Fleurir Hand Grown Chocolates Expands to Old Town

Chocoholics – and pretty much everyone else – rejoice.

Fleurir Hand Grown Chocolates is expanding.

Husband and wife team Robert Ludlow and Ashley Hubbard are opening their second store on 724 Jefferson St. this week in Old Town.

The duo opened their first store on P Street in Georgetown, but their second shop is something of a homecoming. They started and grew their business selling chocolates at the Old Town Farmer’s Market.

They searched for a place in Old Town, but veered away from popular King Street. Ludlow said they love the street’s historic charm, but fashion over function came home to roost when considering antique wooden floors and whether or not they would safely hold machinery, including a 1,000 pound piece of equipment.

Ludlow trained as a chef at Le Cordon Bleu in Sydney, Australia, and later studied under Tim Gearhart of Gearhart’s Fine Chocolates.

Hubbard, who runs the stores' day-to-day operations, and Ludlow say they love the new location in the southern end of Old Town.

“We love the new construction, the big space and high ceilings of our Jefferson Street space,” Ludlow said. The Georgetown store functions exclusively as a retailer, but the Fleurir duo (and soon to be three with a baby on the way) will make the chocolates in Old Town.

The manufacturing will be in the back area of the space with the retail store in front. Items include truffles, white chocolate, and hot cocoa mix including their house-made vanilla sugar and many other items.