Forum Activity for @Clay

Bean to bar chocolate makers

Posted in: Tasting Notes

Steve:To many people, the claims you make for your product are no different than the claims made by MXI for Xocai - because they are shrouded in secrecy.What you're encountering here is the same kinds of skepticism. If you want to stop people from questioning you about this you're going to have to be much more open. For example, your iron claim. Do you have an independent lab assay (e.g., Brunswick) showing the differences in iron content in your product made with and without the shell to back you up? If you do - just post it so people can see that it's real. That's all anyone is asking. We're not asking you to reveal your proprietary machinery and processes - just to back up the claims your are making for the results of your processes with independent support.What's hurting MXI (at least for members here on The Chocolate Life) is that a lot of the information they do publish is just plain wrong, and they're squirrely about the patents that cover their claims for cold processing. It smells fishy, and fishy-smelly chocolate is not a pleasant thought. (Though did you know that MXI uses hydrolyzed fish collagen in one of their products? Great protein source I am told though not very appealing from a dietary or sensory perspective.)Another thing that's hurting MXI is that the lab test they reference is several years old. To be valid, in my opinion, they need to run an assay on every batch because they make a very concrete claim for ORAC levels. The only reasons MXI gets away with this are a) they are claiming to be a dietary supplement not a food "this product is not intended to diagnose or cure any disease" and b) there is no RDA (recommended daily allowance) for ORAC.Being on the cutting edge does not exempt you from federal regulations. In cases like this my understanding is that the FDA supersedes California authority.

Bean to bar chocolate makers

Posted in: Tasting Notes

Steve:Have you run your interpretation past a lawyer who has experience arguing these kinds of cases with the FDA?All chocolate is, by definition, made from chocolate liquor. Chocolate liquor, by definition, is made from nibs. There is no provision for making chocolate from whole beans. Here are the references:Sec. 163.111 Chocolate liquor.(a)Description. (1) Chocolate liquor is the solid or semiplastic food prepared by finely grinding cacao nibs.Sec. 163.110 Cacao nibs.(a)Description. (1) Cacao nibs is the food prepared by removing the shell from cured, cleaned, dried, and cracked cacao beans.Sec. 163.123 Sweet chocolate.(a)Description. (1) Sweet chocolate is the solid or semiplastic food prepared by intimately mixing and grinding chocolate liquor ...^ included is the definition of sweet chocolate is bittersweet chocolateEven though you're grinding whole beans you are subject to the rules related to shell content if you want to call your product chocolate. Right now, because you're not making your product from nibs, legally you can't call it chocolate. That's the way the Standards of Identity work. They determine what ingredients can be included in a food (and in many cases HOW it is made) if you want to use a certain word or term to describe it. Because your products use a process that is not in the Standard of Identity, my interpretation is that your product does not adhere to the Standard and therefore can't be called chocolate.But - I am not a lawyer and YMMV.:: Clay

Bean to bar chocolate makers

Posted in: Tasting Notes

Andrea:You are technically correct on this one. It makes no nevermind that they are making raw chocolate - they still need to be in compliance with the FDA standards of identity in order to call their product chocolate.However, the company is so small that the FDA is not likely to take any action unless it becomes a food safety issue, i.e., someone files a complaint because they believe they got food poisoning from eating it.:: Clay

Bean to bar chocolate makers

Posted in: Tasting Notes

Steve:If you take a look at my reply to Gretchen, you'll see that whether or not a specific step (e.g., roasting) is done is not at issue here.The point is that you start with beans and end with finished chocolate and that all of the steps that are undertaken to get from Beans to Bars, for each and every batch, are performed or personally (as in in-person) supervised by the company making the claim.:: Clay

Bean to bar chocolate makers

Posted in: Tasting Notes

Gretchen:I think that there is a consensus that in order to accurately use the term bean-to-bar, the company must start with beans and end with finished chocolate for wholesale/industrial AND/OR retail sale. Wrapped and boxed bars or liquor (liquid or no), the final form is not the significant issue.The question is - do they have to OWN ALL of the equipment or can they contract out some of the operations as long as the work is being done under close supervision?In the end, I really don't care about the ownership of facilities issue as long as they are open and upfront about what they are doing - AND a company employee actually supervise each and every roast, grind, molding, etc. The moment they're no longer personally supervising each and every step of every batch they're contracting with someone else to do then, IMO, they are no longer bean-to-bar.I am more interested in protecting the use of the terms, "origin" and "single-origin." From my perspective it's not a true single-origin bar if there is any added cocoa butter that is not from the same origin. So, the practice of using deodorized cocoa butter of unspecified origin in a recipe means that the chocolate is no longer single-origin, it's "origin chocolate with added cocoa butter of uncertain provenance."Again, I am cool with this as long as people are up-front about it and specify the percentage of added cocoa butter that is not from the origin of the cocoa mass.:: Clay
updated by @Clay Gordon: 09/07/15 10:40:05

