We stopped in yesterday afternoon after hearing great reviews and recommendations. Absolutely adorable store. Friendly welcome when walking in. Smelled delightful. Decorated so well and had just about anything you could think of chocolate/truffle/candy wise. We left with a large amount of chocolates and truffles and a few novelty items for our son. Chocolates were very fresh and delicious. The best raspberry jelly truffle and you HAVE to try the peppermint patty, it was our favorite! read more

Ye Olde Pepper Companie - Candy Stores Near Me - Salem, Massachusetts

Ye Olde Pepper Companie unfortunately did not live up to the high expectations set by its status as America's oldest candy company. The shop itself has a charming, historic aesthetic, but the actual products were expensive and lacking in taste and texture. The shop is known for Gibralters and Black Jacks but I'm not a fan of molasses, lemon, or peppermint. Chocolate and fudges are made in house: however, they were pricey and just tasted average. The staff seemed indifferent and rushed, not welcoming....It's a candy shop! The candy is extremely small and claustrophobic. read more

Ye Olde Pepper Companie - Candy Stores Near Me - Salem, Massachusetts

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4/10 - Could it be the oldest candy store in the U.S.? Maybe, but why is everything so expensive? I thought that they would at least make their own candy but everything was sourced and overpriced. The only cool and unique candy that was historical from the 1800's was Gibralters. I wouldn't go out of my way to visit but it was right across from the House of Seven Gables museum so we just stopped by for a peek for 5 min. read more

Ye Olde Pepper Companie - Exterior - Candy Stores Near Me - Salem, Massachusetts

Ye Olde Pepper Companie is the oldest candy store in the United States - they have been open since 1806! They are famous for their Gibralters and their Blackjacks - I of course, took home both. The Gibralters come in lemon and peppermint flavor - they are big pieces of candy that are made to be broken and shared. I also took home two of the blue raspberry flavored fruit jellies which didn't make it very far - I'm a sucker for anything blue raspberry flavored. The inside of Ye Olde Pepper Companie is very small, the line took up the entire store and people actually had to wait outside until people left before they could come in. The line moved quickly though and they were very organized when helping customers. There are no tables to sit at, just tables, cases and shelves of candy! They offered chocolates, fudge, Saltwater Taffy, caramel corn and even brittles. Is it the best candy in the world? No, but I love knowing that I got to visit and purchase candy from the oldest one in America. Staff were very friendly and they gave me a See's Candy vibe minus the cute little outfits. I will definitely visit again if I get the chance! Check out a part of history! read more

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World Oldest Candy Shop! Wow!!!! This candy shop was amazing!!! Extremely friendly staff and Extremely Great candy. We purchased a wide variety of different sweets and they were all delicious, didn't last very long!!! Definitely recommend you try as much as possible read more

Ye Olde Pepper Companie - Candy!!! - Candy Stores Near Me - Salem, Massachusetts

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I had pretty high expectations for this place, to the point where I felt like my trip to Salem would have not been complete without coming here. Very cool from a historical aspect, it's cool with it being Americas Oldest continuously running Candy Company. While we were here my husband and I loaded up on a bunch of chocolates and even bought a packet of Black Jacks just because I felt like I had to. Unfortunately the chocolate was pretty meh in my opinion, I was a pretty let down. Even to say some left a weird taste in my mouth as an aftertaste. I have been to quite a few chocolate shops and this one did not mount up even close to what I was expecting. I was especially disappointed in my chocolate covered pretzels (which I ordered a ton) and they were all super stale. The Black Jacks were cool, I tried one today-they are pure sugar but it was nice to try at least once. read more

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Found this place on Atlas Obscura and decided to stop in since we were walking nearby. We came to try out the gibralter candy, which is what they are known for, but the chocolates looked too good to pass up. The gibralters were something to try once but the chocolate was delicious. My kids also got a Rice Krispie treat that was fresh and delicious. Service wasn't the friendliest especially considering we were visiting during a pretty quiet time of year. read more

