Twigedies Berries: York County twins aim to go big with chocolate-covered strawberries

Daricus and Daryl Releford sell chocolate-covered strawberries online year-round and in stores seasonally

By Leigh Zaleski

lzaleski@ydr.com @leighzaleski on Twitter

Daricus Releford, 26, dips strawberries in white chocolate for Valentine's Day gifts on Wednesday for his business Twigedies Berries in Windsor Township. Releford launched the mostly online business with his twin brother, Daryl, about eight months ago. (Paul Kuehnel Daily Record/Sunday News)

On Wednesday, Daricus Releford sat on a stool behind a stainless-steel table in his stepfather's kitchen in Windsor Township. He gripped a pastry bag filled with red chocolate and drizzled it on a tray of white-chocolate-covered strawberries.

His twin brother, Daryl, hurried around the townhouse which resembles a commercial kitchen more than a home quietly conducting business on a Bluetooth headset and directing the operation in between calls. In the furniture-less living area, gold boxes marked "Twigedies Berries" covered another table.

Linwood Hill of Harrisburg and Heather Blosser of Grantville two Twigedies Berries employees filled and packaged orders.

The pending snowstorm had created a time crunch for the Relefords. The 26-year-old brothers, who started their online business about eight months ago, had more than 1,000 orders for Valentine's Day. They had slept about five hours total in the past two days. Along with online orders, Twigedies a name derived from the twins' high school nickname sells chocolate-covered strawberries seasonally at malls. For Valentine's Day, the berries are available at Arundel Mills and White Marsh malls in Maryland, Colonial Park Mall in Harrisburg, and Capital City Mall in Camp Hill.

Twigedies Berries start at $19.99 for six large berries. Daricus said he got the idea for the business about two years ago. He wanted to buy his mother chocolate-covered strawberries for Mother's Day, but he wasn't impressed with what was available online and in stores. Around that time, he also was going through a breakup. When something negative happens, he and his brother often choose to counter it with something positive.

Daricus Releford, left and his twin brother, Daryl Releford, work on chocolate-covered strawberries for Valentine's Day for their business Twigedies Berries in Windsor Township. The pair, who are 26, have been creating businesses since they were 12. (Paul Kuehnel Daily Record/Sunday News)

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Twigedies Berries: York County twins aim to go big with chocolate-covered strawberries