OSHKOSH, Wis. — With milk as a key ingredient, it’s no surprise chocolate found its way to Wisconsin in the late 19th century.
Oaks Candy has created chocolate confections for over 130 years. Even now you can stop in for a taste of the 1890s. That’s because the original recipe is still used for its bestseller.
Kristy Reinsch is a fifth-generation chocolatier at Oaks Candy. Being born into the Oaks family, Reinsch said it’s no surprise she has a deep devotion to this decadent delight.
“I love chocolate. It’s delicious,” Reinsch said.
Reinsch’s hands have been shaping chocolate for nearly 30 years. The chocolate cream egg is one of her favorite treats to create. It starts with a gooey center, then it’s coated in chocolate and finally, it’s placed on wax paper.
It’s at this stage where Reinsch said experience and attention to detail cross paths with a distinctive symbol.
“Each of our candies have a different mark, so, then the customer and our staff can tell what the candy is,” Reinsch said.
Josie Oaks is a sixth-generation employee at Oaks Candy. She spends a great deal of time boxing up one of Oaks Candy’s oldest and bestselling treats.
“It’d be the meltaways. Definitely our top seller and what we’re known for. We are using the same original recipe,” Oaks said.
Oaks has been helping out at Oaks Candy since before she was tall enough to see over the towers of chocolate. At 9 years old, she started making candy canes. Now, she said she’s partial to chocolate.
“I love it. I have a little stash by my bedside just like many of our customers do,” Oaks said.
Working in chocolate is more than a hobby for Oaks. She said it’s her passion. Milk-chocolate meltaways have not only satisfied customers’ chocolate cravings, they’ve helped fashion several generations of her family. She’s proud to continue the Oaks name.
“It means a lot to me, obviously having the last name and being able to kind of bring that into everyone’s life. Since I was in school, I’ve been happy to say ‘I work at Oaks.’ So it’s definitely a blessing and a great part of my life,” Oaks said.
Maintaining a mouth-watering assortment of candies is just one reason Oaks Candy is still in business after more than a century. Reinsch said customers have been one of their most important ingredients.
“I just think that that loyalty and then our great employees we all enjoy what we do and we try to make do the best job that we can and make good quality candy,” Reinsch said.
Over 130 years and six generations later, Oaks Candy is more than a treat — it’s a Wisconsin tradition.