Sudbury chocolatier avoids disaster with help from her friends

A recent flood at Huckleberries Chocolatiers in Sudbury came at the worst possible time: the busy Christmas shopping season.

But owner Denise Regaudie will still be able to serve customers this Holiday season thanks to some help from other downtown businesses.

Regaudie was looking at the worst-case scenario when a busted pipe caused extensive water damage and ruined 700 pounds of chocolate at her downtown location.

"Flooded my back kitchen, my front kitchen,” she said.

“I lost all my product my tempering machines all the Christmas stuff that I had started … It's very challenging. It's very exhausting, emotional.”

But Justine Martin, owner of Guilty Pleasures Bake Shop, has stepped in to help, donating some ingredients and providing other supplies at cost.

After two tough years because of the pandemic, Martin said businesses need to help each other.

"With COVID being for two years and then D's flood, that is just devastating and it's really sad for me that you know she can't catch a break,” she said.

Regaudie has found a temporary location to continue chocolatiering but doesn’t have retail store space. So she is taking orders by phone, on social media and is in the midst of setting up online ordering.

And some downtown stores have volunteered to carry her products. She said she is grateful for the help.

"Our downtown family has been wonderful, whether it's just words of encouragement (or) offers to sell my product in their locations," said Regaudie.

She hopes to reopen her store on Durham Street in time for Valentine's Day.