MEETEETSE, Wyo. -Tucked away in the charming town of Meeteetse is a shop as sweet as the community it calls home— all run by a cowboy.
Tim Kellogg is a master chocolatier, sourcing high-quality ingredients, crafting recipes, and traveling the globe to refine his craft. His shop, the Meeteetse Chocolatier, has become a destination worth visiting.
Nestled in the picturesque Wood River Valley, Meeteetse remains a town where wooden boardwalks and hitching rails line the streets.
“It’s just a wonderful community,” Kellogg said.
Here, amid the small-town charm, you’ll find Kellogg—a cowboy turned chocolatier.
“I started Meeteetse Chocolatier about 20 years ago,” he said.
Initially, Kellogg planned on making a name for himself in the rodeo world, but fate had other plans. A suggestion from his mother to sell chocolates to raise money for a bronc saddle changed his life. While bronc riding didn’t pan out, Kellogg discovered his true calling in artisan chocolates.
“Everything is made by hand by me, every day,” he explained.
Kellogg sources his chocolate from the tropics, bringing a global touch to his small-town shop.
“I go down to Belize every January for the harvest, and I use a lot of Belgian chocolate for my baked goods,” he said.
By focusing on quality, Kellogg ensures his creations are free from additives, preservatives, artificial flavors, or added sugars. His attention to detail keeps customers coming back for more.
“Flavors like huckleberry, peanut butter, and the Wyoming whiskey one sell fast,” he said. “You wouldn’t think sage or rosemary would pair well with chocolate, but I like that savory combination. It keeps people interested and always coming back because there’s always something new in the case.”
For Kellogg, creating chocolates is as much an art as a passion. His business thrives in its humble Wyoming location.
“Sometimes people are driving up to Billings from Casper or Riverton, and in the summertime, we have visitors from all over the world heading to Yellowstone,” he said.
Despite the influx of visitors, Meeteetse Chocolatier remains small and intimate run entirely by Kellogg himself.
“It’s just all done by me,” he said.
For those who seek out his shop, the reward is sweet and memorable.
“The way my style and my chocolate are made, it’s going to be a different experience—something unique and wonderful,” he said.
Wrapped in charm and dedication, Kellogg sees his shop as a hidden treasure.
“I like to think of this place as something unique that you discover—the best-kept secret kind of place,” he said.