If you live in McComb, you probably already know about the fudge. But there’s plenty more to consider for the holiday season at Family Pharmacy.
Joan Stamps and her husband Tim opened the pharmacy more than 20 years ago. While Tim oversees the pharmacy, Joan Stamps has become the self-described fudge person.
Family Pharmacy has become known for its wide assortment of fudge since the Stampses decided to add it to the inventory seven years ago.
With Thanksgiving and Christmas coming up, fudge production will go into overdrive.
“We do a lot of trays for the holidays. It’s good to take home and eat and share with friends and family,” Joan Stamps said.
Stamps said she makes the fudge every two weeks. She starts with either a white chocolate or chocolate base. From there, she makes a ton of flavors. Some are unusual, such as peanut butter and jelly, cheesecake, or fudge with jalapenos in it.
The ingredients for the fudge come in by the caseload. During production, Stamp always measures the ingredients carefully, resulting in a consistent product time after time. She makes the fudge in the back of the pharmacy using a kettle.
It takes a lot of love when you consider it takes four hours per batch of fudge. Fortunately, Joan has been at it for seven years after Tim suggested it as a marketing idea.
While fudge has a way of getting people in the door, the store offers several holiday features also, marketing manager Kimberly Wooley said.
Barry Boyd, who oversees the photo lab, said his station at the pharmacy is already beginning to pick up, well ahead of Thanksgiving.
The photo area has several computer interfaces that make it a breeze to put together holiday-theme cards. Boyd shows how easy it is to take personal photographs and turn them into a photobook or collection of cards. One of their several machines has over 300 individualized designs to choose from as templates.
Boyd said he is able to enhance older photographs as well, and noted the lab may be the only place in town to print film.
“We still get quite a bit of film here. Last week, we had 10 rolls to develop,” he said.
Wooley said the pharmacy runs specials in the paper and on Facebook for photo deals.
The pharmacy will also have pictures with Santa every week in December up until Christmas.
Wooley also said she is gearing the store up for Christmas with an aisle devoted to Christmas-related odds and ends.
The pharmacy’s location, across the street from Southwest Mississippi Regional Medical Center, makes it an ideal spot to pick up items for visitors to the hospital, store officials said.
Wooley noted candy gift bags, fudge and other items come in handy for get well gifts.
“This is the perfect place for who have family at the hospital. We have balloons and cards for people who have babies. We have snack food and snack baskets for patients with a sweet tooth,” she said.
Family Pharmacy also holds classes on diabetes education that helps those with the disease manage it. Selling fudge might sound like a contradiction, but it’s more of a paradox, Stamps said.
“Everything is good as long as it’s in moderation,” Stamps said, noting that the pharmacy also offers sugar-free fudge for diabetics. Whatever your holiday need, come to the pharmacy and stay for the fudge, Stamps said.