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On my visit to Salem, I stopped by here for chocolate. I loved the candy, I could taste the difference in the chocolate, compared to ones I normally eat. I loved that they had gift candy boxes. Small parking, I had to park across the street. But if you're not from here, the streets are so small it takes like 5 steps. Easy to find & easy to park. read more

Ye Olde Pepper Companie - Very easy to find. - Candy Stores Near Me - Salem, Massachusetts

One of the oldest candy stores in America. Definitely a must see if you're in Salem. They have quite the variety of candy and chocolates. We purchased some cute seasonal gummies for Halloween, service was great and the store is kept up very well. Just be prepared it is very tiny and busy but I would go back in a heartbeat. read more

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Really great experience. Had to try the gerbaltors which were surprisingly refreshing. But what was equally as good was the chocolates. We ended up spending more money then I had planned for because everything was so good looking... And honestly there was way more worth trying, that I just couldn't justify during this trip read more

Ye Olde Pepper Companie - Candy Stores Near Me - Salem, Massachusetts

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The oldest candy store in America offers you unique package and candy. Perfectly price and easy to get to. read more

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If you love both candy and history...this place is great. They're known for Gibraltars and Black Jacks. They were out of the black jacks but the Gibraltars were good! It's the first commercially made candy in the US. I had a lemon flavor and peppermint. We also got their chocolate covered gummy bears (amazing!), a sea salt turtle, and a few of the chocolate candies! Everything was so good! The woman was telling us a bit of the history! You definitely need to stop here! read more

There's still remains to be one of the best candy stores in Massachusetts. I really do enjoy coming here every time. I have a trip to Salem. Very delicious varieties of candies and chocolates. I love the peanut butter frogs! Always a very friendly and accommodating staff who works here! My only complaint was they do not have enough sugar-free options and they should expand on those. Other than that still always look forward to coming here and I highly recommend it! read more

We took the time to walk around and pick out about 16 pieces total from the case. A bus of kids were there buying stuff as well. We waited our turn, sitting in line for almost 25 minutes. Then we get to the front of the line, and he asks us to come back, even though the woman in from was able to order. We had mentioned waiting in line but in the end left. Nice enough person but would have taken a minute to grab since we made him a list. Sadly won't return. read more

What an amazing place! The history, the story, the goodies! If you haven't tried their Black Jacks, do yourself a favor and pick up a package or two. They're very reasonably priced and are delicious! It's also so fun to eat a candy that is made the same way it was over 150 years ago! It can get a bit crowded, but it's worth the wait. My son purchased some of their chocolate and loved it. They have several sweet choices for everyone's preference. I'm so glad we found this place. read more

Ye Olde Pepper Companie - Candy Stores Near Me - Salem, Massachusetts

Very cool building outside and in. I go to a lot of chocolate shops and this one was definitely one of my top five of all time. The fudge was very good as well as all of the chocolate confections. You can't beat the location, right across the street from the house of seven Gables. I just love all of the history and then you put a sweet shop in the middle of it and that makes me happy. Short walk from Salem downtown and only a few other shops in the area nearby it. Service was excellent as they had all of the different counters covered with someone. read more

Cute little candy store across the lot from the seven gables house. Delicious sweets and I'm glad I bought a pack of "The Balck Jack" candy, my family and I all loved it! It does NOT taste like black licorice at all, which is perfect because I do not like licorice! It's amazing! Friendly staff and will visit next time we come! read more

Ye Olde Pepper Companie - Delicious Black Jack candy sticks - Candy Stores Near Me - Salem, Massachusetts

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Very cool old candy shop with some of the best fudge! They have old candies that were first made 200 years ago. Lots of history and super interesting store. A must stop while in the area! read more

Ye Olde Pepper Companie - Candy Stores Near Me - Salem, Massachusetts

The oldest candy shop in America! This place features a wide array of great treats but also as some unique items that are some of the earliest examples of commercially produced candy in America--Gibraltars and Blackjacks. However, the real star are the delicious chocolates and fudge selections. read more

They repackage mass market candy products and pass them off as originals at jacked up prices. Don't be a patsy. Like most places in Salem during October this place is a tourist trap for sure read more