Bean to bar chocolate makers

Posted in: Tasting Notes

Aequare does not make chocolate from beans, however they are one of the few chocolatiers exporting into the US who makes confections using ingredients sourced almost exclusively in the country of origin.Aequare does work (in an advisory capacity and as a customer) with an independent grower in Ecuador who converts a portion of his crop into chocolate at a factory in Guayaquil. This grower also buys from other local growers and converts a portion of what be buys into chocolate, too.ChocolateLife member Jeffrey Stern is the founder of the company. He was born here in the US and spent years overseas working for USAID before catching the confectionery bug. His wife is Ecuadorian so they moved there several years ago with their young family. Aequare has a workshop and retail operation (Gianduja Chocolatier) in Quito and their product is available on-line and in some stores here in the US.:: Clay

Bean to bar chocolate makers

Posted in: Tasting Notes

Must be a cost issue. Italy is a relatively expensive place to do business. Poland doesn't have much of a history with fine chocolate, but everyone is using the same equipment and people can be trained ...

Bean to bar chocolate makers

Posted in: Tasting Notes

I can confirm that Green and Black's does not do their own manufacturing - it's done in Italy. Dolfin uses couverture from Belcolade.

Bean to bar chocolate makers

Posted in: Tasting Notes

Thanks for the update.About the printout. At the moment, no. But I am looking into a way to do that.

Bean to bar chocolate makers

Posted in: Tasting Notes

I have re-posted the online Chocolate Makers database . It is an Add-Only database, which means you can only add an entry, not edit them. This is an international directory, not just US companies.If you have any questions or comments about an entry, please submit them in this forum so that they can be make public. I will make the changes as they are brought to my attention.

Bean to bar chocolate makers

Posted in: Tasting Notes

The data are still available but I haven't found a good way to present it and make it both usable and useful. Still working on it.
updated by @Clay Gordon: 09/07/15 14:34:39

Bean to bar chocolate makers

Posted in: Tasting Notes

I think the jury is out until we have more information. For at least the last couple of years, Hershey has outsourced all liquor production in their Hershey, PA facility.Will they get (or are they already/still) back in the bean roasting and grinding business?Does anyone know for sure one way or another?

Bean to bar chocolate makers

Posted in: Tasting Notes

I posted a couple of links to less expensive options in a forum thread on Winnowers in the Home Brew Chocolate group. Sam Madell posted a picture of the winnower she mentions below in Photos.

Bean to bar chocolate makers

Posted in: Tasting Notes

Lake Champlain is definitely not b-2-b. They are just down the interstate from St Albans VT where Callebaut has a factory. All of the chocolate LCCC uses comes from Callebaut. The clue is to take a look at the origins and percentages.:: Clay

Bean to bar chocolate makers

Posted in: Tasting Notes

I can confirm this.

Bean to bar chocolate makers

Posted in: Tasting Notes

Chocolove does not manufacture the chocolate from beans, they are a fondeur, or melter. While originally everything was manufactured by a co-packer, in late 2003 they opened their own bar production facility.According to information on this page , Chocolat Frey is a bean-to-bar company. They also claim to be "... the only major chocolate brand produced entirely in Switzerland." Astoundingly, they make over 350 flavors of bars. Dolfin was founded by the Poncelet brothers who are related to the family that started Belcolade if I remember correctly. If you read their web site closely, there is no mention of bean-to-bar -- which there certainly would be if they were practicing it. They talk about the art of blending, not the art of making chocolate. Interesting news is that they were recently recognized as Belgium's first CO2-neutral chocolate company.

Bean to bar chocolate makers

Posted in: Tasting Notes

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

Bean to bar chocolate makers

Posted in: Tasting Notes

To the Italian list add Venchi, Antica Dolceria Bonajuto, and Don Puglisi. To the German list add Coppeneur.I am fairly certain that the chocolate Dolfin uses is sourced from Belcolade.Also, although Vintage Plantations is headquartered here in New Jersey, manufacturing is all done in Ecuador.

