Bucksport family launches hand-crafted lollipop and chocolate business

Hand-crafted sweetness is the heart of Gimie, a hobby-turned-business in Bucksport. Photo courtesy of Gimie.

Jan. 12, 2026

By Jenna Lookner

BUCKSPORT—On a sunny January afternoon, Angela and Jason Bishop had just sat down after pouring lollipops—hot honey and raspberry hibiscus—in their Bucksport home. It was all in a day’s work for the Bishops, owners of Gimie, a new home-based candy company that produces lollipops and craft chocolate, forgoing artificial ingredients. 

Both Maine natives, the couple had previously enjoyed a nomadic lifestyle traveling the country with their family. Several years ago they returned to their historic home in Bucksport.

The Bishops have been making lollipops since their oldest son, Elias, 7, was a toddler, but chocolate was their first adventure. Until December, both endeavors were largely hobbies, but now the Bishops have made the move to bring Gimie more visibly to the public. 

Angela and Jason Bishop, with their children, from left, Miriam, Gideon and Elias. Photo courtesy of the Bishop family.

The Bishops have three children—Gideon, 1, Miriam, 4, and Elias, 7, and it’s the amalgamation of those names that gave their company its moniker. The Bishops homeschool their children, providing a front-row seat and an opportunity to participate in the production of craft chocolate and all-natural lollipops which they make utilizing a cottage bakery license. 

Both their original pursuit of chocolate and their foray into lollipops were inspired by their children. The latter came after a visit to Hershey Park with Jason’s older children from a previous marriage. Throughout their travels the Bishops met with craft chocolatiers in various states learning the craft.

“There’s a whole craft chocolate community,” Jason said. 

As a youngster of just a few years, Elias or “Eli” for short, had an idea for the family’s bumper crop of strawberries: lollipops. 

“Eli has always been a fervent reader,” Jason said. Angela and Jason recalled discussing their plans for the abundance of berries. Overhearing them, young Eli ran for a cookbook, explaining to his parents that strawberry lollipops could be the solution. 

“He saw strawberries and lollipops and connected the two in his head,” Jason said. 

Jason’s curiosity was piqued. The first batch was “pretty good,” but not super flavorful, Angela said. Experiments continued.

From the beginning, the Bishops worked with the freshest and most local ingredients they could procure, including blueberries, apples, raspberries, and strawberries from their homestead. They use natural dyes for two flavors that require them, but otherwise allow the natural colors of the fruit to shine in the gemstone-like hues of the confections. 

“There’s enough junk out there,” Jason said of their decision to use natural ingredients. 

Angela said she grew up eating commercially available chocolate. 

“I didn’t realize the remarkable difference until I tasted fresh chocolate,” she said. “We have all had the lollipops from the store, but these taste fresh.”

The Bishops take pride in their products and said that each compliment is tremendously meaningful to them. 

“Someone said that the lollipops ‘taste like summer,’” Angela said. “Hearing things like that always warms our hearts as though it’s the first time we’ve heard it.” 

At the end of 2025, what began as a hobby producing gifts to share with friends and family as well as the occasional sale, had reached an evolutionary point. Angela, a stay-at-home-mom and homeschool parent, said she encouraged Jason, a respiratory therapist, to look at goals for Gimie. The pair began discussing whether their hobby could burgeon into a business. 

“We needed to see if this was something that would stretch beyond just our group,”  Angela said.

So far, the response is very encouraging, they said. 

“It has exploded,” Jason added. “It’s been overwhelming in all of the good ways.”

Hand-crafted chocolate, made in Bucksport. Photo courtesy of Gimie.

They work together on the business several days a week, with their kids largely involved producing, preparing, wrapping, sourcing, and shipping their products, along with all of the administrative and promotional tasks that go with a new business. To date, they have shipped to customers in a growing number of states, including website sales to many customers on the west coast. 

Currently, their direct sales are limited to their website and a relative’s farmstand in Frankfort. Several lollipop flavors are currently available including blueberry, raspberry hibiscus, and honey vanilla. In addition, they rotate a new flavor in each month and encourage customers to keep an eye on releases. Hot Honey will be one of their Valentine’s lollipop flavors. They are also seeking retail purveyors for their confections—chocolate and lollipops— and a bulk order tab is live on their website. 

At their home, the Bishops keep a large bowl of lollipops that don’t have the correct shape or have other aesthetic imperfections that their children enjoy as default “seconds.” In addition to informal quality control, the children assist with the creation process, performing important tasks like placing the sticks in the pop molds. 

The Bishops see Gimie as a family business, but one that will largely belong to their children. 

“At its heart, this business is about family and fun. Family matters deeply to us, and this gives us a way to teach our children how to work together, contribute, and be part of something bigger than ourselves—hopefully giving them a strong foundation they can grow from, Angela said.

“It’s sort of their business,” Angela said. “We’re just the caretakers.”