Made in Alaska: Inside Alaska Wildberry Products

Alaska Wildberry products started as a small buisness on the Homer Spit

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By Heather Hintze
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Story Created: Jul 12, 2012 at 4:29 PM AKDT

Story Updated: Jul 13, 2012 at 7:39 AM AKDT

ANCHORAGE- Alaska Wildberry Products started as a small shack on the Homer Spit selling jams and jellies. Sixty years later it's known for chocolate.

Alaska Wildberry Products counts on a customer's sweet tooth to bring in big business.

“Everyone loves it,” said Dwayne Guerr, general manager. “Everyone loves to come down here and watch us make the candies. It's true made in Alaska, made in America."

But before the tasty treats can hit the shelves the chocolate concoctions are stirred up in the kitchen.

“At Alaska Wildberry, we still do a lot of our candies handmade,” said Troy Long, production manager. “With our jams and jellies, we still do it the way your great-grandmother did. A lot of it is handmade.”

20 years of taste-testing has cured Long of any chocolate addiction he might have had. “After a time it becomes rough to want to eat it every day.”

The handful of kitchen staff makes 150 types of candy. “Two of us can make 18,000 jelly centers in a day,” said Long.

The next day always brings something different. “It's a fun job. You're not doing the same routine day after day. It changes, the fast pace. You're never bored. You're always busy.”

The candy keeps the kitchen crew on the move. In just a week they'll make nearly 10,000 pieces of caramel alone.

“Our candies, we don't have machines that make it for us,” said Long. “We actually have to stir the kettles and make it. We pour it on the tables. A lot of it is all hand cut.”

Valentine's Day is Alaska Wildberry Products' biggest day for selling candy and winter is its biggest season.

The kitchen crew started working on Christmas candy at the end of June to make sure there will be enough when the holidays come around.

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ME said on Thursday, Jul 12 at 7:30 PM

Didn't I read a story about them shutting down sometime soon?

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