Bean to bar chocolate makers

Posted in: Tasting Notes

There is a similar discussion on American bean-to-bar companies here .Any questions or updates about the American companies on this list should be directed to that forum thread .Information, comments, and thoughts about non-US companies (including Mexico and Canada) should go here.

Bean to bar chocolate makers

Posted in: Tasting Notes

Casey:Thanks for posting this and pointing me to that discussion. It's quite interesting and nuanced, even discussing whether or not a company that starts from liquor (as opposed to roasting their own beans should be included).

Chocolate Cafes in New York City

Posted in: Travels & Adventures

The forum post Chocoflyer refers to is this one .

Chocolate Cafes in New York City

Posted in: Travels & Adventures

Jacques Torres in NoTri (north of TriBeCa - corner of King and Hudson) and on the UWS (73/Amsterdam) has coffee and chocolate beverages and you can sit at the bar or at tables or couches.Not all that far from the NoTri JT is The Chocolate Bar in the West Village.Charbonnel et Walker the UK chocolate company has a lounge in Saks on 5th across from Rock Center.La Maison du Chocolat - both in Rock Center as well as on the UES on Madison Ave.Way downtown in the Wall Street area is Christopher Norman. A couple of table tops and a counter. My favorite there is their champagne, white chocolate, and goat cheese truffle dipped in dark chocolate and dusted with roasted herbs.On the UWS not sure if the Scharffen Berger boutique is still open, but it's at 83/Amsterdam.Out in Brooklyn you could try The Chocolate Room (5th/Warren/Prospect - thechocolateroombrooklyn.com).

Importing Flickr albums

Posted in: Opinion

It turns out that it was really, really easy to set up, so I did it. When you go to the photo upload page you'll see the links. Simply follow the instructions. Note: you must have a Flickr account to do this.Flickrlicious is right! Nearly 500,000 photos tagged with chocolate, nearly 8,000 with cacao, and over 44,000 with cocoa.

Importing Flickr albums

Posted in: Opinion

A new member posted a link to an album of photos on Flickr.The software I use for this network does have the ability to enable people to import Flickr albums. I haven't done this because I don't use Flickr. But, if enough people want me to, I will.What do you think? Should I set up Flickr importing?
updated by @Clay Gordon: 04/19/15 13:08:53

This Just In ...

Posted in: News & New Product Press (Read-Only)

The 20 best chocolate Easter eggs (in the UK) Dateline: London Whether you are scouring the aisles for sugary, shiny treats for your kids or browsing the local deli for an organic, 70 per cent cocoa indulgence for yourself there has never been more choice for chocolate lovers at Easter.In all price ranges and across all tastes it is now possible to buy good quality chocolate eggs with a high cocoa content. Even better, garish packaging is being replaced by the likes of hand-painted wooden eggs, and pleasingly kitsch boxes with more than a nod to Victoriana. Of course, the sugar highs of the trashier end of the Easter egg market traditionally beloved of the Brits are still readily available (and this list includes a few of the yummiest) but in the post-Green & Blacks era, it is just as easy to find the dark, organic, fairtrade and handmade kind. So, here are 20 of the best arranged in price order and now it's over to you for the hard bit - choosing.

This Just In ...

Posted in: News & New Product Press (Read-Only)

Gourmet demand revives Central America cocoa farms Mar 9 - Dateline: Panama Indigenous people grew cocoa here more than 2,000 years ago. Now, their descendants are reviving the crop to meet world demand for high-quality chocolate. Throughout Central America, farmers are planting cocoa, taking advantage of high world cocoa prices and the premium their cocoa commands.In the 1990s [many farmers in Panama] abandoned the crop when the trees were hit by fungus and world prices were low. Now gourmet chocolate companies are turning to growers in Central America to supply cocoa that can be labeled organic and "fair trade," under which companies pledge to pay third-world farmers more for their crops.A cocoa expert at the Costa Rica-based tropical research center CATIE stimates Central America's cocoa output rose 40 percent over the last three years to between 4,000 and 5,000 tonnes in the 2006/2007 harvest. Planted area reached 21,000 hectares (52,000 acres), and another 2,000 hectares are expected to be planted this year."Cocoa is one of the few cash crop alternatives in poor, indigenous areas," the researcher said.

This Just In ...

