| welcome to eChocolateNYC your one stop source for all the chocolate news in New York City |
| Welcome to the world of eChocolateNYC your one stop source for all that is chocolate in New York City and the world. Come browse our shop reviews, find out what is happening next, keep track of upcoming events and expand your knowledge of all things chocolate. Feel free to contact us with any updated information (store openings/closings, opinions about the current state of NYC chocolate etc. The opinions expressed here are those of the editors. |
| Below are tidbits culled from articles available on the web. Just click on the highlighted area and you will be directed to the article. |
June 28, 2009 - Over the past two years Cargill Cocoa & Chocolate, Ecom Agroindustrial, Mars and the
international development organisation Solidaridad have been setting up the UTZ system to certify cocoa
producers who have met certain criteria that shows they are meeting certain environmental, economic and
social goals. The hope is by creating value for producers who meet these standards it will encourage better
soil conservation and treatment of workers. The first audits are being done of three cocoa cooperatives in the
Ivory Coast. Vosges Haut - Chocolat has a pretty good deal going on right now. Buy five of their spicy
chocolate bars and get a sixth one free. As the delicious looking picture on their site suggests these bars are
the perfect tool for spicing up Smores this Summer. In 2007 Delfi Cocoa, a subsidiary of Petra Foods,
purchased a plant in Hamburg, Germany and invested 65 million Euros to bring it up to date. The company
has seven other plants around the world including Latin America and Asia. A list of the companies customers
include Nestle, Mars, Barry Callebaut and Meiji .
June 27, 2009 - Fenton, Michigan is home to Sweet Variations a store that carries an extensive stock of
assorted old and new candy. The owner Carol Schuler seems to enjoy carrying as many different brands as
possible. As an aside the article mentioned that Bonomo Taffy is about to be reincarnated. I'm frightened to
thin of how my middle aged teeth are going to handle that. I loved Bonomo as a kid and probably hastened
the loss of more than one of my baby teeth eating the stuff. Trolley Square, a shopping area in Wilmington,
Delaware, is home to Moore Brothers Wine Company. Working in the shop is Kathryn Shockcor who has
started making her own chocolate. She studied at Le Cordon Bleu in London. She sells her output as Penny
Hill Confections and if this is as good as the ingredients Aloha Dark Chocolate Bark studded with candied
pineapple, chewy coconut and toasted macadamia nuts. The top is lightly dusted with Hawaiian red sea salt.
I'm sold.
June 26, 2009 - Reuters has an interesting article about Rachel Niblock, who set out to make a healthy but
satisfying chocolate based bar. She's using cocoa nibs, sweetened with agave nectar and coconut oilto hold
it all together. The bars are usable for diabetics and for vegans. She calls them Nibchocs and you can see
her website here.
June 25, 2009 - Here's a link to a site that has a recipe to make in a microwave, five minute chocolate mug
cake. That's right 5 minutes using eggs etc. We'll give it a whirl sometime in the next week in the
eChocolateNYC test kitchen and let you know how it worked. We will be in Montreal next week. Any of you who
know of any pastry, chocolate or sweet shops that you want to recommend we visit drop us a line. File this
under couldn't control the chocolate cravings. In Manila, Robert Johnson was arrested for allegedly trying to
steal 19 chocolate bars from the SM City supermarket in Manila, The Philippines. A security guard claims he
saw Mr. Johnson placing the bars in a black bag.
June 20, 2009 - Over the years the artificial sweetener business has grown world wide into a
$1,830,000,000 yearly industry according to one estimate. The industry has always had to deal with lingering
doubts in the eyes of some consumers who believe the sweeteners can be carcinogens among other things.
Now the industry will have to deal with a new study out of Germany that examined water after treatment in a
sewage plant. The study found that some sweeteners survive the cleansing process and end up getting
returned to the water supply where they are consumed again. Burma's pro-democracy leader Aung San
Suu Kyi has again celebrated another birthday in prison for her political activities. This year she marked her
64th birthday and shared rice and chocolate cake with the prison's staff. Hopefully this will be the last birthday
she celebrates in jail. Freddo the Chocolate Frog, a staple of Australia's chocolate industry turns 80 this year.
To celebrate Cadbury has launched a website full of Freddo games and information. You can take a look at
the site here.
June 18, 2009 - Pecan Deluxe Candy has purchased equipment, for its Sherburn-in-Elmet, England, plant,
which will allow them to make chocolate in animal shapes like pigs and monkeys. In this tight economy its
heartening to see smaller players in the business investing in new equipment and expanding their
businesses. We've written in the past about the Lindt gold foil wrapped chocolate Easter bunny trademark
legal issue. Another chocolate trademark case in the news is Mars, makers of Maltesers, against Australian
importer Sweet Rewards and their product Malt Balls. Both come packaged in red, the names have the word
Malt in them etc. Australia's federal court ruled against mars in the case stating that any reasonable person
would be able to tell the difference. If you have an extra $30 and want to be involved in what we perceive to be
an excellent chocolate event. Try meetup.coms Bespoke Chocolate Fondue event scheduled for June 26th at
5:45 PM. We've found Kamini, the organizer, to be highly reliable and someone who always delivers a solid
event. For your $30 you get drinks, chocolate fondue and some samples. As a bonus Bespoke's Rachel Zoe
Insler will be on the premises. We dropped by her shop on Valentine's Day and even though busy she made
time to chat with our 10 year daughter, a budding chocolatier. By the way her chocolates are also first rate as
well as imaginative. Mars has obtained Kosher certification at one of its plants in the United Kingdom. This
will allow the company to produce favorites such as Snickers and Galaxy as Kosher. The plant in Slough,
England, has been certified by the Kashrut Division of the London Beth Din. CNET has a good article about
the partnership of Timothy Childs and Louis Rossetto. They have combine to found Tcho Chocolate. The
name stands for where technology meets chocolate. When chocolate fans clamored for the re release of the
Wispa bar Cadbury bought it back five years after dropping it from their lineup. In the United Kingdom the bar
has sold great and has helped improve Cadbury's profitability. London baker, Shikhita Singh, won the
Londonist contest with her Fair Cake white chocolate and limoncello cupcakes. She has released the recipe
and it's worth taking a look at. It's Ladies Day at the Royal Ascot races and traditionally some people show
up with some fairly amazing hats. Milliner Judy Bentinck created a four foot long hat that is partly Cadbury
Flake 99. It took her six weeks to finish her creation. Cadbury imporoved its position in April and May. The
company reported a variety of factors, less destocking and increased market share among them as reasons
for their success. The company did not report anything that would lead it to believe the recession is lessening.
