Purdys Chocolatier

I love this place! This is like the Canadian version of See’s candy. Although they make a variety of delicious candy creations, I haven’t ventured out yet because I love their dark chocolate Sweet Georgia Browns. They’re like Hershey’s turtles, but so much better! Basically they’re lightly salted pecans, covered in homemade caramel, and then topped with dark chocolate. Best one to four bite treat ever (depends on which size you get)!

I agree with J. N maybe we have been served by same lady, however, I didn’t find her too warm. I ordered my regular ice cream bar and she gave me a scowling look ’cause I wanted it double dipped even though I offered to pay extra. Her response, «we just don’t do that.» REALLY? the other locations have never had a problem. I’ve been here twice and gotten the same lady.

Since the women at this store are none-​too-​friendly, I started to question, why? Was it me? Turns out that it wasn’t. I was told by the official head office lady in the most pleasant of ways that they, «don’t give out any samples to cut costs». I am sure this policy is better for my waistline; it’s just weird. They do give samples for new products, which is basically a quarter of the size of a chocolate.
I would like to hear what the American visitors think since their shops are all so friendly with samples and otherwise. Perhaps this contributes to Vancouver’s overall slender waistlines. At any rate, the lack thereof keeps me from wandering in to buy, so it’s a win situation for my health and a lose for Purdy’s.
Oh well, once in awhile when I am craving my beloved peanut butter milk chocolate bar, rice crisp bar or anything with caramel, this is my first stop. And while I haven’t checked the ingredients lately (ignorance is bliss) I am hopeful that they use less refined corn syrup than our neighbours to the south.

The chocolates for dessert were great and the staff that helped me were super helpful. I asked about the asbos that expect free samples and well it was pretty simple … They sell them… It’s a capitalist enterprise
Wow go figure eh? Selling chocolates! Lol
It mentally conjures up the episode from family guy «baking bad» you can see it here and get the idea
So my personal favourite is the dark chocolate macadamia, go figure.
Chocolates helps sooth against cyberbullys who write unhelpful and rude reviews and then take it out on fellow Unilocalers
Don’t be cowed by them

I love this place. I love sugar and whats not to like about Purdy’s. Their dark chocolate is great, their mint chocolate is the best and their ice cream dipped in hot fudge and covered in nuts is amazing. Purdy’s has a great big store in oakridge mall and is so inviting. Their colors are so welcoming. Its so good its bad… if you know what I mean. Love this place.

I come here for the ice cream for my daughter. Bubble gum with sprinkles. The selection of flavours is quite limited, but it suffices.
Can’t say that I am a huge fan of Purdy’s chocolates — they’re too sweet for me. In fact, I can’t remember the last time that I’ve even had one!
But for the dipped ice-​cream bar with nuts, oh yeah!
Conveniently located near the pit-​of-​germs (children’s play area), they get a view of this place, and you get, «Daddeeeeeeeeeeeee, ice cream???»

Great selection and taste. Can’t get better than this.
Always busy, great for Holliday gift shopping.

What do think when you hear the words chocolates and Vancouver?
For most people, the word is Purdy’s and the purple boxes that comes with the chocolates. Every so often, I do like eating chocolates. It’s usually during Christmas time when I encounter these delicious Vancouver made chocolates under the Christmas tree at home or at the workplace.
Their chocolate hedgehogs is my favourite item from Purdy’s. They’re chocolates shaped like hedgehogs that have a hazelnut gianduja filling. You can either get them in dark and milk chocolate.
I’m also a fan of their peanut butter daisies. They’re shaped like milk chocolates shaped like daisies with a peanut butter centre. Think of it as a premium quality version of Reese’s Peanut Butter cups.
I’m a fan of dark chocolate and they have an assorted dark chocolate assortment which I enjoy eating during the holidays. I love almost every chocolate such as nuts and clusters, soft centres, mints and melties, truffles, smoothies, and caramels, except for the chocolates with cream centres. Their cream chocolates are painfully sweet for my teeth and they taste a lot like drugstore quality discounted chocolates. One of the Purdy’s staff told me that their cream chocolates are only popular with senior citizens.

the no-​sugar dark chocolate highly recommended, actually has some more than decent taste, without the sugar!

Purdy’s crafts delicious chocolate treats.
To fully appreciate a Purdy’s chocolate, take a tour of the factory, out on Kingsway. Once you see the cream, butter and eggs being mixed in ginormous copper kettles, and sample from every station, well, you might have a tummy ache, but you will feel secure when you nosh a chocolate bunny, a mint meltie or whatever your favorite becomes.
This location, by the Safeway in Oakridge, has a nice ice cream section offering up daily specials and the local’s delight — the double dip ice cream bar. Yes, you can have nuts or candy sprinkles, but I like mine plain. The line up can sometimes be lengthy, and might require a bit of gentle movement to get up to the order taker.
The chocolate coated marshmallow egg is a spring favorite. Truffles, especially the ice wine, are fabulous for a treat and as a gift.
If you wish to be a chocolate snob, maybe the hometown treats, made out on Kingsway, won’t make your socks go up and down.
Be brave, walk in, try some creams, or a snowball, or buy a keepsake tin — Purdy’s makes a rich, smooth chocolate, milk, dark, or white, and ranks high with visitors from out of town.

As a Vancouverite, we tend to overlook things that have been in front of us for years and while Purdys is still my go to for hedgehogs and the occasional dipped chocolate and peanut ice cream bar (yum) — I forget that Purdys is a west coast thing.
When visiting my aunt in Ontario– she always asks for Purdys!

After staring at my empty purple Purdy’s bag for a while sitting in my fridge I am trying to remember what this chocolate was all about. I certainly ate the crap out of it a long time ago.
I think Purdy’s is good for your standard classical chocolates such as covered caramels and nuts. The chocolate itself isn’t amazing such as those of the chocolatier variety but I did like their caramels a lot. Certainly if you need a fix its right there in the mall.

My co-​workers go crazy for these chocolates, so i’ve had my fair share of Purdy’s. They have a wide variety to choose from but the quality varies depending on what you get.
Whatever you do, don’t go in hungry or else you will end up eating the entire store and leaving with a tummy ache (I speak from experience).

3.5 stars.
Getting an early start on holiday shopping and Purdy’s is usually a safe choice. Most of their chocolates are «OK» in quality but there are some classics here like their Sweet Georgia Browns and Hedgehogs that are definitely 4 stars. Ditto with their ice cream, but that’s hard to give!
It’s not my favorite chocolate, but I like to give these to non-​Canadians/​non-​BC folks since it’s a local store and packaging is great. Customer service is great whenver I’ve been in.
Since they have pre-​packed styles, they’ll be fresh up to 4 weeks later. I also bought from them this year since they have a few Vancouver 2010 gift packed items — I don’t think any of the other chocolatiers in town do, so that’s a nice gift option if you’re doing the Olympic thing.