Posted in: News & New Product Press (Read-Only)

Top Ten Scientific Reasons why Chocolate is the Worlds Most Perfect Food Feb 14 - Dateline: The Internet A humorous take on this important topic. 'nuff said.

This Just In ...

Posted in: News & New Product Press (Read-Only)

French chocolate mousse murderer gets 20-year jail term Feb 26 - Dateline: Paris A 45-year-old French farmer was Tuesday sentenced to 20 years in prison for murdering his parents by lacing their chocolate mousse with a highly-toxic insecticide.Beaumont, who lived with his parents in the town of Chalmaison east of Paris, allegedly mixed bug repellent recommended for use on vines or beets in the mousse that was served at dinner. During questioning, he admitted to having murdered his parents, saying he wanted to get rid of his mother who was authoritative and disapproved of his girlfriend. Since the earliest days of the Spanish conquest of Central America, chocolate has been used to disguise the taste of poisons - which are often bitter.

This Just In ...

Posted in: News & New Product Press (Read-Only)

Cocoa Climbs To Fresh Highs On Weather, US Dollar Feb 28 - Dateline: NYC U.S. pit-traded cocoa futures continued their uptrend, vaulting to their highest point since January 1984 as ongoing unfavorable growing weather and a weaker U.S. dollar buttressed gains, analysts said. Most-active May futures settled $101 higher at $2,733 a metric ton and the nearby March contract settled up $95 at $2,717."The ongoing moisture shortfall being suffered by the West African cocoa belt could substantially reduce the April-September midcrop," said Dan Vaught, analyst at A.G. Edwards in St. Louis. A lack of rain and dry seasonal winds are straining crop development in African cocoa growing regions, meteorologists reported. Chances for a few isolated showers and thunderstorms in the area are possible, but there are no forecasts for significant precipitation, according to DTN Meteorlogix.All-time lows in the U.S. dollar against the euro also boosted cocoa prices, analysts said. "Barring a strong (U.S.) dollar, $2,800 looks like the next test" likely by the end of the week, Cordier said. Profit taking in cocoa could occur if the dollar and euro prices correct, he noted.

This Just In ...

Posted in: News & New Product Press (Read-Only)

Indian chocolate demand fuels domestic cocoa increases Feb 25 - Dateline: India In response to rising demand in the chocolate industry and reduce dependency on imports, Indian cocoa producers have said they will increase domestic cocoa production by 60 per cent in the next four years.Chocolate consumption is gaining popularity in the country due to increasing prosperity coupled with a shift in food habits, pushing up the country's cocoa imports. Firms across the country have announced plans to step-up domestic production from 10,000 tonnes to 16,000 tonnes, according to Reuters. The country's annual cocoa demand is thought to be around 18,000 tonnes.

This Just In ...

Posted in: News & New Product Press (Read-Only)

Chocolate Beer Can Be A Treat Feb 28 - Dateline: Hartford, CT When the Boston Beer Co. introduced Chocolate Bock several years ago, it was well received but invoked primal grunts of disapproval from some aficionados and guzzlers of light lager alike. Chocolate beer may appear trendy, but the "trend" goes back 3,000 years.Chemical analysis of drinking vessels found in digs in what is now Honduras have revealed that man used cacao as early as 1,100 B.C. The early inhabitants of the Ulia Valley did not, however, produce the precursors of the Hershey bar or hot chocolate. Rather, they fermented a prize beer from cacao pulp.The frothy, bitter brew was often seasoned with chilies, spices and honey. Thus, the entire chocolate industry is likely an unintended off-shoot of early Mesoamericans' desire for an alcoholic beverage to accompany a feast, or a human sacrifice.

This Just In ...

Posted in: News & New Product Press (Read-Only)

Robbers in Israel Steal Chocolate Spread Feb 27 - Dateline: Jerusalem Israeli police are on the lookout for thieves with a super-sized chocolate craving. The robbers broke into a factory in the northern Israeli city of Haifa late Monday and walked away with nearly 100 tons of chocolate spread.

This Just In ...

Posted in: News & New Product Press (Read-Only)

This is a forum thread to post news items that really don't deserve their own blog post or forum thread. To add your own news item(s) - and you are encouraged to post articles about you - please add your reply to this entry rather than replying to a news item (which you can, of course, do if you have a comment to make on it).
updated by @Clay Gordon: 12/13/24 12:16:07

Is there any chocolate worth eating in French Polynesia?