June 16, 2009 - Jacques Torres has expanded his DUMBO operation by adding an ice cream shop. The ice
cream is right next door to his old shop. Then a quick look at the restored merry go round and 100 feet or so
and you're sitting by the water eating his wares. Highly recommended for any weekend afternoon when the
temperature hits 75 or more. Yesterday we reported on the glass found in the screen incident which led to
the closing of the Wilbur Chocolate plant in Lititz, Pennsylvania. The plant has resumed production and we
have no further information at this time. After a six year run, the Chocolate House in Ann Arbor, Michigan,
has closed down. Chocoholics in Ann Arbor can rest easy knowing the space has been taken over by Carillon
Chocolates which plans to carry many of the products that Chocolate House had carried.
June 15, 2009 - We've been covering the labor problems at the Wilbur Chocolate Factory in Lititz,
Pennsylvania. The workers have authorized their union to call a strike if they can't work things out with Cargill.
The factory halted production Friday when glass was found in a screen that is used to process chocolate. The
situation is being investigated for possible product tampering. The cleanup from Hurricane Ike has been
going on for quite awhile in Galveston. Recently the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory on the Strand has
reopened for business. We here at eChocolateNYC wish them well. Chocolatier Brent Smith started making
chocolate seven years ago. He now has his own company, Newfoundland Chocolate Company. He uses
local produce, strawberries, raspberries and partidgeberries, to blend with his chocolate. The European
Court of Justice in Luxembourg is now examining if Lindt applied for trademark protection for its gold foil
wrapped Easter Bunny in bad faith. Even though other foil wrapped bunnies were being sold in Austria for
many years Lindt may still be entitled to the trademark. Vosges Haut - Chocolat is still shipping a nice $42
gift box containing Mo's Bacon Bar + Rogue Shakespeare. A nice combo for that hard to buy for father.
June 09, 2009 - The New York Post has a nice article about the history of chocolate. Zoe Tsoukatos, and her
brothers, Pantelis and Petros, have opened a shop in Frederick, Maryland to sell their father's, George
Tsoukatos chocolates. The family's interest in making chocolate extends back to Greece where Zoe's
grandmother made chocolate. Katrina Markoff, the owner of Vosges Haut - Chocolat, has started blogging.
In her latest offering she explains her quest for mixing chocolate and bacon. Apparently her interest dates
back to when she was six years old. Her newest offering is Mo’s Bacon Chocolate Pancake Mix which looks
promising. She's also working on a dark chocolate bacon bar.
June 08, 2009 - Cadbury already has a dominant position in the chocolate market in India. Their brands have
about a 70% market share and as the Indian market keeps expanding Cadbury has reaped the profits. Lately
the company has been seeing a 30% growth in sales and a 20% growth in profits. One drawback is the high
import duties India charges on cocoa beans entering the country. This has pushed Cadbury to encourage
local cocoa production. It looks like this might work out well as the cocoa plant grows well alongside existing
coconut palms. Current cocoa production in India is 10,000 tonnes a year which Cadbury hopes will grow to
150,000 tonnes per year by 2020. In Canada, Chocolaterie Bernard Callebaut, has been forced to cut back
on production in face of a decrease in demand. The company which operates 29 stores, nine in the Calgary
area, will be extending the time they normally close down their Macleod plant - 2 weeks for maintenance to
six or seven weeks. The company has also laid off thirty employees to help weather the downturn. Lafayette,
New Jersey is the home of Chocolate Parfait, a local shop with a variety of chocolate goods. The owner
Tracey Williams is enjoying her shop's first anniversary. She revamped a previous sweet shop, Heavenly
Sweets.
June 04, 2009 - Consumer Reports explains their rating system for chocolate chip cookies. See who comes
in #1 and why in the realm of store bought cookies. In London the Lodonist recently held their Cupcake
Throwdown. The winner was Faircake with their limoncello and white chocolate cupcake. Second place went
to Beas Of Bloomsbury. Third place went to Sweet Things. We were hoping to see Love make the list. Love
is a cupcake shop that had just opened in March when we were in London. We only discovered the because
they are right next store to Rococo an automatic stop whenever we are in town. The cupcakes at Love are
delightful and the staff/owners were just genuinely nice people. Definitely worth a stop when you're in London.
In Quincy, Massachusetts Christina Bartkus is producing her P2C2, chocolate, caramel, peanut butter and
potato crunch. She recently appeared on the Martha Stewart Show and has been selling through her P2C2
since its inception in March 2007.
May 31, 2009 - Cebu City, The Philippines is the home of a small stall located 30 meters from the Basilica
del Sto. Niño along Osmeña Boulevard. The stall sells the popular local pre breakfast snack of puto (rice
cake) and a cup of sikwati (hot chocolate) Cadbury has announced that they have reached a deal with the
union in their Barcelona, Spain gum plant to shut the plant down. The union vote was 81% for the deal, no
details were made public of what the deal contained. The deal allows Cadbury to jettison a redundant factory
and got costs in these difficult times. In Japan Krispy Kreme solicited the opinions of its staff for doughnut
suggestions. For Father's day they came up with “Daddy’s Coffee Chocolate,” is coated with bittersweet
coffee chocolate, decorated with chocolate made from condensed milk and dark chocolate, and topped with
chocolate shaped like coffee beans. For the Tanabata Star Festival, June 3rd - July 7th, a star-shaped glazed
doughnut coated with dark chocolate icing and topped with colorful sprinkles. Archer Daniels Midland
Company (NYSE: ADM - News) announced today that is has completed the acquisition of the Schokinag-
Schokolade-Industrie Herrmann GmbH & Co. KG, following approval by relevant antitrust authorities. The
acquisition was announced on January 23, 2009. The workers at the Wilbur Chocolate Factory in Lititz,
Pennsylvania are closer to striking. Cargill, the company's owner is looking to cut wages from $4 - $8 an
hour. The vote among the workers was 127 - 0 to authorize a strike and the local's vice - president will make a
decision as to if there will be a strike and if so when. Marie Maguire of the Contra Costa Times has a nice
piece on her and her husbands chocolate vacation in Paris. She covers the local stores some of whom's
chocolate La Maison Du Chocolat and Pierre Marcolini is available here in New York City. Mars Snackfood
US is offering limited-edition M&M’S Strawberried Peanut Butter Chocolate Candies and Snickers Nougabot
Bar along with the release of the new Transformers movie.
May 25, 2009 - WSAW TV has a nice little video piece on the 25th Annual Chcocolatefest in Burlington,
Wisconsin. Yesterday was the Vista Village Chocolate Festival and Street Fair in Vista, California. Local
vendors put out their best wares and the crowd loved it. A tip of the eChocolateNYC hat to Charles and
Juanita Scott who are planning to open the Nevada City Chocolate Shoppe,today. The shop located in
Nevada City, California. In the United Kingdom Steve Lund has been suffering Trio withdrawal since the bars
was withdrawn from the market three years ago. While hoping that the numerous internet petitions would
eventually have their effect he decided to make his own bar. He cooked up a six pound plus version which he
hopes will encourage United Biscuits to bring the bar back. The leadership of Ferrero have a reason to pat
themselves on the back as they were named the world's most reputable company in a study conducted by
US-based consultancy Reputation Institute. The Cadbury factory in Dunedin, New Zealand has opened up
their doors to the top secret back areas for charity. The tours allow you hands on experience and allow you to
design your own chocolate creations. The video here is pretty neat and worth watching. A nice video clip of
Valerie's Chocolates out of Los Angeles talking about their skull shaped chocolates and other treats. Cathy
Stapells of Sun Media has a nice article about her recent journey to Belgium. She worked her way through
quite alot of chocolate stores and gives her impressions.
