Chocolate Berkshires Kicks Off Month of Treats & Deals
 Joshua Needleman, owner of Chocolate Springs, created a bevy of sweet delights to inaugurate Chocolate Berkshires.  |
Throughout the month of February (and in some cases beyond) more than 50 local inns, retailers, restaurant owners and spas will offer "chocolate deals" to customers. Whether it is a chocolate spa treatment, a box of decadent truffles on the pillow or a burlesque tease, each business brings something unique to a notably quiet time of year for the Berkshires.
"Everyone braving the weather to be here is a great testament to the Berkshire spirit," said Joshua Needleman, proprietor of Chocolate Springs and mastermind behind Chocolate Berkshires. "It's also in the spirit of collaboration that we are all working together to promote this. The idea was to have a place to showcase other ideas. This is just the beginning. Chocolate has limitless possibilities to work with."
'Chocolate has limitless possibilities to work with.' |
Louise Palmer, owner of the newly renovated Shirakaba Guest House, a Japanese-style inn in New Ashford, said Needleman has created a special something that she can offer her guests.
"We're still a work in progress," Palmer said. "We began as a private house, then we had to get creative so we became a guest house. By June 1, we will have two more suites open. For every guest that stays two nights, we will give them a box of chocolates from here. Josh has also created a bonsai design in honor of the guest house."
A bonsai-stamped medallion is not the only specialty treat on the Chocolate Berkshires menu. Needleman also has created a chocolate rose design in honor of the ceiling tiles at Ventfort Hall. These will be available for sale at the hall throughout the month.
Lindsey Hammond, the Berkshire Visitors Bureau's director of sales and marketing, said this year's Chocolate Berkshires is a trial run for what she hopes will become a Berkshire business tradition.
"We want this to grow and be a connection for the community," she said. "Right now we have no budget and we are relying on word of mouth, which has always been successful in the Berkshires."
Word of mouth may travel faster thanks to the sweet message of Chocolate Berkshires. Kevin Sprague of Studio Two (designer of the Chocolate Berkshires website) was confident that chocolate would provide a literal happy medium for all participating businesses.
"We are definitely going to build this next year," he said. "How can you not get behind chocolate?"
