Meeteetse Chocolatier

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May 1

Written by: Laurel Thompson

Tucked away in one of the historic main street buildings of Meeteetse, Wyoming lies an unassuming sweets shop with an international reputation and a unique startup story. When entering the shop, you may find it hard to believe the modest cowboy working behind the counter is none other than the master mind behind the Meeteetse Chocolatier.

Cowboy by Nature

Tim Kellogg, a native of Cody, Wyoming, has been making artisan chocolates in the Bighorn Basin for nearly two decades. However, making fine chocolates and desserts was not a childhood ambition of Tim’s. Like most kids that grow up in the rodeo capitol of the world, Tim has a passion for cowboying and bronc riding and has worked in related positions his entire life – you’ll notice the Wyoming cowboy represented in their logo.

From Broncs to Brownies

During our visit, Tim was kind enough to share his unique startup story with us. When we asked how the Meeteetse Chocolatier came to be, Tim responded with, “I was a saddle bronc rider. I broke my saddle and needed a new one, and it was my mom’s idea to make chocolates to sell at the Cody Stampede Rodeo.” Initially quite opposed to the idea, Tim gave in and sold out of all his truffles and brownies within three days. After that, what we now know as the Meeteetse Chocolatier was born and has been in operation for seventeen years.

Local Pride

Tim has perfected his craft over the years and makes each item in his store daily. Quality products and ingredients are top priority at the Meeteetse Chocolatier. Tim explained he uses the finest, organic ingredients and tries to source them locally as much as possible. The Meeteetse Chocolatier purchases their flour from Wyoming Heritage Grain out of Powell, Wyoming, and Tim even crafts his own extracts from local gardens to be utilized in products such as the sage, huckleberry, and prickly pear flavored truffles.

Sugar Rush

Naturally, we had to try some for ourselves; deciding on what to try first was the problem! Each product was beautifully crafted and displayed. Truffles and brownies of every variety lined the full length of the glass counter display, and neatly packaged barks, cookies, local honey, and chocolate dipped pretzels sat on the adjacent shelves. As a personal fan of savory and sweet, I went straight for the Pumpkin Bark made up of roasted pumpkin seeds on Belgian dark chocolate, and let’s just say this melt in your mouth chocolate product will be lucky to last the remainder of the day!

Quality Over Quantity

While taste testing and shopping for goodies to take home, Tim explained his chocolate products are not like others you may frequently purchase. Tim does not use additives and preservatives in his products as to not compromise the creaminess and texture. The Meeteetse Chocolatier recommends their products are consumed within a few days of purchase for optimum taste and freshness. This is also one of the reasons you can only find Meeteetse Chocolatier products at their brick and mortar and online stores. Meeteetse Chocolatier products are not sold wholesale or in any local businesses other than theirs – making them an even more delectable treat! Quality, not quantity as Tim likes to say.

Eco-friendly Operations

During our visit, we were also amazed and thrilled to learn the Meeteetse Chocolatier is an ethical and environmentally aware business – so much so, it is reflected in their mission statement. Tim has been working hard to become a zero-waste business. The Meeteetse Chocolatier produces less than one bag of trash per week and vigorously recycles all materials possible to include glass, plastic, cardboard, and aluminum.

Paying It Forward

Tim attributes much of his success to the support of his local community members, and in turn, the Meeteetse Chocolatier supports an array of local organizations, events, businesses and so forth.