May 22, 2009 - Mars Company, the makers of M&Ms are giving away 250,000 candy bars, your favorite, every
Friday through the Summer. The promotion is named the Mars Real Chocolate Relief Act and seems like fun.
You can sign up here. Speaking of M&Ms if you're looking for something a little different this year for your kids
teachers, nothing could say thanks for a great year in school quite like getting a bag of personalized M&Ms.
You pick the color and they print whatever you want on the side. Add Cadbury to the list of companies that
are adding vegetable oil to some of their chocolate products. This article out of Australia shows that
Australians aren't very happy with the decision or the resulting product. The National Association for the
Specialty Food Trade has named the Silver finalists for 2009 in the Chocolate category . They are Askinosie
Chocolate 70% San Jose Del Tambo Dark Chocolate Bar , Chuao Chocolatier Firecracker ChocoPod , John
Kelly Chocolates Truffle Fudge Bites—Dark Chocolate with French Grey Sea Salt , Poco Dolce Double Shot
Espresso Toffee Square and The Tea Room Green Earl Grey Dark Chocolate . The Association will be
sponsoring their annual trade show June 28 - 30 here in New York City at the Jacob Javits Center. In 1911
when George Stamas first started his chocolate making in Newark, New Jersey he probably couldn't imagine
that almost 100 years later his descendants would be battling each other for control of the family's chocolate
business. It's always sad when families fall out over money but from our perspective we're glad they're still
making chocolate.
May 20, 2009 - Sheryl Tilley the chocolate editor for Bellaonline has a recipe posted for Chocolate Banana
Bread which looks promising. Nestle and the University of Tokyo are joining forces and Nestle will finally
have a research presence in Japan. The joint research program is titled "Food For Life". We were in London,
England in March and reacquainted ourselves with all of the good chocolate available at Hotel Chocolat. Their
stores are always a treat to enter and they constantly update their line. You can order yourself their Summer
2009 catalogue here. Godiva has launched a consumer loyalty program which they have currently running in
10 stores. By May 29th they hope to have it up and running in all of their stores. Members will receive email
alerts, the opportunity to win a chocolate party and a free piece of chocolate once a month just for dropping in
to one of their stores. Nice little piece about Air Force Col. Gail Halvorsen who when participating in the
Berlin airlift in 1948 organized the dropping of thousands of chocolate bars to German children who didn't
have enough to eat. If you're in Chicago and in the business you're probably checking out the 2009 All Candy
Expo. Some of the new products that sound interesting are coconut M&Ms and a fudge Snickers bar. There
may be a strike looming for the Wilbur Chocolate workers in Lititz, Pennsylvania. The union has rejected,
Cargill, the parent company's latest offer which called for worker wage cutbacks. The Worlds Finest
Chocolate Factory in the Southwest side of Chicago was evacuated as firefighters and hazmat teams
responded to a call about a fire and ammonia leak. The incident took place in the middle of the night and no
one was hurt.
May 18, 2009 - Edaleen Dairy located in Lynden, WA is recalling their Tin Roof Sundae and Chocolate
Peanut Butter Nut Ice Cream because it has the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. This recall
was voluntary and no one has actual gotten sick from the company's products. Dove Chocolate, taking a
page from the old Tupperware parties, has set up a network for people to host chocolate sampling parties.
The hosts clear a percentage of the parties final sales. If you're going to be anywhere near New Hope,
Pennsylvania on Sunday May 31st for $10 you can check out the second annual Bucks County Chocolate
Show. There will be an educational exhibit " Journey Of The Pod" and a host of chocolatiers. Some of the
vendors that will be present are Vintage Plantations Chocolate, Sweet Mary's Exceptional Chocolates, Ange
du Cocoa and Life By Chocolate. The New York Times has a good recipe for making chocolate tofu pudding.
This isn't your average vegan fare and is well worth taking a look at as it's remarkably easy to make, just
watch the accompanying clip. Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, Inc. announced that it will host an investor
conference call at 4:15 p.m. Eastern Time on Tuesday, May 19, 2009, to discuss its operating results for the
quarter and fiscal year ended February 28, 2009,
May 15, 2009 - Rebecca Franklin, About.com Guide to French Food, has posted some French candy recipes
that look more than a little promising. In a case of what appears to be obvious synergy a test project to
combine Cold Stone and Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory stores is being expanded to several hundred
locations across the country. The move will affect a couple of hundred Cold Stone stores who will be adding
chocolate.
May 10, 2009 - Researchers from the University of Warwick in the UK have come up with a model Formula
Three racing car that runs on chocolate oils. The steering wheel is made of carrots and the seats from soy.
The idea was to make a green racing car. Dubai based chocolatier ChoCo'a has said that current economic
conditions have slowed its rate of growth. The firm which grew sales from 3,800 kgs to 12,000 kgs between
2006 and 2008 has found continued growth a little harder to sustain. Still as the company provides chocolate
to many of the regions high end hotels they have a ready made market for future growth. Through September
7, 2009 The Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh, North Carolina, will be running the exhibition titled
“Chocolate: The Exhibition.”. This was originally presented at the Field Museum in Chicago and the attendee
gets a good walk through on the history of chocolate. If eating chocolate all day isn't enough for you David
Edwards, a Harvard professor and Illinois Institute of Technology graduate is introducing Le Whif. Le Whif,
based on mini inhaler technology will give the user a quick shot of chocolate taste in the mouth with particles
to small to have calories but to large to get into the lungs. The cacao swollen shoot virus which can kill
cacao plants is believed to threaten the Ivory Coast's crop by one third this year. The disease is spread by the
common mealie bug. It has been spreading quickly and scientists hope to find a way to stop its spread.
