Plymouth
It’s hard to determine which afternoon pick-me-up Patricia Godfrey likes best: a cup of tea or a piece of chocolate. Luckily, she doesn’t have to choose. As the owner of Painted Turtle Chocolatier, a new Plymouth boutique that opened last December and specializes in chocolates, pastries, teas and table linens, Godfrey is free to sip tea and eat sweets as often as she wants.
“I do eat chocolate every day,” she says. “I have to taste it if I’m going to sell it.”
A trained chocolatier who has studied the art of chocolate in Brussels, Tuscany, Vancouver, France and the U.S., Godfrey puts her skills to work in her store, which doubles as her production space. All the treats in the front counter are crafted on site—located in the Waterford Plaza near Bachman’s—including the chocolate-dipped ginger, pecan turtles and dense dark truffles.
Even though she opened her store doors amidst a declining economy, Godfrey has seen steady traffic. After just a few weeks, her sweets even landed faithful followers.
“Every Saturday, there are several women who come in and buy their chocolates for the week,” Godfrey says, pointing out the chocolate popcorn mix she bags each week for a woman who buys it in bulk. “Chocolate is a luxury people can afford. Plus, chocolate is more than a vacation or a piece of jewelry. Chocolate sustains you.”
