Toffee To Go, Tampa’s "Tasty" Treasure

I would like to thank all of my readers for emailing me their favorite places for confections in Tampa Bay.  My list of suggested places to visit is very long and I will have a sweet (and delicious) time blogging about them just in time for Valentine’s Day.  I never realized how many gourmet candy and chocolate shops we have in the Tampa Bay area.  Living here is about to get sweeter for me!

Toffee, toffee, toffee.  Just to hear the word toffee makes my eyes light up!  My love affair with toffee began at the age of 9 when my parents had a holiday party and someone brought a big, pink can of Almond Rocha.   The pink tin caught my eye as I saw it sitting on the  kitchen counter with a big silver bow on top.  I grabbed the can, ran into my room and opened it up.  I took one bite and found my replacement for my then favorite candy bar, Skor.  Suddenly, my mom came in and caught me.  Apparently her and my grandmother were looking for the Almond Roca, so she grabbed it from me and said I could have more later.  That never happened.  It was gone by the time the last guest left our house.  Thus began my love affair with toffee.  I am 35 and it still going strong.

I live in South Tampa and I pass Toffee to Go daily as I drive my children to daycare.  I have lived in this area for five years  and had never been inside.  I  stopped in last week after one of my readers told me how amazing their toffee was.  After reading his email, I knew I had to go.  I am glad I did and I must say, their toffee is absolutely mouth-watering!  It is made from scratch with the only the finest ingredients.  California almonds, Georgia pecans, farm-fresh butter and premium chocolate.  I grew up loving California almonds and since I have lived in Florida, I have grown very fond of Georgia pecans.  After tasting their toffee, I forgot about Almond Roca!

Toffee to Go is located at 4318 W. El Prado Blvd., Tampa, FL 33629.  Their shop is quaint and everyone there is very friendly.  On my very first visit, I was given such wonderful attention and was able to taste some samples.  They offer three varieties: milk chocolate almond, dark chocolate pecan and white chocolate macadamia nut.  I tried all three and have to say that I love them all.  I decided to pick up a gift box for a fellow toffee-lover’s birthday.  They gift wrap the toffee in gorgeous boxes! I was so excited to present this delicious gift!

Toffee to Go is the tasty creation of husband and wife, Jim and Lisa Schalk.  After Lisa tasted the traditional Schalk family toffee, she found it so incredible she told her husband that they needed to learn how to make it immediately.  Her and Jim spent hours perfecting the family recipe and after a few alterations to the original recipe, their amazing toffee was born.  What started out as delicious treats for family and friends is now, “Toffee to Go.”  After a friend suggested that they sell their toffee, they began selling at local holiday shows and the toffee was a hit!  By 2002, the demand for their toffee was so high that they could no longer sell it out of their home.  By 2004, they moved into their first commercial location and opened a small retail shop.  They then moved into the corporate gift market and now companies all over the country are ordering this tasty treasure from Tampa.

When I learned that they offered corporate gifts I was thrilled!  I own a promotional products company, The Promo Queen, and will be telling my clients about this amazing toffee.

With both Gasparilla and Valentine’s Day right around the corner, why not celebrate with this tasty treasure from Tampa!   Once you stop by, you will fall in love with this tantalizing toffee.  They are open Monday-Friday from 9-5:30.  You can find them on Facebook here and you can follow them on Twitter @toffeetogo. Jim and Lisa have truly given Tampa a sweet gift that can’t be found anywhere else.  I hope my Valentine gives me some!

If you don’t live in the Tampa Bay area, be sure to visit their web-site, Toffee To Go.  I am going to give away a box of this fabulous toffee to one lucky reader.  To enter, simply fill out the form below and tell my why you want some Toffee To Go.  I will choose a winner on February 14th, which is my favorite holiday. I want to give you the best toffee I have ever tasted.  Colin Cowie agrees with me!

To enter to win some Toffee, please enter your name and email below.  Winner will be selected and notified on February 14th!

 

 

 

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