A cute little candy shop with a lot of options for chocolates, fudge, and prepackaged candies. Everybody behind the counter who helped us was fun to talk to. read more

The Ye Olde Pepper Companie is not to be missed on your trip to Salem. Even if you don't love candy, this shop is the oldest candy company founded in 1806! Mary Spencer peddled her Salem Gibralters around the city in the early 1800s before the Pepper family bought the company and created the Black Jack (a molasses stick candy). I got both on my visit and brought them home for family to try. We didn't really know what to expect, but both are pretty amazing, and I kind of wish I had purchased more. The candy shop is also filled with familiar favorites from gummy candies to chocolate truffles. There are witch themed items too. The two young folks working in the shop on the rainy afternoon I visited, couldn't have been nicer. They were patient with me as I perused the cases and shelves trying to determine what I wanted. read more

Ye Olde Pepper Companie - Candy Stores Near Me - Salem, Massachusetts

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Workers were very kind, and the candy was good! It was very cool to see the oldest candy store in the country. Would recommend it as a quick stop on your trip. read more

First thing you notice when you went to there it's a sweet sweet smell of chocolate. They also have a high tech candy that they used to make in the 16 1700s they have chocolate chip Oreo cookies. They have everything you can imagine the little pieces of chocolate that has the mint inside is absolutely delicious But please don't buy any of the turtles candy so that I can have more give it a tray you'll like it. read more

11/2021 We were in Salem and walked past this place. Glad we stopped in as the chocolate was really tasty. There were plenty of options of candy. Glad I stopped in. Definitely check it out if you're in the area. read more

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Came to Salem primarily to see the county's oldest candy shop. There was a line but it went fast. It's actually quite small and I would say there's nothing particularly extraordinary about it other than it's age. Gummies, chocolate turtles, fudge, like you will find anywhere. Typical candy store items. Definitely fun and cute. We had hoped to walk around Salem and see some Halloween decorations, but really underestimated how busy it gets on weekends near the holiday. There was absolutely no parking anywhere. My husband dropped us off so we could go to the candy store and he drove around until we finished then just continued on our way. If I had known ahead of time how overrun the town would be I would not have gone. If it's off season, this is definitely worth it for the *interest* factor of being so old. Not worth the trouble so near Halloween for me. read more

The chocolate is delicious. Big assortments of holiday characters, I have also ordered specialty chocolates for showers. I discovered the hard candies are also very good. read more

The history was awesome. They were out of one of the OG candies which was disappointing, but we tried some others and it was nice. read more

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Yes, the prices are high but everything I bought is quality. Plus it's the oldest candy store in America. Pretty cool. read more

Ye Olde Pepper Companie - 200 year old candies - Candy Stores Near Me - Salem, Massachusetts

It's one of those places where you have high expectations for but in reality, it's just very meh. Sad to see the store did not preserve its ~first candy company~ness. The store cashier didn't know much about the stores history either. She also ruined the magic a little but saying the candies in store are all mass produced in a factory somewhere in Ohio. Overall, it just looks like a small boutique candy store. The candies (black jacks & gibralters) they are known for were kinda gross in my opinion. Either way, there aren't much to do in Salem so why not stop by... read more

Ye Olde Pepper Companie - Candy Stores Near Me - Salem, Massachusetts

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The jelly candy was $15.98/lb and chocolate $39.98/lb. The lady weighed ours together so we paid twice as much as we should have. I pointed it out twice and they did not fix it.... read more

Horrible service, not one person behind the glass assisted us in picking out the chocolates. After waiting 45mins in line, we got to the check out and was told we could not order the chocolate there. The people behind the glass need to be better at communicating that as it was not stated at all. Will not go back, chocolate looked mid anyways. read more

We enjoyed this from a historical standpoint as well as a current customer! The employees were kind and attentive and everything we bought was delicious. We liked the super old candy inside and the old building and some itself. read more

