iN PHOTOS: Kelowna chocolate shop has unique handmade items for the holidays

If you have ever wanted to eat a Christmas ornament, but were worried about swallowing sharp plastic, a chocolate and pastry shop in Kelowna has what you need.

Amanda Helman co-owns Karat Chocolate and Pastry Boutique with her husband Julian. She said they have whipped up an assortment of cool chocolates and treats for the holidays season.

“We don’t use any preservatives or food dyes. For the holidays this year, we have some really cool items,” she said.

There’s a hand painted chocolate Grinch head, a hot chocolate bomb filled with cocoa and marshmallows so it melts when you pour hot milk over it, bonbons that look like ornaments and a gingerbread man who is secretly chocolate.

“We have hot chocolate bombs, which are a big hit. We’re just restocking them right now. The first batch is already sold out,” she said.

The wife and husband duo have been running the shop and cafe for the last 10 years, and it’s won more than 60 international chocolate awards.

Karat has its shop and cafe on Ellis Street, but its products are stocked at wineries and shops around the Okanagan as well as online.

“He is a chocolatier, so everything that I’ve told you about is handmade by us,” she said. “He is the creative, the chef, and I’m in the front of the house.”

The “Buy Canadian” movement this year where people focused on shopping locally isn’t something new for Karat. Helman said that the shop has always tried to be involved locally.

“We have lots of very loyal customers that we love, and we try to stay community-focused,” she said.

She said it’s always great seeing people come in and see new, chocolaty creations.

“My favourite is when little kids come in. I’m a mom, and I love when children come in, and I get to talk to them, and serve them, and just see their little faces, and how excited they get,” she said.