The Massive Chocolate Company That Was Born From A Grade School Education - Tasting Table

Milton S. Hershey grew up in rural Pennsylvania in 1857 in a Mennonite family with frequent moves and financial instability. His schooling was repeatedly disrupted, and he was expected to learn a trade rather than pursue extended education. He was first apprenticed at a printing shop in Lancaster, but he disliked it, leading his mother to redirect him toward confectionery training. Hands-on work taught him candy-making skills such as caramel cooking and sugar chemistry. He started multiple ventures in different cities, then found success with the Lancaster Caramel Company by using fresh milk in caramel production. Later, a visit to the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition exposed him to German chocolate-making machines, shaping his next steps toward chocolate manufacturing.

"Hershey never advanced beyond the fourth grade. Considering that Pennsylvania is known as the chocolate capital of the U.S., it's no surprise that Hershey was born in rural Pennsylvania in 1857 to a Mennonite family. He experienced a rough childhood made even more difficult by dire financial straits and frequent moving. His father, Henry Hershey, left the family frequently for long periods of time, struggling with failed business schemes and ventures."

"His family first placed him at a printing shop as an apprentice in nearby Lancaster, but Hershey hated it so much that his mother decided he'd do better learning the confectionery trade. This type of hands-on training taught him all kinds of candy-making skills, including caramel cooking and sugar chemistry. Hershey launched multiple candy ventures in other cities before finally hitting the jackpot with his Lancaster Caramel Company."

"His secret to success was using fresh milk in the caramel production, which is also a tip we recommend when making the perfect caramel sauce. Hershey's is a global empire that makes much more than chocolate. Hershey could have stopped with caramels and still have been a smashing success, but he made the fateful decision to visit the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago."

"There, he encountered German chocolate-making machines and became convin"

Read at Tasting Table