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This is the oldest candy store in the area. It's a small and very cute place and the store owner/cashier is the friendliest! Due to Covid, they only allow 6 people inside at a time but we did not mind waiting. Inside, it is a candy galore! There is candy and taffy that I did not know even existed. I settled for many different types of fudge (you can get it by the piece) and the signature Molasses Blackjacks. Fun fact - those are best stirred into your tea! A great experience; some items were missing price tags, so if you're not careful..all the sugar can add up. A must try when in Salem, MA! read more

Ye Olde Pepper Companie - Indoors - Candy Stores Near Me - Salem, Massachusetts

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PROS: One thing i liked about this place was that everything was made in store. Their variety was large when it came to chocolate and fudge and since they made it I know it'll taste better than store bought. The prices were also reasonable considering its made in house. CONS: When I went in I expected to see more than just chocolate. Also nobody greeted us, asked us to try samples or if we needed help looking for anything, and just had their backs turned towards us. It felt like they didn't want to deal with us. OVERALL: Definitely a place I'd go to if I was with someone with a uncontrollable chocolate or fudge obsession but for someone like me, who likes chewy candy more, I'll have to pass next time read more

The oldest candy company in America! That itself is quite impressive and I'm a sucker for superlatives so you know I had to scope it out. Upon walking in, there's a glass case full of artisanal chocolates, turtles, fudge, and around the store displays of taffy's, other types of candy, and their world famous gibralters candy. The gentleman in the store was super helpful, answered any questions we had, and provided some neat tidbits about the history of the company. I bought some of the unique candy for my parents and coworkers..nice way to bring a bit of Salem to others without breaking the bank and small enough to pack. I tried the lemon Gibralter and it melts in your mouth, very similar to an after-dinner mint. Kinda makes me wonder what would happen if I had a time machine and gave a warhead or sour patch kid to a colonial person to compare to what they considered candy back then lol read more

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This was a cute little shop to visit after leaving the House of Seven Gables across the street. They are still following COVID guidelines and are only allowing so many people at a time in the store. They have a lot of truffle flavors that I haven't saw other places. We tried a few and they were pretty good. All of the employees were very friendly and I love how it was decorated with witches. Definitely worth a pop in if you are in the area. read more

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We had to visit on our recent trip to Salem. It's a candy shop. Small and crowded, with very little room to move. But the fudge was great - we bought a few different flavors. Yum! read more

It's just a place that needs to be visited when in Salem. The company has been operating since 1806. It all started with the Gibraltars & Black Jacks. We had to buy them since it's the first candy ever invented. It's not the best tasting candy in the world, so you may want to skip that. I should have bought some chocolates while I was there. I tasted samples of the chocolate covered cherry candy. That was very good. They had various different flavors of fudge. Some interesting ones such as Snickers and Oreo Cookie. They also have some hard to find candies such as root beer barrels and vinegar caramels. We originally visited because we were told that they have candy making demonstrations. They apparently don't do it at the original location anymore. That was a little disappointing. Other than that, it was a neat little visit. The House of the Seven Gables is right around the corner from it. Save some time to see both while you're in the area. read more

Ye Olde Pepper Companie - The Oldest Candy Company in America - Candy Stores Near Me - Salem, Massachusetts

I wanted to absolutely love this place, but it's pretty much the same as any other homemade candy store. I mean, don't get me wrong, I love me anything with an old-timey feel, but once you've been to one older candy shop, you've kind of been to them all. Since it's the "first candy store in the US," I had to pay it a visit just so that I could cross it off my list. It's a cute, little shop. The staff was super friendly and helpful, and the shop itself is well-maintained. Prices are what you'd expect for homemade candy, but they also have packaged candies for sale. Street parking outside is available but limited. The further away you park, the better. The chocolate turtles were delicious, but the Gibralters (both the lemon & mint varieties) were too similar to the chalky dinner mints in my opinion. Luckily, my friend loves dinner mints, so she got to keep those all to herself. I wouldn't necessarily make a special trip to return to this store, but if I'm ever in the area with out-of-town guests, it's a good, nostalgic spot to hit up. read more