May 06,2009 - If you're still looking for a Mother's Day gift it's worth taking a look at the offerings from Vosges
Haut - Chocolat. They still have a few delivery options available but the clock is ticking and in a few more days
you'll be out of luck. In a bid to lower shipping costs the US' National Confectioners Association is putting
together a program that encourages confectioners to pool resources when it comes to shipping to lower
costs for all involved. Cadbury reported a 2% drop in gum sales in the United States and Europe in the first
quarter of 2009. Chocolate showed a 7% growth spurred on by a strong Easter season in the United
Kingdom and strong results in two emerging markets South Africa and India. The clock is also ticking at
Hotel Chocolat for their Mother's Day shipping. Definitely worth a look see. Mars UK has released its 2009
United Kingdom market review and feels the company and the confectionery business in general will both
experience growth this year even in recessionary times. If you are in the city for Mother's Day and want to
treat Mom to something new we highly recommend Bespoke Chocolates a new store that we visited on
Valentine's Day. A small friendly shop that is focused on making quality chocolate. We enjoy visiting shops
where we can watch the chocolate being made before our eyes. The Pretzel-Covered Sea-Salted Caramels
are amazing, the caramel literally exploded in our mouths. It's also fun actually trying to locate Extra Street.
Sheryl Tilley of Bellaonline has a neat piece posted on her visit to Dulceria Blanca Nieve’s (Snow White’s
Candy Store) in Los Algodones, Mexico. She writes about the different products she found just 7 miles into
Mexico. Halloren Schokoladenfabrik AG, the German chocolatier founded in 1804, forecasts sales will rise
42 percent this year as the company adds new products and makes use of additional capacity. This sounds
incredibly ambitious even with the companies acquiring a piece of Delitzscher Schokoladen GmbH last year.
In Atlanta, Georgia Andy Freeman is using his mother's recipe to make and sell chocolate covered cherries
under the name Cherries Devine. He claims the secret to making a great chocolate covered cherry is using
butter cream instead of a syrupy inside. In Indonesia there is a feeling that the country's cocoa exports could
drop 10-20% as world wide demand for "luxury products" drops. We here at eChocolateNYC guess that
barring a bad crop Indonesia will move the same quantity of cocoa as they did last year although they may
receive less in payment.
May 01, 2009 - Schakolad Chocolate Factory has some really nice looking Mother's Day items available this
year. We're always suckers for chocolate heart shaped containers filled with even more chocolate. How
environmentally sound, edible packaging. Although this has nothing to do with chocolate we here at
eChocolateNYC are rarely wowed but we want to pass on Kelloggs announcement that they plan on donating
one full days cereal production, some 3.5 million pounds of branded cereal, to the Feeding America network
of food banks. With demand at food banks up 30% this supply of food is sorely needed. According to new
research funded by the Wrigley Science Institute chewing gum has a beneficial effect on classroom
performance. The study doesn't come to a definitive reason as to why. One theory is the act of chewing
increases blood flow to the brain.
April 24, 2009 - The ingredients firm Puratos has launched a new innovation center in Wisconsin to develop
chocolate suited to the United States market. They have also upgraded their manufacturing plant in Kenosha,
Wisconsin. Cadbury has changed the design and pack size for its Boost and Double Decker lines. They
hope the new design will give the products more visibility on store shelves and increase sales. If you happen
to be in Stowe, Vermont for Mother's day drop by Laughing Moon Chocolates on South Main Street with your
Mom and she'll receive a complimentary chocolate covered strawberry. They also have a bunch of neat
looking workshops running this summer including one on marshmallow making. The alleged price fixing
lawsuit that involves Hershey, Nestle, Cadbury and Mars has been put on hold while the judge that ruled the
suit could proceed is giving the chocolate companies time to appeal his decision. Brent and Sam’s
announced today a voluntary recall on 31 cases of “Simply Enjoy” Brand Pina Coloda White Chocolate
Gourmet Cookies because it may contain undeclared pecans. The BBC reports that an appeal for volunteers
to help researchers see how dark chocolate might help fight disease has attracted 1,500 responses
worldwide in a day. Forty volunteers will be accepted to eat chocolate made for the study. Urine and blood
samples will then be taken to study the chocolates effect on blood function.
April 18, 2009 - Last night downtown Lancaster, Ohio held a chocolate walk. Twenty eight local businesses
took part and $10 got you a bag for chocolate carrying and a map of the participating businesses. About 350
people took part. The International Labor Rights Forum (ILRF) recognises Mars' recent road map for
sustainability as “an important step forward” but claims the chocolate company needs to push further into
Fairtrade certification. The Forum's statement was a response to Mar's recent announcement as to their
agreement with the Rainforest Alliance.
April 10, 2009 - Cadbury has revamped their Chocolate Highlights powdered chocolate drink. They've
doubled the amount of milk chocolate in the recipe and changed the labeling to call attention to the changed
recipe. Ethel's Chocolate Lounge is closing up their Chicago operations. Five of the six remaining stores will
close by the end of the month with only the Skokie store remaining. The Skokie store will eventually close up
also but a date for its demise has not yet been announced. This move doesn't effect the companies Las
Vegas operation which comes in at eight stores.
April 05, 2009 - Australians are dealing with their nation's recession by downing chocolate. The
Confectionery Manufacturers of Australasia reported January 2008 to January 2009 sales were up 5.8%.
Retailers have noticed they are running ahead of last years Easter sales. In the United Kingdom Nestle has
relaunched 4 of their chocolate bars in 99 calorie size for those looking to watch their calories. The products
involved are Breakaway, Drifter, Blue Riband and Toffee Crisp bars.
February 14, 2009 - After the Federal Court in Australia ruled against Cadbury in its color purple suit against
Australian chocolate maker Darrell Lea Cadbury filed an appeal. We've covered the suit in the past, Cadbury
claims that Darrell Lea by using the color purple in its packaging is confusing customers into believing they
are purchasing Cadbury product. The court ruled that although the color was the same Lea was not passing
its products off as Cadbury and that the consumer realized they were purchasing Lea not Cadbury product.
German confectionery companies enjoyed more turnover and higher prices in 2008. Unfortunately for the
companies these gains were offset by higher energy and raw material prices. If you're located here in New
York City , with the warm weather just around the corner, and you're plotting visiting Long Island later this year
Newsday has an excellent article about the chocolate shops of Long Island including everything from 5 month
old Chocolate Lady, they look great by the way, to Carle Place's 30 year old Schwartz Candy. If you're in the
Orlando, Florida area and looking for a quick chocolate fix the Orlando Sentinel has an article that lists a
dozen places that look like good places to load up.
February 11, 2009 - An interesting looking recipe for Raspberry and White Chocolate Cupcakes. Joseph
Mitchell the Jefferson State Community College , Alabama culinary program director, teaches a course called
Chocolate Alchemy. The course was quite popular and afforded the students a hands on experience. You can
read about it here. Cocoa farmers in the Ivory Coast are threatening to stop trucks carrying cocoa and other
good if they do not receive a higher price for their crops. On average they receive 40% of the traded on the
London Exchange price while farmers in neighboring Ghana receive 70%. The Ivory Coast produces 40% of
the world's cocoa so even a temporary disruption could lead to higher prices. What looks like a promising
recipe for dark chocolate creme brulee.
February 07, 2009 - Northridge Elementary in Ohio has their fourth graders setting up their own businesses.
