Every Good Adventure Begins with a Little Curiosity
Mr. Pickleton’s was created for people who still believe a trip to a store shop should feel like something.
A little discovery. A little nostalgia. A little indulgence. And maybe something wonderfully unexpected that you didn’t know you needed until you found it.
Part confectionery, part creamery, part coffee stop and part cabinet of curiosities, Mr. Pickleton’s brings together delicious things, interesting things and the simple pleasure of wandering into someplace memorable.
Welcome to Mr. Pickleton’s. Stay curious.
Where the Story Really Begins
When my son Dorian and I began creating The World After Bedtime™, we wanted it to become more than simply a story we had written together.
We wanted our family woven into its world.
Dorian especially wanted to find ways to honor the kids in our family and make sure that, somehow, each of them could become part of what we were creating.
And then there was Lily.
Lily loves pickles.
It was one of those wonderfully ordinary family details that somehow became unforgettable.
As the characters and personality of The World After Bedtime™ began to take shape, that little piece of Lily helped inspire the name Mr. Pickleton for Ryan’s cat.
What started as a playful family reference soon became something much bigger.
From Family Cat to Mr. Pickleton
During the day, he is simply the family cat.
But The World After Bedtime™ begins when the familiar world grows quiet.
When bedtime arrives, imagination takes over. Ordinary rooms become mysterious places. Familiar characters reveal unexpected sides of themselves. And Mr. Pickleton becomes part of an adventure that is curious, exciting and just a little magical.
That idea stayed with us.
Because childhood has always worked that way.
Sometimes the most extraordinary world begins with something incredibly ordinary.
A bedtime.
A family story.
A cat and,
Apparently, a love of pickles.
A Story became a place
Years later, when our family began imagining a real-world place filled with candy, ice cream, coffee, creativity, interesting discoveries and good times, the name felt almost inevitable.
Pickleton’s.
It connected this new adventure back to the stories Dorian and I created together.
It carried a little piece of Lily with it.
And perhaps most importantly, it continued Dorian’s original idea that what we create should somehow include and celebrate the people we love.
Mr. Pickleton had traveled from a family nickname, to a character, to a story.
Now he had a shop.
So, Who Exactly is Mr. Pickleton?
That depends somewhat on when you ask.
By daylight, one could argue that he is simply a rather distinguished black cat.
After hours, however, things become considerably less certain.
Mr. Pickleton is a gentleman of impeccable taste, endless curiosity and admittedly questionable restraint around confectionery.
A collector of peculiar objects, exceptional sweets and interesting stories, he believes that life becomes infinitely more interesting when we remain curious.
Life is better when you remain curious.
He believes good coffee should encourage conversation.
Ice cream should be enjoyed before it melts.
Candy should occasionally be purchased for absolutely no sensible reason.
And every proper shop should contain at least one thing that makes you stop and ask:
“What in the world is that?”
And so, naturally, he opened Mr. Pickleton’s.
Our family. Our Story.
Pickleton’s began with family, imagination, and a story shared after bedtime.
What started as a small family detail became a nickname. That nickname became a character. And that character found his way into a world Dorian and I created together.
Along the way, Mr. Pickleton came to represent something much bigger: curiosity, creativity, wonder, and the idea that the ordinary can become extraordinary when we leave a little room for imagination.
Today, that same spirit lives inside everything we want Pickleton’s to become.
Confections. Curiosities. Good Times.
A place for families to gather.
A place for imaginations to wander.
A place to discover something unexpected, share something sweet, and create a memory worth carrying home.
And perhaps, years from now, Pickleton’s will become a small part of someone else’s family story too.