Sugar Savvy

Maybe it’s the wide variety of flavors, or its association with childhood memories, or maybe it’s the candy’s relatively healthy profile, but whatever the reason Jelly Belly jelly beans seem to be popular with both children and adults. So much so, in fact, that enough of the candy’s fans showed up in Fairfield, CA, on a recent record-heat summer Friday, that there was an hour and 20 minute wait to take the free factory tour.

This is just one of the Goelitz family’s Jelly Belly Candy Company’s manufacturing sites that offer tours. For more information on the company, the candy and the tours including a similar tour in Pleasant Prairie, WI, check the Jelly Belly website.

Sorry, photos of the tour itself were prohibited.

What you see:

Visitors follow the path of the Jelly Belly jelly bean from start to finish from above, looking down on the manufacturing floor from a glass screened walkway, from small bean shapes popped out of cornstarch encrusted moulds to the finished jewel-like jelly bean emerging from its final processing in a machine that looks like a concrete mixer filled with sugar, flavoring and coloring. Depending on the time of the year you might also see other candies being made. On past tours I’ve seen a patterned taffy and other types of candy being made. Each stop on the tour is augmented by bad jokes by the tour guide and a video of the processes going on below. Come on a weekend or holiday when the production line below is not in operation, you get the jokes and the video and get to stare at the idle equipment. The brochure boasts the tour lasts 40 minutes, the real running time seemed about half that.

What else do you see:

Giant mosaic artwork made from Jelly Belly jelly beans.

Unexpected plus:

The walls nearest to the line where we waited were filled with reproductions of articles and photos detailing the company’s history. I found them fascinating, but I was a captive audience.

Pick up a free Jelly Belly “menu” advising candy lovers how to combine different flavors for a taste treat. It’s fun to pick up the foreign versions to compare what Jelly Belly “recipes” are popular in other countries. One example: Tiramisu equals two cappuccino jelly beans, one A&W cream soda bean and one chocolate pudding flavor bean.

What you get:

A nice-size pack of assorted Jelly Belly beans. I was disappointed that the factory no longer passes out samples of Jelly Bellies in process. You used to get a jelly bean “core” in several stages. Now, you can request to taste an unfinished bean at the Jelly Belly tasting bar in the Jelly Belly Shop.

We also got a free small pack of “sweet rocks,” a candy tied into Jelly Belly’s merchandising of a new movie.

What else you can do:

Shop – The factory store offers a complete array of Jelly Belly flavors and other Goelitz candies plus an impressive amount of products emblazoned with the Jelly Belly logo. A big draw is the half price two pound bag of “irregular” “Belly Flops” (see photo below.)

Sample – Have a flavor you’ve always wanted to try (perhaps the Harry Potter themed “vomit” bean)? Try it here for free at the sample bar. You can have as many samples as you’d like, but they dole out only one of each flavor you request.

Eat – The company has a café with a full menu of fast food and salads including a jelly bean shaped pizza. The food is not noteworthy, but the café is handy, especially if you are waiting in line with other people and can take turns eating and waiting. There is also an ice cream counter and a chocolate area with homemade specialties.

Is it worth it?

Lots of color, noise and graphics plus all that candy make for a fun afternoon. Time your visit for a “working” tour and avoid busy times to reduce your wait time. Be prepared for lots of small children and strollers. The tour seems very accessible to those who are handicapped. Even with our wait, most of the time spent on line was inside, out of the sun. If you decide not to wait for a tour, there is still enough going on for a Jelly Belly fan to get a “fix.”