Purdys Chocolatier
A Canadian chocolatier, confectionery manufacturer, and retail operator with roots in Vancouver and a nationwide regional store network.
Last updated October 14, 2026
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Overview
Purdys Chocolatier is a Canadian chocolate and confectionery brand founded in Vancouver in 1907 by Richard Carmon Purdy. The business began with a small shop on Robson Street after Purdy developed chocolate recipes in his home kitchen and sold his creations locally. Over more than a century, Purdys evolved from a Vancouver confectionery into a vertically coordinated manufacturer and retailer serving customers across several Canadian provinces. The company is headquartered in Vancouver and produces its chocolates and confectionery products at a factory measuring approximately 57,000 square feet. Its assortment includes specialty chocolates, truffles, caramels, creams, filled moulded chocolates, clusters, chocolate bars, and the Hedgehog line associated with the brand. Some stores also prepare ice cream bars dipped in chocolate and finished with customer-selected toppings in view of shoppers, reinforcing the brand's confectionery and gifting orientation. Purdys' history includes several changes in ownership and operating leadership. The company experienced financial difficulty in the 1920s and entered receivership. Hugh Forrester, initially sent by creditors to help manage the business, restored its finances and later acquired the company for one dollar. His son Frank joined the business in the 1940s, contributing to production modernization and continued expansion. A disagreement between the two generations over the company's future led to a sale in 1963 to Charles Flavelle and Eric Wilson. The brand expanded beyond British Columbia in the early 1970s, opening its first Alberta location in Calgary in 1971. It later broadened its product range beyond its original emphasis on dark chocolate, adding milk chocolate, chocolate bars, and other formats. In 1982, Purdys moved its factory and head office to a larger facility at Kingsway and Earles Street in Vancouver. The Hedgehog range was introduced in the early 1990s, becoming one of the company's recognizable product families. Expansion into Ontario began in 2004. Purdys operates primarily through its own retail stores, with more than 70 locations reported across British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Ontario. In 2025, it announced plans to sell its products through the Western Canadian supermarket chain Save-On-Foods. The move responded to consumer demand during the Buy Canadian movement and marked a significant expansion of the brand's distribution beyond its dedicated stores. Purdys remains positioned as a Canadian premium chocolate business emphasizing handcrafted-style confectionery, gifting, seasonal assortments, and local brand heritage.
History
Richard Carmon Purdy established Purdys Chocolatier in Vancouver in 1907. Before opening the business, Purdy had experimented with chocolate-making in his home kitchen and sold the resulting products on Vancouver streets. His early sales created a modest but loyal following, allowing him to open a shop on Robson Street, then an increasingly active downtown shopping area. Purdy's decision to build a new life in British Columbia followed the death of his son and his move from London, Ontario. The company encountered serious financial problems in the 1920s and was placed into receivership. Several creditors intervened rather than allow the business to close, assigning their senior bookkeeper, Hugh Forrester, to stabilize operations. Forrester gradually restored the company's finances and repaid its debts. Impressed by his work, the creditors sold the business to him for one dollar because they did not wish to operate it themselves. Purdy continued making and selling chocolates independently for a period, including from a street cart, and later opened another shop in Burnaby called Window Made Candy. He retired several years afterward and died in 1943. Hugh Forrester's son, Frank, joined the family business during the 1940s. Under their direction, Purdys modernized its production methods and moved its factory to a larger facility on West 7th Avenue in Vancouver. The family gradually expanded the company through the following decades. By the early 1960s, however, Hugh and Frank had different views about the direction of the business. Their disagreement resulted in the sale of Purdys in 1963 to Charles Flavelle and Eric Wilson. The new ownership period brought further geographic and product expansion. Purdys began establishing a presence outside British Columbia in Alberta, with its first Alberta store opening in Calgary in 1971. During the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, the company also broadened its assortment. Whereas its earlier production had concentrated on dark chocolate, the brand added milk chocolate, chocolate bars, and other confectionery formats. In 1982, Purdys moved its factory and head office to a substantially larger 57,000-square-foot facility at Kingsway and Earles Street in Vancouver. The site became the production base from which products were distributed to the company's stores. In the early 1990s, Purdys introduced its Hedgehog chocolate line, which became one of the brand's distinctive offerings. The company continued developing specialty chocolates, including truffles, caramels, creams, filled moulded chocolates, and clusters. Its retail stores also offered an experiential element: in some locations, customers could have ice cream bars dipped in chocolate and covered with selected toppings in front of them. Purdys entered Ontario in 2004, extending its store network beyond Western Canada. The company subsequently maintained a primarily Canadian retail footprint spanning British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Ontario, with more than 70 locations reported. In 2025, it announced a new distribution arrangement with Save-On-Foods. Selling through a separate supermarket chain marked a departure from the company's long-standing emphasis on dedicated stores and was presented as a response to demand connected with the Buy Canadian movement. Purdys therefore combines its original Vancouver identity with manufacturing, direct retail, seasonal gifting, and expanding third-party distribution.
