Jelly Belly founder giving away candy factory as part of 'gold ticket' treasure hunt

It's time to channel your inner Charlie 
Eccentric: Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka with the golden ticket winners
Warner Bros
Margaret Abrams20 October 2020

If you consider yourself a Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory super fan (perhaps you've spent valuable time wondering why, exactly, all of the grandparents shared a bed, or maybe you follow the thirst trapping Wonka on TikTok) your time to shine has arrived.

Jelly Belly's name founder, David Klein, spoke to ABC about his Wonka-inspired treasure hunt, complete with golden tickets.

He announced the contest in a message online, saying that the winner will have their own candy factory, although it will not be affiliated with the official Jelly Belly in California. Instead, this one is in Florida.

Gene Wilder played the original king of confectionary in the 1971 version of Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory.

But it's not just the candy factory that's available - winners could also receive thousands of dollars in prizes - that is, if you somehow find one of the golden tickets hidden in top-secret locations throughout the United States. The ticket is in the form of a necklace with a code needed to verify the find, leading the winners to $5,000. But entry is not free. Participants must shell out $50 for their state's riddle on the official Gold Ticket website, although it will be capped at 1,000 participants so competition won't be quite as intense as the movie.

There's also a Facebook group that currently has almost 50,000 members interested in their very own candy factory.

However, the grand prize is what's truly impressive. It's the key to one of the "Candyman Kitchens" in Florida where his creations are made, including CBD Jelly Beans.

So, channel your best Charlie and get ready for the chance to meet David Klein - a real-life Wonka.

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