Read about how some of the students invested four dollars each of their money to open up a chocolate
business. Reuters has a thought provoking article about the 10 best chocolate travel destinations. The
number one was Oaxaca, Mexico where chocolate is freely mixed with many different foods. The country of
Ghana came in second and Hershey, Pennsylvania took the bronze. NBC has posted a clip of two minutes of
a tour of the Palmer Chocolate factory. English retailer Marks & Spencer has finally triumphed in its 13 year
legal battle with the British tax authorities. The taxman About $5,000,000 were at stake as the arguement
went that Mark & Spencer's chocolate tea cakes had been classified as biscuits, English for cookies, and
therefore were taxed incorrectly. CNN.Com has the information on available chocolate tours in five different
cities. They are Chicago, Paris, New York, Boston and San Francisco. Kathy Blankenbiller has been making
chocolate items for thirty years. For the last year she has worked at Wilbur Chocolate Candy Americana
Museum Store & Mail Order in Lititz, Pennsylvania. She's discussed chocolate with President Obama when
he came through on a campaign trip.
February 02, 2009 - John & Kiras is bringing back " Bee My Lovebug " which are cute little ladybug chocolates
for Valentine's Day. Take a look at them here. Vosges Haut - Chocolat has a bunch of nice items available
for Valentine's Day. Take a look at the flaming hearts, The Amalfi Flaming Heart made with Lemon zest, pink
peppercorns & white chocolate looks particularly great and the heart shaped purple box filled with almost
anything Vosges makes would be a welcome gift for any chocoholic. Zachary Confections has announced a
voluntary recall of Double Dipped Peanuts, Chocolate Covered Peanuts, Bridge Mix, Peanut Clusters and
Caramel Nut Clusters. With the ongoing fear of possible salmonella contamination the company has
decided to a nationwide recall of these products. For a precise list from the FDA click here. Askinosie
Chocolate has announced they will be producing the Philippine's first sourced chocolate bar available here
in the United States. The bars named Davao are 77%. This is good news for the Philippines as the
government has been investing in the nation's chocolate industry hoping to create an export product.
Firefighters from Banbury, Great Britain responded to a call to put out a fire in the local Barry Callebaut
factory's extractor fan.
January 31, 2009 - With some much bad news in the industry lately it is encouraging to see Hershey's has
announced that profits were up 51% in the fourth quarter of last year. The company credits changing prices
for much of its good news. A Thornton's shop in Edinburgh, Scotland got quite a surprise when a pigeon, yes
a pigeon entered the shop and then proceeded to try out the chocolate fountain. The bird covered in
chocolate then couldn't fly off as his wings became sticky. The SSPCA came, picked up the bird, cleaned it off
and has named it Wonka for obvious reasons. The bird is at a wildlife rescue center and should be fine.
Stacey VanWaldick had a dream to make edible jewelry out of chocolate. She used the facilities at Syracuse
University's South Side Innovation Center. At their Community Test Kitchen she developed her custom molds
and by using fillings provided by Meyer's Chocolates of Oneida, New York. She now has her own company
Promise Me Chocolate which sells chocolate rings and gems. San Francisco chocolate maker, Original
Beans Inc. is introducing a new chocolate bar carrying the hefty price of $13.00 for 3.5 ounces. The
companies slogan is "the planet:replant it" and claims they will plant a tree in the area of origin for each bar
bought. The company has contracts with farmers in Bolivia, Ecuador and the Congo. Inside each wrapper is a
lot number that allows you to trace the origin of the beans in your particular bar.
January 26, 2009 -The New York Times has a nice piece about Bond Street Chocolates and it's eclectic mix
of chocolate items. Among other items the store has a chocolate, edible gold leaf covered, Buddha. Also the
store sells a Jesus made of chocolate as well as a chocolate Ganesh and Our Lady Of Guadalupe. The shop
is the brainchild of pastry chef Lynda Stern. The Dubai company Al Nassma Chocolate LLC who specialize
in making chocolate from camel's milk have opened their first retail outlet. Located in Umm Nahad in Dubai
the store is right next door to Camelicious who supply the camel's milk needed for the chocolate. In an effort
to boost their European chocolate operations Food processor Archer Daniels Midland Co. has agreed to
acquire Schokinag-Schokolade-Industrie Herrmann GmbH & Co., a German chocolate and cocoa powder
producer. Schokinag operates out of Mannheim, Germany and has a plant in Belgium. The Chattanooga-
Hamilton County Business Development Center has developed its first chocolate business. When Pastry
chef Wendy Buckner, finished training at the French Pastry School in Chicago she and her husband,
Brandon, returned to Chattanooga, Tennessee with the idea of opening their own chocolate business. After
looking at some local real estate that would have been to expensive to renovate on their own they signed on
in the Development Center., Some nice footage from Reuters of a recent chocolate fair in Mexico City,
Mexico. The World Cocoa Foundation is offering a guide to the cocoa industry on sustainability principles
that focus on equitable profit, labour standards and environmental issues. Sustainability is the number one
issue. Especially with soil erosion in countries like the Ivory Coast the industry will have a hard time acting as
responsible citizens and maintaining profitability. Barry Callebaut has sunk about $40,000,000 to build a new
plant in Mexico. The plant will source cocoa from Brazil and Africa and will supply 100,000 tons a year. The
plant is Callebaut's third largest and the company hopes to tap into the growing Mexican market, estimated
6.5% a year, as European growth flattens. Hershey's has added so many higher quality products in the last
few years and they have some product this year that's worth taking a look at. We here at eChocolateNYC has
taken a shine to the Bliss line, they really do have a subtle taste and feel. Take a look at their Valentine's Day
offerings here. Vosges Haut - Chocolat has released a limited run of their champagne infused truffles, The
Gatsby Collection. An item dripping with romance. Take a look here. The recession has hit Barry Callebaut
as sales were off 6.3% in the quarter ending November 30, 2008. The company did report their was
substantial growth in Asia and South America to help offset the drop of sales in Europe.
January 20, 2009 - Due to the recent salmonella outbreak the South Bend Chocolate Co. is recalling all of
its products that contain peanut butter. The company has not received any complaints about its products its
just announcing the recall as a precaution. The Bella Vista-Bentonville, Arkansas, Chapter of the American
Association of University Women will hold a chocolate auction and style show Feb. 14.The event will start at 9:
30 a.m. at the Shewmaker Center for Workforce Technologies at Northwest Arkansas Community College in
Bentonville. Abbott Nutrition today announced that it is initiating a precautionary, voluntary recall of
ZonePerfect® Chocolate Peanut Butter bars, ZonePerfect® Peanut Toffee bars and NutriPals™ Peanut Butter
Chocolate bars in response to the widening recall involving peanut butter and peanut paste ingredients
manufactured by Peanut Corporation of America (PCA). Chocolate eating is deeply ingrained in the culture of
Spain. NPR has an interesting article on the many different ways that chocolate is consumed in the country.
