Best candy for office

[Ernie Diamond]

I need some candy ideas for the workplace. I am in an office of about 70 people, a successful financial/insurance firm in a fairly conservative city. The candy in the lobby sucks. Flat out sucks. It's generic cellophane wrapped sugary things and I want something better.

Give me some original candy ideas! We can do better than the Brach's mix and Hershey Kisses.

What have you seen in the workplace that has impressed you?

[HillJ]

Rootbeer barrels and Coffee Nips. Both pick me up during the work day.

[Motosport]

Candy and Candie!!
Back in the day I worked as a service tech for office machines. At one of our accounts the receptionist had a huge bowl of Hershey's kisses. I always filled my pockets.
Oddly enough, her name was Candie!!

[Kholvaitar]

Atkinson's Peanut Butter Bars

[cakebakerlady1]

At my previous office I would always buy the huge bag of mixed sweettarts/spree/whatever and pick out only the ones I liked. Those would be hidden away in my desk. The rest went into the candy dish on my desk. Funny how clients would always ask for a piece of candy - and I never once turned them down.

[buttertart]

Woman after my own heart. All the red ones for meeee.

[iL Divo]

atomic fireballs
root beer barrels
single bite Snickers
tootsie rolls
chocolate ice cubes wrapped in foil
red/black/grape grapevines all sold at either Costco or £art&$mile

[Motosport]

The small Tootsie Rolls.

[CookinGal]

When I worked I always had a candy dish. The favorites were coffee nips and Root Beer Barrels.

[cutipie721]

I have bought a box of Lindt truffles (120 pc) for $20 on sale, $35 normally.

[MiriamOttawa]

Dolfin chocolate squares, Cote D'or chocolate squares, Valrhona chocolate squares.

any of those small chocolate bars you get at haloween.
French hard candies-bonbons barnier- the apple caramels or the fruit filled candy. I like the liquor filled hard candy- good for sore throats!

[burlgurl]

Werthers candies are always soo good! i LOVE their chewy caramels!

[Emme]

reading the updates to this thread today got me thinking about how both my grandparents' houses always had candy bowls. my grandfather was somewhat of a candy kleptomaniac... at restaurants, the candy bowl said, "Please take one...[handful]" He always had these Coconut Neopolitans... http://www.oldtimecandy.com/coconut-neapolitans.htm I'd forgotten about them til today. I didn't like em, but he loved em. And my other grandmother had a bowl with crappy candy (IMO). Those horrible starlight mints (but I did like the cinnamon or chocolate mint flavor, but they seldom appeared), and always the bulk was Sesame Crunch that I never saw out anywhere, so I just googled it :) http://www.amazon.com/Joyva-Sesame-Cr...

...i suppose they're both office appropriate if people like coconut and sesame...

[awm922]

Ferrero Raffaello Almond Coconut Treat Candy is my absolute favorite right after Reese's Peanut Butter cups, (too messy for the office). These individually wrapped candies are coconut coated hazelnut candies that are really, really good. Just try one, I dare you.

[jmreese]

If you want something really unique you might want to try the Bulk Retro Candy Assortment available from candycrate.com. It contains 5 lbs of unique not so readily found candy at a reasonable price. My friend uses it and its a big hit at her workplace. (Believe it or not, its a Dentist's Office!) http://www.candycrate.com/burecaas.html

[iL Divo]

wowza!
that candy crate is fabbo!
I could get in trouble there ;:-)

my dentist worked across the street from the original Famous Amos Chocolate Chip cookie store on Ventura Blvd. he ordered full tins of FA cookies every week.
there they were out with the coffee for all patients to eat with delight.
no wonder we all had so many cavaties ;:+(

[zikzup]

Brazilian Coffee Candy

[bulavinaka]

There's a business in the neighborhood that I work - owned and operated by a Brazilian couple that is so nice, hard working and really do their best to please their clients. They have Brazilian premium wrapped candies out on their counter, and they remind of some of the finer Italian wrapped candies - they are very good.

