Chocolate fans of Sackville and the region will be disappointed after Christmas, when Knuckles Truffles of York Street doesn’t reopen again after its usual Christmas break. The owner of the shop, Ed Knuckles, has announced his retirement from the small business which he’s run for about ten years. Knuckles’ last day will be Saturday, December 23.
CHMA stopped by to talk with Ed Knuckles, and asked about how he came to find himself in the chocolate business:
Knuckles retired to Sackville in 2011, after a career in opera and musical theatre, that among other things took him on tour with the production Show Boat for five years. About eight months into his retirement, Knuckles knew he had to take on a new project. He had been making chocolate truffles since first discovering the recipe in 1979, and decided to take it to the next level. “I had been making chocolates for over 30 years, and I thought, okay, let’s give it a try.”
After doing some market research among his neighbours, Knuckles started his business at the Sackville Farmers’ Market. “I was there for a year when two other vendors came up to me and said we’d like to open a shop with you,” recalls Knuckles. As it turned out, those partners didn’t last, but Knuckles did. He’s now been in his shop on York Street for about a decade.
Knuckles says the idea to retire has been lurking for a few years. “Actually, I was thought I would close during COVID,” says Knuckles. At the time Knuckles has expanded into a small cafe. His landlord suggested he return to simply selling his truffles, and so he decided to stay open. “Sales were good and they were bad and they were good and they were bad,” says Knuckles. “It’s a specialty and I’m not cheap,” he admits. With December typically his best month, he figured January was a good time to retire for good.
Knuckles is not sure what his next adventure will be, though he expects to spend at least eight months (his “magic time”) in retirement before tackling a new project, and he knows he plans to stay in Sackville, which he calls a “little slice of heaven.”
Knuckles still puts his training and experience in voice performance to work, singing in his church choir, and a group called the Drew Quartet. He’s hoping to perform his usual duet of Oh, Holy Night with a pianist on Christmas Eve at the Sackville United Church.
As for the truffle shoo, Knuckles says he’s heard from a few people interested in the space on York Street, and one of those also expressed interested in taking over the chocolate business.
The building housing Knuckles Truffles is owned by the AIL Group of Companies. Shelley Estabrooks, the marketing services manager for AIL told CHMA by email that the company has not yet decided on plans for the space and are considering various options. Estabrooks says Knuckles Truffles were great tenants and the company is sorry to see the shop close.
Knuckles Truffles last day in business is December 23, while supplies last.
