The free Jelly Belly Factory Tour
is offered at the Jelly Belly Factory in
Fairfield, California. The tour was named “Best of
America” by the editors of Reader’s Digest magazine. Located only 42 miles from
Sacramento, the factory offers free 40 to 45
minute tours that include sample tasting of the products and opportunity to
purchase the newest items. Driving into the factory on a recent trip,
there were other tasting opportunities available at the Budweiser factory
across the road and an olive oil tasting shop.
But most come to enjoy the colorful jelly bean
tour and factory and they come in the droves, young and old. The Jelly Belly
Tour is one of the best
California family vacation stops, though the younger children often get
antsy on the guided tour. Jelly Belly Factory includes a restaurant, gift shop and displays. Guests
taking the tour line up in queue and wait for a guide to issue a paper hat
which must be worn as they are lead upstairs above the factory floor where
glass windows allow views below. A seasoned guide describes the
process of making the candy and TV monitors show videos about production.
Picture-taking is not allowed on this portion of the tour, though they are
permitted elsewhere.
After the tour is finished,
guests are usually given a small sample package of the candy and sent back
to the gift shop to finish by sampling Jelly Belly varieties and flavors.
Guests often say they didn't realize the process for making a perfect Jelly
Belly candy bean takes so much time. Each candy bean is hand inspected after
it passes several tests for quality and then is packaged for shipping. The
numbers of beans produced is amazing and the variety of flavors is
extensive, with the red, very cherry bean being the most popular.
If you are still hungry after consuming the
candy or are saving your treats, Jelly Belly Cafe serves Jelly Belly-shaped
pizza and hamburgers. Enjoy the Java Bar for espresso drinks, then wander
over to the ice cream counter for ice cream cones at an outdoor patio and
picnic area or indoor table seating.
Fairfield, California isn't simply about jelly
beans, however. The city is the seat of Solano County and includes not only
new shopping malls and chain restaurants but a beautiful downtown region
stretching along the historic Highway 40. Be sure to drive through the
downtown to see the sign, shops and county buildings.
Note: We purchased one of the Jelly Bean
products with chocolate in it to give as a gift and had to leave it in the
car while driving in Northern California, where it gets hot. The chocolate
candy melted. If you're visiting in the summer and don't have a cooler,
stick to traditional Jelly Beans.
Jelly Belly Visitor Center, Jelly Belly
Candy Company, One Jelly Belly Lane, Fairfield, CA 94533 Tour
information 1-800-9-JELLYBEAN (1-800-953-5592) jellybelly.com