[Peg]

In my UK office there is a big box of small bags of different sweets in reception - they are for sale and the money goes to a childrens hospital charity. (the charity supplies the sweets). Maybe you can find a charity that does something similar in the US?

[mnosyne]

People in US offices are notoriously cheap and sneaky, and that's why some soft-hearted person always winds up buying the candy for everyone else. I learned this lesson in 40 years of public servitude.

[TheHuntress]

Can I plug all things Australian once again and put a vote in for Minties? The most addictive sweetie ever! And the wrappers have gorgeous little cartoons on them which always put a smile on your face.

Otherwise I am always happy with Foxes glacier mints or sherbert lemons. All individually wrapped and all yummy.

[MinkeyMonkey]

I would stick to Italian and I would choose Caffarel. They have been my favourite for many many years. I'd often save up a hundred bucks for every trip to Portland, OR, just so I could stock up on Caffarel.

I love all their candies, especially their chocolates but I'll put the link to their hard candies since that seems to be your preference.

Seriously, my faves!!

http://www.caffarel.com/tool/home.php...

[SweetPhyl]

I keep a jar of mixed candies on my filing cabinet for my office. Most popular--chocolate, any kind; lemonheads; peppermints--the air filled kind, not the round disc shape; Werthers; gummi life savers...I buy whatever is on sale and they love me for it!

[iluvcookies]

Jelly Bellys... these are my new favorite. There is a flavor for everyone.
M&Ms with the company logo would be nice too. You can get them in little bags through the website.

[Sooeygun]

I worked for a construction company that did work for the Lindt Sprungli offices. They had a big bowl of mixed Lindt truffles at their reception. mmmmm

[cheesecake17]

We have Tootsie Rolls all over the office. Also, mini packs of Life Savers gummies. And pixie sticks.

[coney with everything]

When I had my own office at my old job, I kept a candy jar on my desk--it was an incentive to get people in the door to talk to me!

And the day after every candy holiday, I was at the store buying candy at half off.

Chocolate in every form was the most popular. Always always always if you want candy "traffic", stock chocolate.

But if I were doing it now, I'd head to the local "retro" candy store and buy that stuff to mix in as Jennalynn suggested.

And you must absolutely have individually wrapped.

[Allstonian]

Sunkist Fruit Gems are a fruit jelly candy in individual wrappers. Not too out-there but quite tasty.

I also second the recommendations for Glitterati, which are tiny wee wrapped hard candies - available in fruit flavors and in mint.

[Emme]

Andes Mints

After Dinner Mint Sticks - the mint sticks covered in chocolate

mini Abba Zabba - for the nostalgia

Caramel Apple Lollipops

[bulavinaka]

If the firm is paying and willing to pay more, then I think you'd be hard pressed to find better wrapped candies than those from Italy. Here's a random website just to get you started, but I'm always impressed with the individually wrapped chocolates and candies that are from Italy. I usually find them at local gourmet-type food shops. I've never looked at online options as a source since I don't eat this type of candy often.

http://www.daprano.com/Pages/Italy.html

The Japanese candies can be interesting and are nicely packaged but they may not fit the "conservative" profile that your company wishes to promote - most are for kids or kids-at-heart. There are super premium Japanese desserts that have amazing packaging, but their shelf life is limited and obviously cost some serious cash.

[Ernie Diamond]

On the right track here!

I don't think that I could have put it better myself when you said certain candies are for the "kid at heart."

[EWSflash]

The legal dept where I work always has an unattended table with all the types of M&Ms - plain, peanut, almond (my favorite), and the seasonal foofydoos. One tries to keep from being a greedy a-hole. But then, they're usually all there, so I tend to grab a handful on my way out, God help me.

[02putt]

We had a "snack stealer" in our group and everyone knew who it was. It got so bad he use to take stuff off your desk even though there was communal snacks. Nothing like going to make your tea and you come back to your desk and your snack is half gone! We fixed him though. One of the guys bought some Wasabi nuts. We knew when he took them because he went beet red with tears streaming down his face and tried in vain to stop coughing. Priceless and cured.

