Lifelong residents of northeast Florida, Henry and Esther Whetstone have longed to own and operate their own business. They found the demand from tourists and local residents for ice cream and began operating their small ice cream store in St. Augustine in 1966 .Their ice cream parlor, Tedi's Olde Tyme Ice Cream, quickly became known as the best ice cream in town and is still in business today.  

 

Henry and Esther created a homemade fudge recipe in their small family kitchen and jumped right into the chocolate market. These two took off learning and preparing delicacies in their home for the customers the next day. They had few cookbooks little space but pushed through with their larger than life entrepreneurial spirit. Henry would hand carve models for their solid gators and dolphins while Esther was testing and creating new recipes for chocolates and fudge. 

 

With two hard working people, the small kitchen survived and was the original Whetstone Chocolate factory. Their commitment to quality and hours spent was rewarded as the demand for their fudge increased over time. Esther and Henry learned the complicities of chocolate and began to hand-dip chocolates like caramel, toffee, almonds, pecans, and cherries. The Whetstone Chocolates reputation grew rapidly and spread like wildfire through the town and the demand for their chocolates increased even more. In 1967, they were selling 13 uniquely different flavors of fudge along with an assortment of hand-dipped chocolates.  

The expanding sales led them to move to a larger facility to be able to produce their products. While in St. Augustine, the Whetstone Chocolates factory is a must try and is a delicious way to spend your day. 

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