Meet the BFB (Big Friendly Bunny)

If you’ve ever stepped foot into Wilbur’s of Maine at Easter time, you’ve met the BFB (Big Friendly Bunny). He’s typically in the front of the store, waiting to greet you. While seated on a sturdy table, he towers over most customers or at least meets you eye to eye. We look forward to his arrival each year, marking our hopeful return of Spring and warm weather!

While we know all BFB’s secrets, you may have a few questions. How tall is he? How much does he weigh? Is it solid? Have you ever sold one? Well, let’s end the mysteries of the BFB and tell you how this scrumptious treat came to be.

In the Beginning

We first started making BFB about 20 years ago. Obviously eye-catching, he was awe-inspiring to our pint-size customers and a little comical to our adult patrons. That was enough to turn BFB into a tradition around these parts.

“He was originally solid chocolate,” Andy Wilbur, owner of Wilbur’s of Maine, tells us, “BFB is hollow now.”

So, how is he made?

The Process

First our chocolatier Lydia begins by painting the basket portion of the mold with dark chocolate so BFB will have a little visual contrast.

Next, the two sides of the mold are held together with dozens of nuts, bolts, and washers, turning our BFB from two to three dimensional.

Then, Lydia begins to fill the mold with our smooth milk chocolate. She is not trying to fill up BFB. She is just adding enough chocolate to make a solid coat on the inside, creating a shell. Lydia checks for an even coat and to make sure there are no big air bubbles in this first coat, rotating the mold for full coverage.

The process continues by adding more chocolate and rotating. Lydia uses her Ninja Chocolatier Sense to “feel” when BFB weighs about the right amount. She visual checks for thickness to know when to stop the coating.

What about a bottom?

There is no bottom to the plastic mold. Lydia lets gravity do the work. When the sides are ready, she turns the BFB onto his bottom and slides it into the cooler. The chocolate that is still warm and melted inside the mold slides on down to form a solid bottom!

Sounds Easy?

Since BFB is about three feet tall and around 20 lbs., it’s a bit of a wrestling match. Then, the real nail-biter comes when Lydia gets BFB out of the mold.

“He likes to crack before fully separating from the mold. I basically have to babysit with it half out of the cooling closet, poking, prodding, and gently convincing the mold to release.”

She has lost a few. Lydia enjoys the challenge of BFB. she might actually look forward to it every year, but she’d never say so.

“You mutter a few choice phrases, take it out, and start again.”

The Takeaway

We have been known to sell a BFB a time or two. It’s not very often and that’s okay with us. He’s for the show, conversation, and fun. If you haven’t seen BFB for yourself, it’s time to make the pilgrimage to Wilbur’s of Maine. See what confections this Big Friendly Bunny brought with him this year before he hits the bunny trail again.