Appleton Chocolates is a sweet little business, nestled in the woods of Wentworth, N.S.

Inside, you’ll find Michael Foote rolling fondant and getting things ready to make handmade chocolates.

Three years ago, Michael’s life looked a lot different. He was living in Alberta and working in customer service.

“Most of my working life has worked with people that are unhappy when they walk through the door and it’s my job to make them happy and now I’m dealing with something that makes people happy before they even walk through the door,” says Michael.

Michael and his wife Heather took over Appleton Chocolates from Michael’s stepfather in June 2014.

Michael wanted to return home and Heather, a western farm girl, wanted them to have more control of their lives.

“The idea or the thought that we can work for ourselves, we don’t have to rely on employers to have a job,” says Heather.

“So when the opportunity for us to come out this way presented itself, there was really no argument or discussion involved. It was just discussing how we were going to make it happen,” says Michael.

Michael and Heather now spend their time making chocolates, as well as bars and novelties. When they’re not dipping or wrapping, the couple is selling, both online and in person.

“We’re always interested in artisan chocolate, cheeses, that kinds of thing, something that’s not the run of the mill, so we wanted to make a stop here,” says American tourist Lynette Jones.

“It’s something different and something we can sample and something we can take a sample home to our grandkids,” says American tourist Lee Jones.

The chocolates are handmade and their signature treat has local maple syrup and berries in the centre.

Michael says he feels it is important to use local products.

“If we’re buying from big businesses that are from away, then we’re not keeping the local economy sustained,” says Michael.

The pair says they’d like to expand their business someday, but for now, they are happy making chocolates in their cabin in the woods.

With files from CTV Atlantic's Dan MacIntosh