Chocolate lovers have a sweet destination in rural Clinton Township.
Speckled Hen Chocolate Co. opened in 2013, specializing in unique gourmet hand-dipped chocolates, gift baskets, event favors, chocolate-themed classes and homemade fudge.
Sarver native and owner Valerie Cannon, 45, often provided homemade chocolate-covered pretzels for her co-workers. She made the decision to trade jobs in the corporate and academic sector for the freedom of being her own boss.
“I didn’t want to wake up in 30 or 40 years and wish I would have taken a chance to follow my dreams,” Cannon says. “I realized I was ‘just existing’ in my current work environment and I couldn’t have that.”
Cannon purchased what she describes as a “wreck” of a building located at 656 Saxonburg Blvd., and spent almost two years extensively remodeling the interior and grounds into a multi-level chocolate house/business.
“I add chocolate to my coffee every morning,” Cannon says of her passion. “The ability to express myself through chocolate, knowing full well it might just make someone’s day a bit brighter, is my favorite thing.”
More than 20 in-house-made fudge flavors include chocolate cheesecake, cookies and cream, s’mores, unicorn, caramel praline and dark chocolate raspberry.
Totally edible chocolate creations include high-heeled shoes, ice cream cones, baby bottle rattles and champagne bottles.
Prices for simple items start at $1. For customers willing to splurge, a 4-foot chocolate Easter bunny or Santa goes for about $350, and speciality items can run to $500.
“I seriously live this every moment of every day. My biggest challenge is walking away at the end of the day because I truly enjoy it,” Cannon says.
What sets Speckled Hen apart from the competition?
A secret blend of several varieties of chocolate and offering creative twists on chocolate molds.
An ordinary chocolate fish mold becomes a fishing pole, recalling cherished fishing memories, and a tricked-out edible high-heeled shoe with dark chocolate accents is perfect for a friend who can’t pass a shoe store without purchasing a classy pair.
“It’s really not about the chocolate or the mold, it’s about capturing a memory,” Cannon says.
More than 1,000 chocolate molds with just about any theme — bridal, holiday, anniversary, baby, teaching, nature, sports and animals — provide a one-stop shopping chocolate experience.
Springdale native Amy Seanor resides in Ohio but always shops at Speckled Hen during visits home, stocking up on chocolate gifts for her three grown children.
“I’ve been shopping here for every holiday since they opened and I’m a chocolate fan. It’s so good here — the chocolate isn’t waxy — and I love the chocolate caramels,” Seanor says.
Unique to Speckled Hen is a separate classroom/meeting space made possible in 2018 by a $5,000 grant from the Butler County Tourism and Convention Bureau.
“We converted an existing storage space into an experimental learning classroom where people of all ages can get their hands in chocolate and get creative,” Cannon says.
She says her most in-demand class is a make-your-own candy apple class. Her most unique is the edible chocolate wine glass session.
Customers love to visit and feed the specked hens on the property during spring and summer.
“We host a festival each spring and bring our hens back out from their winter home at a farm,” Cannon says.
Last year, more than 30,000 pounds of chocolate were produced by Speckled Hen’s two full-time and 10 seasonal employees.
Future plans include ramping up production of her dairy- and sugar-free chocolate offerings and expanding her keto-friendly and raw chocolate line.
“We currently wholesale our chocolates to about 15 locations, but I think these specialty chocolates need to go far and wide,” Cannon says.
