The Shops at Farmington Valley

“This marks the second brick-and-mortar venture for Kristy Barto, a Connecticut-based confectioner and female entrepreneur,” wrote the Shops at Farmington Valley in a release Tuesday.

“Building on the success of her first location, The Nutmeg Fudge Company in Torrington, Barto is introducing a new concept in Canton, promising to make it the ultimate destination for candy and confections—just in time for the holiday season.”

The Nutmeg Sweet Shoppe builds on the Nutmeg Fudge Company, which Barto founded and launched during the pandemic.

A hospitality industry veteran, Barto turned her love for making fudge at home into a new career after widespread restaurant industry closures left her out of work.

“I’ve always loved being creative in the kitchen, so when the widespread closures left many of us out of work, I decided to pivot and turn my passion for making fudge and candy into a new career,” said Barto.

After starting with a pop-up in 2020, Barto opened her first brick-and-mortar, The Nutmeg Fudge Company in 2021, which quickly became known for its small-batch fudge and retro candies.

With the Canton store, Barto expands the offerings to include artisanal chocolates, smoothies, boba tea, milkshakes, and more.

“Our goal with The Nutmeg Sweet Shoppe is to create a place where anyone with a sweet tooth can find something to love,” said Barto. “We’re expanding beyond fudge and retro candies which we’re so well known for at our first location, to offer a broader range of treats like smoothies, boba tea, and ‘crazy milkshakes’ loaded with fun additions.”

Officials with the Shops at Farmington Valley, located at 110 Albany Turnpike, Canton, (Route 44), said they’re happy with the new addition.

“We are absolutely thrilled to welcome The Nutmeg Sweet Shoppe to our community,” said Elizabeth Ackerman, general manager at the Shops at Farmington Valley. “Kristy’s passion for creativity and her dedication to delivering quality sweets make her a perfect fit for our center. We know that The Nutmeg Sweet Shoppe will become a family favorite destination for our guests, and we’re excited to see the joy it will bring to everyone who visits.”

To celebrate the new store’s opening, The Nutmeg Fudge Company is launching an Instagram contest from Nov. 11-30, where followers can vote on the new location’s signature fudge, the ‘Canton Candy.’

The choices are:

• Bear Tracks: Milk chocolate fudge with Nutella and peanut butter fudge with caramel, topped with Kinder chocolate.
• Farmington Valley Trail Mix Fudge: Dark chocolate fudge with pretzels, mixed nuts, and dried cranberries.

The winning flavor will be featured at The Nutmeg Sweet Shoppe, and one voter will win a “Nutmeg Sweet Stocking Stuffer” gift basket. Follow us on Instagram or Facebook to vote.

The shop’s grand opening is expected sometime in mid-November, with details posted on The Shops at Farmington Valley website and social media pages @shopfarmington.

For more information, please visit this link.