- 2025
Announced Save-On-Foods distribution
[1]Purdys announced that its products would be sold through Save-On-Foods, extending distribution beyond its own stores in response to consumer demand.
- 2004
Expansion into Ontario
[1]Purdys began expanding its retail presence into Ontario.
- 1990
Hedgehog line introduced
[1]Purdys introduced its Hedgehog range during the early 1990s, adding a distinctive product family to its chocolate assortment.
- 1982
Factory and head office move to Kingsway and Earles Street
[1]The company relocated its factory and head office to a new approximately 57,000-square-foot facility in Vancouver.
- 1971
First Alberta store opens
[1]Purdys opened its first location outside British Columbia in Calgary, Alberta.
- 1963
Sale to Charles Flavelle and Eric Wilson
[1]A disagreement between Hugh and Frank Forrester over the company's future preceded the sale of Purdys to Charles Flavelle and Eric Wilson.
- 1940
Forrester family modernizes production
[1]Frank Forrester joined his father Hugh in the business, and the company modernized production while moving to a larger Vancouver facility.
- 1920
The company enters receivership
[1]Purdys faced financial difficulty and was placed into receivership, beginning a period of restructuring under Hugh Forrester.
- 1907
First Purdys shop opens in Vancouver
[1]Richard Carmon Purdy opened the company's first chocolate shop on Robson Street in Vancouver after developing and selling his own chocolate recipes.
Products and positioning
A Canadian premium chocolate and confectionery brand centered on handcrafted-style products, gifting, seasonal occasions, retail-store experience, and long-standing Vancouver heritage.
Specialty chocolate · 1990
Hedgehog chocolates
Introduced in the early 1990s, Hedgehog chocolates are one of Purdys' recognizable branded product lines. They sit within the company's broader specialty-chocolate portfolio and are sold alongside assorted chocolates and seasonal confectionery.
Chocolate confectionery
Truffles
Purdys produces truffles as part of its premium confectionery range. They are offered in assorted formats and are associated with the brand's gifting, seasonal, and specialty-chocolate business.
Filled and moulded confectionery
Caramels, creams, and clusters
This group includes filled chocolate products and cluster-style confectionery made and distributed from Purdys' Vancouver production facility. These products form a substantial part of the company's assortment beyond plain chocolate bars.
Chocolate bar
Chocolate bars
Chocolate bars were added as Purdys broadened its assortment beyond its earlier concentration on dark chocolate. The range reflects the company's development of both milk-chocolate and other bar formats.
In-store confectionery experience
Chocolate-dipped ice cream bars
Some Purdys retail locations prepare ice cream bars by dipping them in chocolate and adding toppings selected by customers. The preparation is performed in view of shoppers and adds an experiential element to the store format.
Brand decisions
2025
Extend distribution through Save-On-FoodsStrategyBackground
Purdys had historically emphasized its own retail locations, while reported demand during the Buy Canadian movement created an opportunity to make its products available through another Canadian retailer.
Action taken
The company announced that it would begin selling chocolates through Save-On-Foods stores in Western Canada.
Aftermath
The arrangement expanded Purdys' route to market beyond dedicated stores. The available reference material does not provide sales or financial results from the initiative.
Recent events
Purdys receives Glassdoor Employees’ Choice Award[3]
Reported:
Purdys Chocolatier announced that it received a Glassdoor Employees’ Choice Award recognizing it as one of Canada’s Best Places to Work in 2020; it ranked 16th among 25 top employers.
Sources3 sources
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