Posted in: Travels & Adventures

My experience traveling to tropical countries is that there is no good local chocolate - at least of the kind we are most familiar with here in the US - because it's just too darned hot all the time. However, you may find some chocolate that's made in other countries that does not make it into the US on a regular basis in Duty Free shops.I know that cocoa can be grown in these places because they are in the correct latitudes, but none of them are known as producing countries. If you do find chocolate, it will probably be in some form that's similar to that found in other hot countries (e.g., a ball that is grated to make hot chocolate with), or incorporated into some local specialty.If you do find some, make sure to take and post photos. Oh, and take and post some photos anyway - I know I'd like to see some tropical scenery right about now as it was 19 degrees F this morning when I woke up.

When did Campbells buy Godiva?

Posted in: History of Chocolate

Actually both are right, sort of.The Campbell Soup Co. originally became interested in Godiva as a result of a trip to Belgium by the then CEO of the company and his wife. While the CEO was attending to business, his wife went shopping and ended up buying some Godiva chocolates. Upon returning to the US, the CEO convinced the board to start negotiating with Godiva to secure North American distribution rights. I am not sure when the negotiations started, but sometime in 1966, Campbell secured them and started up their North American operations.

Importantly manufacturing continued to be done in Belgium.The venture was so successful for Campbell that they eventually purchased the company - in 1973 according to my source inside the company. There is some confusion as to whether they bought Godiva outright or whether they bought rights to the company everywhere in the world except for Belgium.

My sense from talking with company execs is that they bought the company outright. Most importantly, however, they moved the bulk of the manufacturing operation to the US and it is sometime thereafter that quality started to suffer as the pressure for improved fiscal performance (they were now part of a public company) led to a series of ill-conceived (in hindsight) changes in recipes over the course of nearly thirty years.From what I understand, some product development and manufacturing was still done in Belgium, and i know for a fact that the company has at least three chef-chocolatiers, one of whom is based in Belgium - but who spends a lot of time in the company's manufacturing facility in Pennsylvania.

One of the goals of the company over the past few years has been to consolidate the recipes that are used worldwide. For some time, the company had many different recipes for the same pieces in different countries, reflecting the differences in taste preferences. Recent product development in the "Gold" line (the basic one you find in the boutiques) has led to a significant reduction in the number of different recipes and the goal of the company is to get to the point where there is a single recipe for each piece worldwide.Not all manufacturing is done in Pennsylvania.

I believe that some of the pieces in the "platinum" collection, which is styled in a more traditional Belgian fashion, are manufactured in Belgium. The "G" line has been made by Norman Love down in Fort Myers, FL since its inception.While many people may not like Godiva, I do have to say that product quality in all their lines has improved significantly in the past three years; a major feat for the company. Nowhere is this more evident than in the ingredients list on the boxes. While you may not prefer the texture or flavors over smaller, artisanal chocolatiers, the goal of much of this new development was to woo back to the fold the long-time Godiva loyalist who had defected to other European brands such as Leonidas, Neuhaus, and Teuscher. In this respect they have been very successful - annual sales last year were estimated at $500 million dollars making them one of the two or three largest premium chocolate companies in the world.It will be interesting to see how the new owners (a Turkish conglomerate and the largest chocolate company in Turkey) will do with Godiva.

updated by @Clay Gordon: 07/07/20 13:11:41

Is It Okay (Really) To Say You Like Milk Chocolate?

Posted in: Opinion

On the day before Valentine's Day, the New York Times published an article in the Dining In section about milk chocolate titled: Dark May Be King, but Milk Chocolate Makes a Move . For the article, writer Julia Moskin and members of the NY Times staff tasted over 30 milk chocolates. Their take: "Yes, Virginia, there is such a thing as good milk chocolate." Contributors include Chloe Doutre-Roussel (who offers up an amusing anecdote about an encounter with La Maison du Chocolat founder Robert Linxe) and Joseph Whinney, founder of Theo.I have always considered myself to be an equal opportunity chocolate lover - I will eat any chocolate as long as it's good. Since my first taste of Slitti's 45% and 65% lattenero bars about five years ago, I have also been a big fan and proponent of "dark milk" chocolates - milk chocolate with a cocoa percentage of at least 45%. My current favorites? The three Bonnat 65% dark milks from Indonesia and the 49% Creole from Felchlin.What about you?
updated by @Clay Gordon: 04/14/15 17:23:17

How Green is my Chocolate?