With deep fryers common in most homes many breakfast on Sundays with homemade churros, strips of fried
dough dipped in drinking chocolate. The San Francisco Chocolate Factory has changed its name to Bridge
Brands Chocolate. To celebrate they have announced a contest in which chocolate consumers are asked to
write an essay about how chocolate has helped them to "bridge the gap". The grand prize winner will get a
years supply of chocolate. Department of Trade and Industry in the Phillipines is helping Marian Gabrielle
Bordado of Naga City promote her confections, chocolate with pilinuts, so that she can sell her product
outside of the country and become an exporter. What started as a business project in school, she and two
classmates borrowed money and produced chocolate bars as part of her courses requirements, has steadily
grown. She calls her line Choco Naga and we here at eChocolateNYC wish her all the luck in the world. Here
in New York City The Ritz Carlton Hotel in Battery Park is bringing back its Friday and Saturday night
"Chocolate Bar" for the month of February. Gorge on chocolate and champagne and keep an eye on the
Statue Of Liberty from the hotel's Rise Bar. It's $75 per person and reservations are a must. With sugar
prices on the rise scientists from The Agricultural Research Service (ARS) have developed two new strains of
sugar cane that they feel will grow well in Florida's sandy soil. With 17% of cocoa produced in the Ivory Coast
not meeting quality standards the government has announced an ambitious plan to increase quality. Two
areas that will be targeted will be the actual bean drying and improving the quality of the soil.
January 13, 2009 - The National Sleep Foundation has pointed out that you might want to avoid eating
chocolate, especially dark chocolate just before bedtime. The combination of caffeine and theobromine, two
stimulants can lead to some tossing and turning. Sherman, Texas will be holding a "Chocolate Indulgences"
fundraiser for CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) of Grayson County. The event will be held February
14, at the Municipal Ballroom in Sherman. In 1976, Lucinda Gregory and her husband relocated to
Shaftsbury, Vermont and purchased the Chocolate Pot. They renamed it the Chocolate Barn and established
it as a New England institution. Now at age 80 Ms.Gregory, her husband John passed in 1981, has decided
to sell the business and focus on other endeavours. She still makes all the fudge herself, over a thousand
pounds a year. The shop has a fine collection of chocolate molds. The store comes with a house and 5 acres
of land. In December, 2008, Mark Zipkin and Aylene Geringer opened The Chocolate Box in Silverton,
Oregon. The shop which specializes in carrying chocolate made by Pacific Northwest chocolatiers such as
Euphoria, Fiori and Extreme chocolate brands, as well as gourmet confections made by the Brigittine Monks
of Amity.
January 12, 2009 - Alison Nelson of Chocolate Bar has added some new twists on the New York favorite,
egg creams. Espresso, hazelnut and black and white are three new additions. She took her staff on a tour of
some of New York's remaining egg cream spots so they could sample and learn from the best. Rocky
Mountain Chocolate Factory's Q3 net income down 33% the company reported. This is for the quarter ending
November 31, 2008. In the United Kingdom many feel that allergy warnings on products have gotten a bit
silly. Cadbury now is making sure by redesigning the label of the UK's top selling chocolate bar the Dairy Milk
so that there will be no doubt that it contains actual milk.
January 09, 2009 - British chocolate retailer Thorntons blamed a sluggish UK economy and fewer
shoppers on the streets to explain their 2.3% drop in business in the 12 weeks leading up to Christmas.
Pastry chef Tracy Thompson of Sjölinds Chocolate House, Mount Horeb, Wisconsin, is interviewed and
talks about her shop which opened in 2006. The Pittsburgh Post -Gazette has a nice recipe from the book
"Chocolat" by Stephan Lagorce for hot chocolate souffle.
January 02, 2009 - If you're in New Jersey on January 20th and are interested in chocolate the SCAN
Learning Center, Monmouth Mall, Eatontown, will offer the class "It's All About the Chocolate". If you're in
Washington state in early February The Enumclaw Chocolate Festival is set for February 6th and 7th. There
will be a variety of chocolate vendors as well as wine pairings. There was a fire in Sydney, Australia earlier
today at a chocolate factory that crossed over into an electrical substation causing a blackout for 35,000
people. We're not sure what chocolate the factory produced but as soon as we know we'll post it.
January 01, 2008 - The Contra Costa Times has an interesting recipe for French Chocolate Bark, that's
chocolate mixed with cherries and apricots. A recipe out of the Toledo Blade for Chocolate Whoopie Pies.
Cadbury has announced that they will be dropping the Crunchies and white chocolate Dreams from their
Heroes selection. They will be replaced with Bournvilles and Eclairs. This isn't the first time the Heroes
lineup has changed, last year they dropped Time Outs and Picnics. Avebe is launching two new uses for its
potato starch based one of which is a vegan alternative to gelatine for soft jellies and wine gum-type
confectionery. It wasn't that long ago when there was little in the treats market for vegans but that has been
rapidly changing and this is another step in that direction. Researchers at Princeton University claim in a
new study that they can show sugar addiction in rats. We here at eChocolateNYC always thought sugar
addiction was a given but now it has been quantified in a study of rats and their sugar intake. Professor
Nicolas Christakis from Harvard Medical School has written a piece in the British Medical Journal which is
sure too stir up a bit of controversy. In it he lays out his case that the reaction to peanut allergies has been
way overboard and may do more harm than good. As fear increases more parents have their children tested
which leads to many testing positive for what might be minor allergies. Then by depriving the child of nuts the
child's allergy becomes more sensitive. He also points out that actual death toll from the allergy is around
150 cases a year in the United States whereas lightening kills 100 and automobile accidents 45,000.
international development organisation Solidaridad have been setting up the UTZ system to certify cocoa
producers who have met certain criteria that shows they are meeting certain environmental, economic and
social goals. The hope is by creating value for producers who meet these standards it will encourage better
soil conservation and treatment of workers. The first audits are being done of three cocoa cooperatives in the
Ivory Coast. Vosges Haut - Chocolat has a pretty good deal going on right now. Buy five of their spicy
chocolate bars and get a sixth one free. As the delicious looking picture on their site suggests these bars are
the perfect tool for spicing up Smores this Summer. In 2007 Delfi Cocoa, a subsidiary of Petra Foods,
purchased a plant in Hamburg, Germany and invested 65 million Euros to bring it up to date. The company
has seven other plants around the world including Latin America and Asia. A list of the companies customers
include Nestle, Mars, Barry Callebaut and Meiji .
