Teacher Trekker

After almost six hours on the highway, we exited Interstate-93 at exit 41 towards the town of Littleton, New Hampshire. We were making our final approach to our friends’ home which was now only a few miles down the road. While passing through Littleton, my father pointed out a number of local businesses including Chutters Candy Store, a candy store worth visiting, so the following evening we stopped in the store so I could take a glimpse of the reason why this candy store is like no other in the world.

The World’s Longest Candy Counter 

Chutters Candy Store is the home of the World’s Longest Candy Counter. In 2000, an employee at the store was able to get the Guinness Book of World Records to officially register the site’s 111 feet 11 inch candy counter as the longest in the world. The accreditation is on a wall towards the front of the candy counter. It was so long, it was nearly impossible to get a photograph that fit the entire length of the counter. This was even more challenging considering the amount of children continually reaching their hands into the jars obstructing the view. I did manage to get a number of photos that give you an idea of the magnitude of the counter. Next to the award are the Chutter Rules that help explain how to sort your candy and to remind you to wear a glove when handling the candy. With the glove on one hand and the bag in the other it was time to hit the World’s Longest Candy Counter.

The counter has three tiers that hold over 800 glass jars of almost any candy that you could imagine. At the beginning of the candy counter are the penny candies, which I skipped entirely. Then begins the candy jars that are sold by the pound. It was foot after foot of gummy treats, sour candies and “fruit slices”, hard candies, rock candy, licorice, gum balls, and everything in between. They were in every possible shape and flavor you could possibly conceive of. Then there is an entire section of the candy counter that probably has every flavor of Jelly Belly candy the company makes.

Finally, towards the end of the counter there are novelty candies that are sold separately with varying prices. Most of them were single sealed packs like gummy burgers and even candy cigarettes. That led me to some other novelty candies that I haven’t seen in over twenty five years in addition to other countless classics. There were also a few candies I’ve never heard of and am in no rush to try anytime soon. By the time I was at the end of the counter my eyes were glazed over, and I was in a near sugar coma. Sure I had a few samples along the way, but it was the sheer magnitude of the sugary treats that put me over the top.

The options didn’t end at the end of the candy counter. There was an entire table of chocolate covered treats. There were your typical chocolate covered almonds, peanuts and raisins, but there were also gummy fish covered in chocolate. There were both milk chocolate and dark chocolate options. There was another table with jars of different types of malt balls and other chocolate based candies.

Behind a glass counter along one of the walls were more chocolate treats. There was an entire section of sugar free chocolate. There were other tables with locally made candies like salt water taffy, moose pies and maple syrup treats. Like most other stores in New England, there was an entire section of general souvenirs and locally made products. There was everything from magnets to handmade wooden Christmas ornaments. Finally, next to the register were huge slabs of fudge. There were again more options than I could wrap my head around.

If you have a sweet tooth and are in the Bretton Woods Ski area, make a quick stop at 43 Main Street in Littleton, New Hampshire. There is something there for everyone. I only warn you to be careful and not go overboard. Take a walk around before you just start filling your candy bag. It would have been way too easy for me to stuff a half a dozen bags of candy and spend $100 in a matter of minutes. Instead, I floated around looking for my favorite candy before I eventually dove in. I recommend you do the same and enjoy yourself at Chutters, the home of the World’s Largest Candy Counter.

Multiple Locations

Chutters Candy Store actually has three locations that customers can visit. The Littleton location at 43 Main Street is their primary store and holds the World’s Largest Candy Counter. Nearby is a smaller store located on the slopes of the Bretton Woods Ski Resort. It is located at the top of the Zephyr High Speed Quad and is open throughout the ski season. There is also a third location in the town of Lincoln at 165 Main Street.