American, Bean-to-Bar Chocolate Makers: A Complete List

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by ChocoFiles on April 23, 2008 at 5:27pm

If a chocolate company is NOT bean to bar, but uses couverture what is that kind of company called? I've heard them called "chocolatier", but is that an accurate and widely used label?

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Permalink Reply by Clay Gordon on April 26, 2008 at 4:04pm

One French term is "fondeur" - melter.

I guess it depends on what you think of as a chocolatier. If a shop buys most of its stuff (truffles, bon bons) but makes chocolate-dipped pretzels are they a chocolatier?

In the end, I don't really care where the line is drawn. I will continue to appreciate most those who work to express their own creative visions, not sell someone else's.

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Permalink Reply by Clay Gordon on April 28, 2008 at 11:16am

All:

I have created a simple database that will enable us to track these companies more easily. It is located here.

PLEASE DO NOT ADD ANY MORE COMPANY NAMES HERE. Please add them in the database. If you have added a company to this list, please consider making an entry in the database for it.

Thanks in advance,
:: Clay

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Permalink Reply by ChocoFiles on August 12, 2008 at 1:14pm

QUOTE: "I have created a simple database that will enable us to track these companies more easily. It is located here. PLEASE DO NOT ADD ANY MORE COMPANY NAMES HERE. Please add them in the database. If you have added a company to this list, please consider making an entry in the database for it." /QUOTE

Clay,

Has any more progress been made on updating this database? I seem to recall that you were going to look into other options to make it more usable. For instance, going with the theme of this thread, it would need to be able to produce a report with U.S. bean to bar makers. Other reports needed are 1) a report for each company that lists all of the data collected for that company , 2) Reports by country, 3) A complete list of just the chocolate makers grouped by country.

Ideally, it would be great to have a way to import this data directly into an Access database so that no data re-entry has to be done. At a minimum there has to be a way to print these reports so that we can have it in a hard copy.

I think this is a very useful project, so I hope it will continue to grow and improve.

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Permalink Reply by Cecilamor on January 25, 2009 at 11:28am

HI sorry me again the website address was wrong, is www.richart.com

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Permalink Reply by Clay Gordon on January 25, 2009 at 9:59pm

I am still working on an acceptable replacement - it's harder than it seems because while di do have some programming knowledge, I don't have a lot of database programming knowledge. The kinds of sorts and filters you're talking about will be included in what gets delivered.

It will be possible to print reports directly from pages generated by the database without having to do and export/import.

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Permalink Reply by Cecilamor on January 25, 2009 at 11:27am

Hi, i read you list and like it a lot but please take some time to check this french chocolatier, the brand is RICHART Chocolat, their website www.richartchocolates.com

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Permalink Reply by Sara Litke on January 26, 2009 at 12:57pm

Hey All,

One thing that may be helpful to think about is that just because chocolate is American produced doesn't mean that the creation of that chocolate was done justly or equitably. All American chocolate companies still import cocoa beans from Latin America, Africa or Asia, and unfortunately slave-like child labor conditions are still employed on many of these farms. (see http://www.globalexchange.org/campaigns/fairtrade/cocoa/background.... for more info/resources)

Perhaps it would be of interest to some of you to know about American chocolate companies (and international companies) that import cocoa beans and produce chocolate under Fair Trade standards: that is, the trade guarantees a minimum price under direct contracts, prohibits abusive child labor, promotes environmental sustainability, and requires democratic governance and the admittance of labor unions for farms. If so, take a look at the following link: http://www.globalexchange.org/campaigns/fairtrade/cocoa/retailers.html.

If you'd like to help educate others about Fair Trade Chocolate, participate in our Second National Valentine's Day of Action: 3,000 for Fair Trade this February and win a Fair Trade chocolate gift worth $40! Get an educator to teach our Fair Trade Cocoa Curriculum in the classroom before February 14. The free booklet, curriculum and flyers are available at http://www.globalexchange.org/campaigns/fairtrade/cocoa/.

Keep thinking about that chocolate!

Sara Litke

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Permalink Reply by Jim on January 28, 2009 at 4:34am

Sara,
Have you ever visited a "Fair Trade" cocoa farm? If so, please indicate where the farm is and what the conditions were. I would REALLY be interested in any visits made to Latin America, Africa or Asia, where slave-like child labor conditions are still employed on many of these farms.

Jim Lucas

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Permalink Reply by Kate Greene on January 28, 2009 at 12:36pm

Back to the original thread of this post and bean-to-bar chocolate makers ... wikipedia has a global list (like the one from seventy percent). Not just US or North American. I noticed some missing companies on the list. If you belong, think about adding yourself to the wikipedia bean-to-bar list... Here's the link (don't be misled by the title in the link, it redirects to a bean-to-bar chocolate manufacturer list)... also...all the caveats about wikipedia apply...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_chocolate_manufacturers

Kate

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Permalink Reply by Fortnum on April 28, 2009 at 4:55pm

Hi all,
Can anyone confirm that they KNOW that Mast Brothers are actually manufacturing chocolate from bean to bar. Several things I have seen here and there have made me really doubt it. I would like to be sure. Thanks for your help!
Fortnum

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Permalink Reply by Art Pollard on April 30, 2009 at 9:22am

I have spoken with the Mast Brothers. They were up front with me that some of their chocolate they make and some they do not. If you ask them specifically, they will tell you which is which but unfortunately, it isn't always very clear from their advertising / statements that some of their chocolate is made elsewhere or is a blend.

They are using Santha class machines.

Nice guys.

-Art

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