The word “candy” may evoke images of Runts, Lemonheads, or boiled sweets, but See’s Candies is more Godiva (Owned by Campbells soup) than Wonka.

See’s Candies was founded in 1921 after Canadian Charles See moved to Los Angeles to try the confection business. He used his mother’s recipes as inspiration for his new treats, and started a shop—with a black and white motif that mimicked his mother’s kitchen.

Los Angeleans appreciated the unusually high-quality candy, and See’s had 30 locations by the depression—and a few years later expanded to San Francisco.

With the mid-century advent of shopping malls, See’s was able to expand across the whole of California. From the website: “See’s customers continued to recognize the See’s Candies product for its quality and taste, and continued to visit See’s old-fashioned black and white shops, enjoying a visit to a time past where service was paramount.”

In 1972, See’s was purchased by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway for $25 million. It was the first business for which Mr. Buffett paid more than book value. He was happy to do so, because of See’s Candies’ “sustainable competitive advantage.” That is, Buffett was reasonably sure the company would be profitable for the next 20-25 years. Other elementarily appealing brand-names he has fallen in love with are Coca-cola and Gillette razors. If See’s doesn’t seem so familiar, you might not be from California-where See’s Candies are now sold in more than 200 shops!

Was Warren right? Well, 36 years later See’s Candies and chocolates are still incredibly good—and there is a huge variety of them. They make the finest chocolate covered toffee and chocolate bars, delicious fudge and candy sours, and of course, their always-appreciated box of chocolates.

Check out the Amazon reviews for the nuts and chews—each one of the 11 reviews give a full 5/5 stars! Some choice quotes:

“The beauty of this selection is that you don’t have to do that thing where you take a tiny bite first, wondering if you’re going to like it or not. Every one is perfect! No icky raspberry flavored goo or weird hazelnut paste (if you’re into those things don’t buy these), just wonderful variations of chocolate, nuts and caramel. Yumm!”

“Some chocolate gives me headaches, and the next day I feel grumpy. Especially “fancy” chocolates, Godiva, Belgian, etc. Here is the mystery. See’s chocolates don’t. And they taste like heaven. So if chocolates sometimes gives you headaches, try these. You might find you can still eat chocolate, and revel in its delicious flavor with no after effects. Thank you Mrs. Sees!”

Anyway, you get the idea. Oh, and they have Kosher and sugar-free blends too. Take it from Warren Buffett-you really can’t go wrong with See’s.

More information:

See’s Homepage
See’s History
See’s on Amazon.com - May be out of stock, but check out the glowing reviews!