Alaska Wild Berry Products

Alaskan food and shopping: Alaska Wild Berry Products makes for a sweet afternoon stop.

All Home-Grown Goodies

The store was originally founded in 1946 by Homer residents Kenneth and Hazel Heath, who began making jams and jellies from Alaskan berries. The company changed hands twice in the 1970s but today's owner, Peter Eden, still emphasizes Alaskan flavors and products. In 1989 he added chocolate-covered berries to the mix—an instant success—and in 1994 opened a factory store off Old Seward Highway, which greets visitors with the sight of its 20-foot melted chocolate “water”-fall. Using more than 3,000 pounds of chocolate, it’s hard to miss.

A Sweet Treat

Start in the Wild Berry chocolate factory, where you can take a self-guided candy-kitchen tour and see how some of the state’s most delicious chocolates are made (and of course, try some of the free samples). In the gift shop you will find a variety of Alaskan products like jams, jellies, salmon, meats, and of course chocolates. Other gift items include ulus, ornate wooden bowls, and apparel. The most popular items? The jelly center chocolates, fudge, and Fireweed jelly. Before you depart, walk past the famous 20-foot-tall Inukshuk Rock Man— a tribute to ancient arctic travelers.