June 27, 2009 - Fenton, Michigan is home to Sweet Variations a store that carries an extensive stock of
assorted old and new candy. The owner Carol Schuler seems to enjoy carrying as many different brands as
possible. As an aside the article mentioned that Bonomo Taffy is about to be reincarnated. I'm frightened to
thin of how my middle aged teeth are going to handle that. I loved Bonomo as a kid and probably hastened
the loss of more than one of my baby teeth eating the stuff. Trolley Square, a shopping area in Wilmington,
Delaware, is home to Moore Brothers Wine Company. Working in the shop is Kathryn Shockcor who has
started making her own chocolate. She studied at Le Cordon Bleu in London. She sells her output as Penny
Hill Confections and if this is as good as the ingredients Aloha Dark Chocolate Bark studded with candied
pineapple, chewy coconut and toasted macadamia nuts. The top is lightly dusted with Hawaiian red sea salt.
I'm sold.
June 26, 2009 - Reuters has an interesting article about Rachel Niblock, who set out to make a healthy but
satisfying chocolate based bar. She's using cocoa nibs, sweetened with agave nectar and coconut oilto hold
it all together. The bars are usable for diabetics and for vegans. She calls them Nibchocs and you can see
her website here.
June 25, 2009 - Here's a link to a site that has a recipe to make in a microwave, five minute chocolate mug
cake. That's right 5 minutes using eggs etc. We'll give it a whirl sometime in the next week in the
eChocolateNYC test kitchen and let you know how it worked. We will be in Montreal next week. Any of you who
know of any pastry, chocolate or sweet shops that you want to recommend we visit drop us a line. File this
under couldn't control the chocolate cravings. In Manila, Robert Johnson was arrested for allegedly trying to
steal 19 chocolate bars from the SM City supermarket in Manila, The Philippines. A security guard claims he
saw Mr. Johnson placing the bars in a black bag.
June 20, 2009 - Over the years the artificial sweetener business has grown world wide into a
$1,830,000,000 yearly industry according to one estimate. The industry has always had to deal with lingering
doubts in the eyes of some consumers who believe the sweeteners can be carcinogens among other things.
Now the industry will have to deal with a new study out of Germany that examined water after treatment in a
sewage plant. The study found that some sweeteners survive the cleansing process and end up getting
returned to the water supply where they are consumed again. Burma's pro-democracy leader Aung San
Suu Kyi has again celebrated another birthday in prison for her political activities. This year she marked her
64th birthday and shared rice and chocolate cake with the prison's staff. Hopefully this will be the last birthday
she celebrates in jail. Freddo the Chocolate Frog, a staple of Australia's chocolate industry turns 80 this year.
To celebrate Cadbury has launched a website full of Freddo games and information. You can take a look at
the site here.
June 18, 2009 - Pecan Deluxe Candy has purchased equipment, for its Sherburn-in-Elmet, England, plant,
which will allow them to make chocolate in animal shapes like pigs and monkeys. In this tight economy its
heartening to see smaller players in the business investing in new equipment and expanding their
businesses. We've written in the past about the Lindt gold foil wrapped chocolate Easter bunny trademark
legal issue. Another chocolate trademark case in the news is Mars, makers of Maltesers, against Australian
importer Sweet Rewards and their product Malt Balls. Both come packaged in red, the names have the word
Malt in them etc. Australia's federal court ruled against mars in the case stating that any reasonable person
would be able to tell the difference. If you have an extra $30 and want to be involved in what we perceive to be
an excellent chocolate event. Try meetup.coms Bespoke Chocolate Fondue event scheduled for June 26th at
5:45 PM. We've found Kamini, the organizer, to be highly reliable and someone who always delivers a solid
event. For your $30 you get drinks, chocolate fondue and some samples. As a bonus Bespoke's Rachel Zoe
Insler will be on the premises. We dropped by her shop on Valentine's Day and even though busy she made
time to chat with our 10 year daughter, a budding chocolatier. By the way her chocolates are also first rate as
well as imaginative. Mars has obtained Kosher certification at one of its plants in the United Kingdom. This
will allow the company to produce favorites such as Snickers and Galaxy as Kosher. The plant in Slough,
England, has been certified by the Kashrut Division of the London Beth Din. CNET has a good article about
the partnership of Timothy Childs and Louis Rossetto. They have combine to found Tcho Chocolate. The
name stands for where technology meets chocolate. When chocolate fans clamored for the re release of the
Wispa bar Cadbury bought it back five years after dropping it from their lineup. In the United Kingdom the bar
has sold great and has helped improve Cadbury's profitability. London baker, Shikhita Singh, won the
Londonist contest with her Fair Cake white chocolate and limoncello cupcakes. She has released the recipe
and it's worth taking a look at. It's Ladies Day at the Royal Ascot races and traditionally some people show
up with some fairly amazing hats. Milliner Judy Bentinck created a four foot long hat that is partly Cadbury
Flake 99. It took her six weeks to finish her creation. Cadbury imporoved its position in April and May. The
company reported a variety of factors, less destocking and increased market share among them as reasons
for their success. The company did not report anything that would lead it to believe the recession is lessening.
June 16, 2009 - Jacques Torres has expanded his DUMBO operation by adding an ice cream shop. The ice
cream is right next door to his old shop. Then a quick look at the restored merry go round and 100 feet or so
and you're sitting by the water eating his wares. Highly recommended for any weekend afternoon when the
temperature hits 75 or more. Yesterday we reported on the glass found in the screen incident which led to
the closing of the Wilbur Chocolate plant in Lititz, Pennsylvania. The plant has resumed production and we
have no further information at this time. After a six year run, the Chocolate House in Ann Arbor, Michigan,
has closed down. Chocoholics in Ann Arbor can rest easy knowing the space has been taken over by Carillon
Chocolates which plans to carry many of the products that Chocolate House had carried.
June 15, 2009 - We've been covering the labor problems at the Wilbur Chocolate Factory in Lititz,
Pennsylvania. The workers have authorized their union to call a strike if they can't work things out with Cargill.
The factory halted production Friday when glass was found in a screen that is used to process chocolate. The
situation is being investigated for possible product tampering. The cleanup from Hurricane Ike has been
going on for quite awhile in Galveston. Recently the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory on the Strand has
reopened for business. We here at eChocolateNYC wish them well. Chocolatier Brent Smith started making
chocolate seven years ago. He now has his own company, Newfoundland Chocolate Company. He uses
local produce, strawberries, raspberries and partidgeberries, to blend with his chocolate. The European
Court of Justice in Luxembourg is now examining if Lindt applied for trademark protection for its gold foil
wrapped Easter Bunny in bad faith. Even though other foil wrapped bunnies were being sold in Austria for
many years Lindt may still be entitled to the trademark. Vosges Haut - Chocolat is still shipping a nice $42
gift box containing Mo's Bacon Bar + Rogue Shakespeare. A nice combo for that hard to buy for father.
