Chocolates, fudge, candies and chocolate-covered fruits all have one thing in common — they melt! We all want to enjoy sweet delicacies all year long, no matter the weather outside, but shipping candy and chocolate in the summer is an obstacle to overcome. We cannot guarantee that your gourmet treats will arrive in perfect condition with typical, standard shipping. The outside conditions are uncontrollable, but there is something you can control — your shipping option. 

To provide the highest-quality gourmet chocolates and candies, we are now offering warm-weather shipping options to our online customers. We added this to our available shipping options to ensure our specialty sweets make it to you in the best condition possible. We don't let hot weather stop us from providing gourmet sweets all year long. Keep reading to learn more about why you should select our warm-weather shipping options when ordering candies and chocolates in the warmer months.

Why Choose Warm-Weather Shipping?

If it is hot outside, you should consider warm-weather shipping for chocolate. Whether you live somewhere with warm year-round temperatures or are experiencing seasonal warmth, shipping chocolate in warm weather can be tricky as the temperatures continue to rise. When you place an order for chocolate or candy, you expect your order to arrive how you pictured it — not a soupy mess. When temperatures reach 70 degrees or higher, your sweet treats will risk the chance of melting before reaching your doorstep. 

To avoid that and protect your order from the heat, we recommend selecting our warm-weather shipping option. Our warm-weather shipping also includes specialty packaging to help further protect your order from high temperatures. No one wants to receive melted chocolate or candy when they place an order. So if your order contains heat-sensitive items, warm-weather shipping is the best way to ensure that doesn’t happen. We consider all items with chocolate to be heat sensitive. 

How to Ship Chocolate in Warm Weather

There are risks when shipping chocolate in warm weather. Indeed, chocolate is one of the most heat-sensitive sweets. Temperature control is crucial when transporting chocolate in warm weather. We understand the potential risks of shipping chocolate and other sweets in the summer, and we decided to add a shipping option that would lower those risks. To help us provide your chocolate and candy in the best condition possible, we use the following food-safe supplies in our warm-weather packaging.

• Coolers: We put any orders containing chocolate or other temperature-sensitive sweets in coolers until it is time to ship them. Keeping the chocolate and different temperature-sensitive items in the coolers essentially freezes them, so when it is time to ship, the warm weather will only gradually defrost your order during transit and not melt it. 
• Cold packs: We package orders containing chocolate or other temperature-sensitive goods with cold packs before shipping them. Adding cold packs helps keep your chocolates and candies intact and regulates the temperature inside the box. Without them, the chances of receiving melted goodies are high. These cold packs keep your order at a cold enough temperature to slow down the melting process.
• Insulation: To make sure your order is extra safe, we add insulation to the packaging. Thermal insulation material is the barrier between the heat and your chocolate. It works as a heat deflection that protects your order. This material prevents the heat from entering the package, keeping it away from the chocolate. Besides heat protection, it also serves as a protective barrier for the items during transit. 
• Large packaging: When shipping items like chocolate, choosing the correct box for packing is vital. We use large, sturdy boxes to support your chocolate, insulation and cooling packs. It is essential to ensure the packaging can prevent contents from getting jolted during transit. Having a durable box will protect the order. 

All this special packaging helps your order's quality upon arrival. 

Warm-Weather Shipping Costs

The extra cost for warm weather shipping is due to the added packaging supplies needed for the chocolates and candies. It also takes longer to pack these orders because of all the extra materials within them. To cover the warm-weather packaging costs, we apply an additional $6.50 to your order total. This cost covers all the materials needed to keep your order cool, intact and unmelted upon arrival. The items included are the ice packs, thermal insulation and other special packaging needed to protect your order. The extra price is worth ensuring your chocolate is in the best condition when you receive it.

Temperature Recommendation for Choosing Warm-Weather Shipping 

Are you shipping your order of gourmet chocolate to a high-temperature area? Chocolate requires special handling in warm weather. When temperatures rise above 70 degrees, there is a good chance your chocolate will melt during transit. That is why our warm-weather shipping option is perfect for times like these. If you are in an area experiencing temperatures of 70 degrees or higher, we encourage you to choose our warm-weather shipping to lower the chances of receiving a melted order.

At Bedford Candies, we provide shipping choices to get your order to you in quality condition. We pride ourselves on making and delivering homemade, gourmet chocolates, popcorn and other delectable treats. We can ship all our sweet treats anywhere in the U.S. Whether you are gift-giving for a special occasion or ordering a sweet treat for yourself, Bedford Candies has you covered. We won’t let the warm weather stop us from serving our customers. If you want the best chances of receiving your order in unmelted condition, we highly recommend adding our warm-weather shipping option when placing your online order today. You won’t regret it! 

*Please note, even with our warm weather shipping option items may still arrive melted in extreme heat. Our ice packs and thermal packaging only help so much and will become less effective the longer it it sits in the heat. We will not re-ship packages due to melting from heat.