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Mursell’s Sweet Shop
// by samantha simma // Photography by ryan dorgan
Open 10 a.m.–6 p.m. daily; 125 N. Cache St.; 307/264-1508, Instagram @mursellssweetshop
John Frechette and Christian Burch, the co-founders of successful valley shops MADE and Mountain Dandy, never imagined adding a candy store to their portfolio. But when their dying friend Mursell McLaughlin couldn’t find anyone to take over the store she had founded and run for 34 years, Mursell’s Pottery and Chocolate, the pair asked if they could. (Mursell’s is across Gaslight Alley from MADE.) It turns out that was what McLaughlin had wanted all along. The Jackson Hole News&Guide reported that she told Frechette, “I thought you’d never ask.” Today’s Mursell’s is different from when McLaughlin ran it. McLaughlin’s Mursell’s sold candy made on the premises and her own pottery, stained glass, and other crafts. The reinvented Mursell’s, which opened in 2018, sells candy sourced from more than 200 confectioners around the world. Here’s a sampling.
We love when customers can find a candy they haven’t had in years, but we also want them to find something they have never seen before, whether that’s chocolate from London, gummies from Sweden, or a small-batch brand from down the street.”
—JOHN FRECHETTE
Frechette and Burch became captivated by Melt Chocolate while on a trip to London in 2019. They brought samples back to share with their team, and the consensus was that the chocolates were melt-in-your-mouth incredible. Mursell’s manager Sarah Nicholson, a trained pastry chef, says she lovesthe adventurous flavors: “They do this fun popcorn milk chocolate bar and a toast and marmalade bar,” she says. $11
Atlanta-based Beautiful Briny makes sea salt and cane sugar blends—including Magic Unicorn, Hot Steve, and Campfire—that aren’t available anywhere else in the valley. Each cannister of salt includes suggestions for use, like the recommendation to add Hot Steve to margaritas, soups, chili, and Mexican fare. From $8
Creekside Mallow Co. Marshmallows are made from scratch in Caldwell, Idaho, and include traditional and unusual flavors. The former include vanilla and hot chocolate; the latter include cotton candy and cookies and cream. From $7
Add a Queen Bee Gardens’ Honey Stick to a cup of tea or eat it solo for a sugar boost. Made in Lovell, Wyoming, from all-natural mild clover Wyoming honey, the sticks are available in a variety of flavors, including peach chipotle, spiced chai, orange, blue raspberry, and caramel. $.60
The Mursell’s tasting team appreciated the big flavor, texture, and gift-friendly packaging of the caramels from Boston’s McCrea’s Candies. Look for flavors like cinnamon clove, single malt scotch, and rosemary truffle sea salt.
From $4.50
Childhood friends opened Omnom Chocolate in a converted gas station in Reykjavík, Iceland, in 2013. A pioneer in the “bean-to-bar” movement, Omnom was on Mursell’s shelves prior to being featured on Netflix’s Down to Earth documentary series. Beyond the beautiful packaging, the chocolate is award-winning; in 2018 it won gold for best milk chocolate bar in the world at the International Chocolate Awards. From $9
Ritual Chocolate bars are made in Park City, Utah, and boast unique flavor profiles like Juniper Lavender, S’mores, Pine Nut, and Bourbon Barrel Aged. The line is 99 percent vegan, so those with a dairy allergy can indulge as well. From $9