the air inside is chocoholic heaven, with an aroma that is intense but not cloying, like vaporous cocoa laced with the sweetness of fruit. The store area is fairly small, decorated with the beautiful hinged boxes in which Bridgewater packs its goodies.” — Jane & Michel Stern, Roadfood.com

While this 25-year veteran chocolate shop has been immensely successful in the very localized areas of Brookfield and West Hartford, the Bridgewater Chocolate team is ready to grow from its roots into other parts of Connecticut and the Northeast. The goal is to open a retail store location in Westport in 2022, with plans of additional locations in lower Fairfield County and into Westchester in the coming years. Taste one of their Coconut Igloos with their soft and slightly chewy coconut center, dipped in milk or dark chocolate, and you will rejoice in this news.

And now a little history: Bridgewater founder and fhef, Chef Erik Landegren, was working as a sous chef at the famed Aquavit in Manhattan, but once settled in the U.S., he started to get familiar with American chocolate classics such as Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and Snickers. He was fascinated by the combination of flavors, but disappointed in the quality of the actual chocolate. He was also influenced by memories of his childhood in Sweden, where it was tradition to have a box of Aladdin chocolates at the table around Christmas. He remembered there would always be the same five pieces left in the box, and the memory of those unwanted chocolates stayed with him. 

Landegren says,“ I was really intrigued by the American love for chocolate – but understood it could be even better by applying European quality standards to the process. I thought - we can do this, but if I bring in some of the traditions of what I grew up with and my background as a chef, with the making of it, it can be even better. “

When the opportunity to start working with chocolate presented itself in the form of a chef role at the Bridgewater Village Store, Erik began offering the chocolates to locals and travelers alike. Word started to spread and eventually customers wanted the chocolates shipped, and it evolved into both a booming mail order business and a sweet CT destination for those in the know.

Erik spent a long time finding the perfect blend of chocolate that is really appropriate for the type of confections they create. He wanted to incorporate African cocoa as it brings a unique element to the blend, rounding it out alongside the more expected use of South American cocoa. Most chocolatiers only use South American cocoa – generally they stay away from African chocolate because it can be a bit punchier and not as delicate. However, Erik, drawing on his years of experience as a chef, knew the right balance of African cocoa would make the chocolate blend more interesting and suitable for the confections he wanted to create. Well played Erik. They are straight fire.

Bridgewater offers a wide variety of chocolates including turtles, toffees, caramels, truffles, peanut butter patties, hazelnut pralines, and more.  All of their selections are handmade from the very best ingredients, and this shows in all of the clean and deeply nuanced flavor profiles.  From the European truffles, caramel oozing chocolates, and brittle buttery toffee, to the handmade marzipan and turtles…everything is uniformly bathed in creamy, high cocoa, high cocoa butter content chocolate. It’s just outrageous. Each chocolate is made in house, and every filling from the caramel to the toffee is handmade at the Brookfield location.

Bridgewater Chocolate has three retail locations: their Factory Store in Brookfield along with their Factory Extension Store down the road and the third one is in West Hartford. All of their retail store designs are elegant, with a warm and inviting atmosphere.  The Factory Store is truly worth a visit, as the experience is truly special, with the intoxicating smell of superior chocolates being made just feet from the store counter. There is a small window with views into our kitchen, so you may be lucky enough to see their chocolatiers at work preparing the ingredients for the chocolate. If you can’t make it to the store, Bridgewater Chocolate makes it easy and convenient to purchase from their website, by phone (203-775-2286 option 1) or by visiting one of their many distributor locations.

Where to Buy (View More Locations)

P.S. Bridgewater Chocolate has been awarded “Most Outstanding Overall Food Product” by The Connecticut Specialty Food Association several times and has been featured numerous times on The Food Network.

You can also find them at a pop-up location in downtown Westport, CT at 11 Church Lane on Saturdays and Sundays, 10AM - 6PM during the month of December.

Go forth and eat chocolate. It makes everything better.