Posted in: News & New Product Press (Read-Only)

Making the World Better Through Chocolate is an article that appeared on BusinessWeek.com on February 8th. In addition to my being quoted, other sources include Frederick Schilling of Dagoba and Steve DeVries. From the article , "Dagoba's Schilling, who is also on the forefront of the fair-trade movement, admits the certification process is complex, and even precarious at times. "You can't just have one system that applies to every situation," Schilling says. "But if you go back to the most important question: Are things happening for the better? Definitely.""To satisfy your sweet tooth as well as your conscience, it may be simpler to follow DeVries' advice: "Buy the best-tasting chocolate you can," he says. "Chocolate that tastes good has to be well grown, and that means the whole production chain is good.""One blogger responds with, " ... My commentary: Stop trying to green everything! Or rather, green all you want, but leave chocolate alone. Ask yourselves this: Is a rain forest-laden world worth it if we must give up chocolate?"What are your thoughts?
updated by @Clay Gordon: 12/13/24 12:16:07

Top 10 Questions You Want To Ask Michael Antonorsi of Chuao Chocolatier

Posted in: Opinion

THE DEADLINE TO ASK QUESTIONS HAS BEEN EXTENDED TO MARCH 27th!

Top 10 Questions You Want To Ask Michael Antonorsi of Chuao Chocolatier

Posted in: Opinion

This is the first in a brand new series of discussions here on The Chocolate Life - a chance to ask questions of top chocolatiers, chocolate makers, and other people in and around the chocolate industry.Our first guest is Michael Antonorsi, one of the founders of Chuao Chocolatier.One of the reasons I have asked Michael to be the first in this series is that I noticed a lot of mention of them in various blog posts and discussions. I've known Michael for at least five years now and have seen the business grow from a small shop in a strip mall on the Pacific Coast Highway north of San Diego into a company with strong national brand-name recognition and distribution.Then, Michael will look at the questions and pick up to 10 of the most interesting ones to answer. He will write his answers, send them to me, and I will post them back here in the Forum for everyone to read and comment on.Ask away!:: Clay
updated by @Clay Gordon: 04/18/15 09:27:55

Lab Tests Reveal More Than Just Sweets in Candy

Posted in: News & New Product Press (Read-Only)

A report from the Dallas CBS affiliate that talks about things that are found in chocolate. Found are things that are allowed by the FDA but might surprise you. Most interesting is that the report names names. Who gets exposed? That might surprise you, too.(NOTE: The video is embedded in a page at Yahoo! that contains a video ad preceding the report.)
updated by @Clay Gordon: 12/13/24 12:16:07

What does "Master Chocolatier" mean anyway?

Posted in: Opinion

I think the confusion may be one of transliteration, not translation. Instead of focusing on the literal meaning of maitre (master), let's focus on it colloquially and conventionally.From Wikipedia:The *matre d'* (short for /*matre d'htel,*/ literally "master of the hall")In this sense, the maitre chocolatier is the master of the chocolate shop, not literally a master of the craft. This is especially likely in France, where they reserve MOF (Meilleur Ouvrier de France - or more literally master of the ouevre - style or subject ) for masters of a craft such as chocolate. They have MOFs in just about everything. Chocolate is a separate discipline from pastry, and there are woodworking MOFs, MOFs in working with glass, etc.Of course, I could be totally wrong about this. Etymology is a very interesting subject and false cognates abound. If you know better, I want to learn from you.

Is Cheap Name Brand Chocolate a Good Thing?

Posted in: Opinion

I was in one of my local Costcos (I am "blessed" to live near two) on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving and I wandered down an aisle I normally don't and saw not only packages of Hershey Cacao Reserve tasting squares but also boxes of Neuhaus chocolates.I did a double-take. Neuhaus. At CostCo. And I wondered ... "What is this world coming to that an upmarket Belgian brand with a retail presence of its own would start selling chocolate under its own name at Costco?"This is dangerous territory I think. Sure, the company get additional sales by selling to an audience that would normally not visit its stores because of the perception that the product cost too much. On the other hand, why would anyone go and spend top dollar in the retail boutique if they can buy the same product at Costco?The answer might be that they are not buying the same product - that what they're buying at Costco is not the same quality as what's available at the boutique.But what's the damage to the brand? Neuhaus is one of the oldest Belgian chocolate and founder Jean Neuhaus is credited with both the invention of the shell-molded truffle and the ballotin box.Is Neuhaus in Costco a good thing? For consumers? For Neuhaus?
updated by @Clay Gordon: 04/09/15 20:53:36