Jennie Baird, left, and Christophe Armero are the chocolate makers behind Mudgetown Chocolate. Free tastings will be available at Tri-Corner Feed in Millerton Saturday, Dec. 13, at noon and 3 p.m.
MILLERTON — There’s wine tasting, beer tasting and even coffee tasting, but Millerton is adding something sweeter to the mix. A craft chocolate tasting event will mark the debut of Mudgetown Chocolate on Saturday, Dec. 13, at Tri-Corner Feed. Two free tastings will be held at noon and 3 p.m.
Mudgetown Chocolate is made in Millerton by Sharon-based chocolatiers using cacao beans sourced from all over the world. Saturday’s event will mark the official launch of the small-batch line at Tri-Corner Feed, one of the only places it will be available.
“Our goal is to delight the community with something special,” said Christophe Armero, chocolatier and founder of Mudgetown Chocolate. He describes his product as a “delicious, locally made chocolate that can’t be purchased anywhere else.”
The business began as a retirement passion project for Armero, who spent 38 years in the sugar industry. After moving full-time to Sharon in 2020 from Riverside, Connecticut, he and his wife, Jennie Baird, began experimenting with chocolate in their barn in 2022.“I realized quickly that it’s very easy to make mediocre chocolate,” Armero joked.
After becoming more interested in the process, he grew determined to master the craft. In 2024, he landed an internship at Dandelion Chocolate in San Francisco, where he learned the tricks of the trade.
“It was a bit intimidating because I was this older guy and all the other chocolatiers were young and very professional,” he laughed. “But they taught me a lot.”
Today, Armero can speak fluently about each step of the chocolate-making process, from sourcing the bean and fermentation to roasting, cracking and “melanging,” most of which is done right here on South Center Street in Millerton.
Tri-Corner Feed’s incubator kitchen
Tri-Corner Feed has a bustling storefront where community members can find locally sourced produce, nutrient-dense groceries and even a chai latte — all with sliding scale prices. And there is just as much action happening behind-the-scenes in their fully licensed commercial kitchen.
It’s here that entrepreneurs and early-stage businesses like Mudgetown Chocolate can roll up their sleeves and create products in an affordable space without the burden of high startup costs.
Armero uses a small, 1-kilogram roaster in Tri-Corner’s kitchen, followed by a cracking and winnowing setup that uses a shop vac to suck out the shells and leave the nibs behind. Then, nibs spend 48 hours or more in a granite stone melanger, where they break down and release natural cacao butter. During this part of the process, the bitterness softens and new flavors develop.
Locally made, globally sourced
Armero and Baird purchase cacao beans directly from small farms and fermentaries in countries like El Salvador, Colombia and Uganda. The couple even traveled to Ecuador to visit one of their producers, prioritizing direct relationships whenever possible, which sets them apart from other commercial producers.
Armero said he hopes to bring more local partners into his chocolate business for future creations. “We’ve made some fantastic chocolate infused with whiskey,” he said, adding that he also has a vision of creating a chocolate bar with crunchy bread crumbs. His goal is to partner with local distilleries and bakeries to make this a reality.
Commercial chocolate vs. craft chocolate
Armero said the key differences between commercial chocolate and craft chocolate are “scale and objective.” Big-brand names rely on facilities designed to transform commodity beans into large quantities of uniform chocolate designed to meet the brand’s distinct taste.
Unlike these chocolate giants, Mudgetown Chocolate and other craft makers work in small batches, coaxing the best flavors out of beans. You might get a slightly different flavor with each batch. With only two ingredients in their dark chocolate – cacao and sugar – the results are highly dependent on the bean itself. Armero said, “We’re always trying to get the best out of the beans.”
The Dec. 13 tastings will be at Tri-Corner Feed at 56 South Center St., Millerton.
HVRHS’s Victoria Brooks navigates traffic on her way to the hoop. She scored a game-high 17 points against Nonnewaug Tuesday, Dec. 16.
FALLS VILLAGE — Berkshire League basketball returned to Housatonic Valley Regional High School Tuesday, Dec. 16.
Nonnewaug High School’s girls varsity team beat Housatonic 52-42 in the first game of the regular season.
The atmosphere was intense in Ed Tyburski Gym with frequent fouls, traps and steals on the court. Fans of both sides heightened the energy for the return of varsity basketball.
HVRHS started with a lead in the first quarter. The score balanced out by halftime and then Nonnewaug caught fire with 20 points in the third quarter. Despite a strong effort by HVRHS in the last quarter, the Chiefs held on to win.
Housatonic’s Victoria Brooks scored a game-high 17 points and Olivia Brooks scored 14. Carmela Egan scored 8 points with 14 rebounds, 5 steals and 4 assists. Maddy Johnson had 10 rebounds, 4 steals, 2 assists and 2 points, and Aubrey Funk scored 1 point.
Nonnewaug was led by Gemma Hedrei with 13 points. Chloe Whipple and Jayda Gladding each scored 11 points. Sarah Nichols scored 9, Bryce Gilbert scored 5, Gia Savarese scored 2 and Jazlyn Delprincipe scored 1.
CORNWALL — At the Dec. 9 meeting of the Planning and Zoning Commission, the commission had a pre-application discussion with Karl Saliter, owner of Karl on Wheels, who plans to operate his moving business at 26 Kent Road South, which is an existing retail space.
Saliter said he will use the existing retail section of the building as a mixed retail space and office, and the rear of the building for temporary storage during moving operations.
There will be no external “personal” storage proposed for the property.
The commission decided that Saliter should go ahead with a site plan application under the regulations for “retail stores and trades.”
P&Z also set a public hearing on a proposed text amendment on dimensional requirements for properties in the West Cornwall General Business (GB) zone. It will be held Jan. 13, 2026, at 7 p.m. at the Cornwall Library.
FALLS VILLAGE — The Board of Selectmen at its Dec. 17 meeting heard concerns about the condition of Sand Road.
First Selectman David Barger reported a resident came before the board to talk about the road that is often used as feeder between Salisbury and Canaan.
“The person said there is not proper maintenance of that road and it is often the scene of accidents,” Barger said in a phone interview. “There is a problem with the canopy of trees that hang over it, making it hard to keep clear, but there is also the problem of speeding, which is terrible.”
As a former state trooper, he said he is familiar with the problem of drivers going too fast on that road, describing one case in which he had to charge someone for traveling way above the speed limit.
Barger said the town cannot reconfigure the roadway at this time, but officials and road crew members will keep an extra eye on it as a short-term solution.
In other business, Barger said the selectmen plan to call a town meeting sometime next month. Residents will be asked to take the remaining funds, which total $48,200, from the non-recurring capital fund to allow for Allied Engineering to perform engineering studies on the proposed salt shed. Money for construction has already been secured through a STEAP grant, which the town received in the amount of $625,000.
“We’re looking at critical infrastructure projects and this is one component,” he said.
At that town meeting, there will also be a vote to take $2,000 from the town’s discretionary fund to pay Cardinal Engineering for work on repair of the Cobble Road bridge.