[Jennalynn]

I say have some fun with a mix of retro candy.

Squirrel Nut Zippers
http://www.nostalgiccandy.com/squirrelnutzipperschews.aspx

Kits Taffy
http://www.candywarehouse.com/kits.html

Bit-o-Honey
http://www.candywarehouse.com/bitohoney.html

Necco MIni Rolls
http://www.candywarehouse.com/neccominirolls.html

Atomic Fire Balls
http://www.nostalgiccandy.com/atomicfireballsbulk.aspx

MaryJanes
http://www.nostalgiccandy.com/maryjan...

[gordeaux]

Get to an Asian market. Buy some gummy candies.

[Jemon]

That is totally what I said on the first post. They are awesome!

[gordeaux]

I know you wrote about gummies, I don't know the brand name though. I heartily second your endorsement. The ones I normally get come individualy wrapped inside bags. I think melon, orange, and a few other flavors. I remember not liking the one that is a pale red color - totally forgot the flavor, but it was moer interesting than like cherry or strawberry. I introduced several ppl at work to those things, and there is no way a bag can last more than 10 minutes now. So flavorful!

[Bob W]

The brand is Kasugai. They rock!

[iL Divo]

where do you get these Bob W?

[Bob W]

New flavor alert -- Mangosteen! My kids loved them.

[buttertart]

Those are absolutely lovely.

[Bob W]

Well, the mangosteen is the "queen of fruit"!

Whoever writes the blurbs on the Kasugai labels is the poet laureate of candy.

[buttertart]

I know, they're adorable blurbs. Their litchi is great too - as far as I'm concerned that's the queen of fruit.

[aching]

+1. Love that litchi/lychee.

[mamaciita]

A friend of mine keeps Cream Savers on her desk, and they're always a hit.

I love Werthers caramels and Brachs butterscotch discs.

[iL Divo]

love love love all flavors of Creme Savers

[maxie]

Puntini Italian Jujubes for fruit candy
Chipurnoi Gletterati for mints

[chef chicklet]

I love love atomic jaw breakers. I used to find them at a gas station and in the mornings I'd fill up, I'd grab a bunch for candy jar on my desk. My boss couldn't keep his hands out of it, and everyone was running around with red tongues. But they are perfect, they satisfy and last a while. They were running about 5cents each back then, so you might have to pay a little more. I like that they're wrapped too. The other is the penny candies that are tart, they look like little neccos and I can't think of their name.
Smarties! thats it, they last too.

[02putt]

I loved those things. When your a kid you don't care if your teeth are blue!

For the crowd though I would recommend suckers. There wrapped and cheap.

[Hue]

Goetze"s(?) Caramel Creams

[Jemon]

I second the caramel creams. They are very good!

[Ruth Lafler]

What do you have access to in your "fairly conservative" city. Do the candies have to be wrapped? What's your budget?

[Ernie Diamond]

They do need to be wrapped. As far as what I have access to, I have Whole Foods, Fresh Market, Krogers as well as the ubiquitous Big Box stores.

The conservative is key because while the candy can be inventive, it can't be too quirky so think great European hard candies (any?) instead of food-shaped gummies.

[Ruth Lafler]

I would look in the bulk bins at Whole Foods. Gitterati are pretty good, and they look pretty: http://www.candywarehouse.com/glitterati.html

That site actually has a lot of possibilities. These would be good: http://www.candywarehouse.com/viennas...

[Jemon]

But those gummies aren't that food-shaped. They have common "conservative" flavors, like orange, strawberry, etc.

But if i must choose a hard candy, they sell a large jar of coffee, latte, espresso, and iced tea candies at Office Depot, if you have access to one. They are pretty good as well. Besides that, anything made by Cedrinca is great. They have a selection of fruit, chocolate, nut, or mint flavored hard candies. You could try amazon.com for those...

[alanbarnes]

+1 on Cedrinca. A mix of classic (mint, citrus) and unusual (anise, espresso) flavors would give something for everyone.

[mnosyne]

Red Vines are always a big hit!

[Jemon]

Kasugai gummies!