June 09, 2009 - The New York Post has a nice article about the history of chocolate. Zoe Tsoukatos, and her
brothers, Pantelis and Petros, have opened a shop in Frederick, Maryland to sell their father's, George
Tsoukatos chocolates. The family's interest in making chocolate extends back to Greece where Zoe's
grandmother made chocolate. Katrina Markoff, the owner of Vosges Haut - Chocolat, has started blogging.
In her latest offering she explains her quest for mixing chocolate and bacon. Apparently her interest dates
back to when she was six years old. Her newest offering is Mo’s Bacon Chocolate Pancake Mix which looks
promising. She's also working on a dark chocolate bacon bar.
June 08, 2009 - Cadbury already has a dominant position in the chocolate market in India. Their brands have
about a 70% market share and as the Indian market keeps expanding Cadbury has reaped the profits. Lately
the company has been seeing a 30% growth in sales and a 20% growth in profits. One drawback is the high
import duties India charges on cocoa beans entering the country. This has pushed Cadbury to encourage
local cocoa production. It looks like this might work out well as the cocoa plant grows well alongside existing
coconut palms. Current cocoa production in India is 10,000 tonnes a year which Cadbury hopes will grow to
150,000 tonnes per year by 2020. In Canada, Chocolaterie Bernard Callebaut, has been forced to cut back
on production in face of a decrease in demand. The company which operates 29 stores, nine in the Calgary
area, will be extending the time they normally close down their Macleod plant - 2 weeks for maintenance to
six or seven weeks. The company has also laid off thirty employees to help weather the downturn. Lafayette,
New Jersey is the home of Chocolate Parfait, a local shop with a variety of chocolate goods. The owner
Tracey Williams is enjoying her shop's first anniversary. She revamped a previous sweet shop, Heavenly
Sweets.
June 04, 2009 - Consumer Reports explains their rating system for chocolate chip cookies. See who comes
in #1 and why in the realm of store bought cookies. In London the Lodonist recently held their Cupcake
Throwdown. The winner was Faircake with their limoncello and white chocolate cupcake. Second place went
to Beas Of Bloomsbury. Third place went to Sweet Things. We were hoping to see Love make the list. Love
is a cupcake shop that had just opened in March when we were in London. We only discovered the because
they are right next store to Rococo an automatic stop whenever we are in town. The cupcakes at Love are
delightful and the staff/owners were just genuinely nice people. Definitely worth a stop when you're in London.
In Quincy, Massachusetts Christina Bartkus is producing her P2C2, chocolate, caramel, peanut butter and
potato crunch. She recently appeared on the Martha Stewart Show and has been selling through her P2C2
since its inception in March 2007.
May 31, 2009 - Cebu City, The Philippines is the home of a small stall located 30 meters from the Basilica
del Sto. Niño along Osmeña Boulevard. The stall sells the popular local pre breakfast snack of puto (rice
cake) and a cup of sikwati (hot chocolate) Cadbury has announced that they have reached a deal with the
union in their Barcelona, Spain gum plant to shut the plant down. The union vote was 81% for the deal, no
details were made public of what the deal contained. The deal allows Cadbury to jettison a redundant factory
and got costs in these difficult times. In Japan Krispy Kreme solicited the opinions of its staff for doughnut
suggestions. For Father's day they came up with “Daddy’s Coffee Chocolate,” is coated with bittersweet
coffee chocolate, decorated with chocolate made from condensed milk and dark chocolate, and topped with
chocolate shaped like coffee beans. For the Tanabata Star Festival, June 3rd - July 7th, a star-shaped glazed
doughnut coated with dark chocolate icing and topped with colorful sprinkles. Archer Daniels Midland
Company (NYSE: ADM - News) announced today that is has completed the acquisition of the Schokinag-
Schokolade-Industrie Herrmann GmbH & Co. KG, following approval by relevant antitrust authorities. The
acquisition was announced on January 23, 2009. The workers at the Wilbur Chocolate Factory in Lititz,
Pennsylvania are closer to striking. Cargill, the company's owner is looking to cut wages from $4 - $8 an
hour. The vote among the workers was 127 - 0 to authorize a strike and the local's vice - president will make a
decision as to if there will be a strike and if so when. Marie Maguire of the Contra Costa Times has a nice
piece on her and her husbands chocolate vacation in Paris. She covers the local stores some of whom's
chocolate La Maison Du Chocolat and Pierre Marcolini is available here in New York City. Mars Snackfood
US is offering limited-edition M&M’S Strawberried Peanut Butter Chocolate Candies and Snickers Nougabot
Bar along with the release of the new Transformers movie.
May 25, 2009 - WSAW TV has a nice little video piece on the 25th Annual Chcocolatefest in Burlington,
Wisconsin. Yesterday was the Vista Village Chocolate Festival and Street Fair in Vista, California. Local
vendors put out their best wares and the crowd loved it. A tip of the eChocolateNYC hat to Charles and
Juanita Scott who are planning to open the Nevada City Chocolate Shoppe,today. The shop located in
Nevada City, California. In the United Kingdom Steve Lund has been suffering Trio withdrawal since the bars
was withdrawn from the market three years ago. While hoping that the numerous internet petitions would
eventually have their effect he decided to make his own bar. He cooked up a six pound plus version which he
hopes will encourage United Biscuits to bring the bar back. The leadership of Ferrero have a reason to pat
themselves on the back as they were named the world's most reputable company in a study conducted by
US-based consultancy Reputation Institute. The Cadbury factory in Dunedin, New Zealand has opened up
their doors to the top secret back areas for charity. The tours allow you hands on experience and allow you to
design your own chocolate creations. The video here is pretty neat and worth watching. A nice video clip of
Valerie's Chocolates out of Los Angeles talking about their skull shaped chocolates and other treats. Cathy
Stapells of Sun Media has a nice article about her recent journey to Belgium. She worked her way through
quite alot of chocolate stores and gives her impressions.
May 22, 2009 - Mars Company, the makers of M&Ms are giving away 250,000 candy bars, your favorite, every
Friday through the Summer. The promotion is named the Mars Real Chocolate Relief Act and seems like fun.
You can sign up here. Speaking of M&Ms if you're looking for something a little different this year for your kids
teachers, nothing could say thanks for a great year in school quite like getting a bag of personalized M&Ms.
You pick the color and they print whatever you want on the side. Add Cadbury to the list of companies that
are adding vegetable oil to some of their chocolate products. This article out of Australia shows that
Australians aren't very happy with the decision or the resulting product. The National Association for the
Specialty Food Trade has named the Silver finalists for 2009 in the Chocolate category . They are Askinosie
Chocolate 70% San Jose Del Tambo Dark Chocolate Bar , Chuao Chocolatier Firecracker ChocoPod , John
Kelly Chocolates Truffle Fudge Bites—Dark Chocolate with French Grey Sea Salt , Poco Dolce Double Shot
Espresso Toffee Square and The Tea Room Green Earl Grey Dark Chocolate . The Association will be
sponsoring their annual trade show June 28 - 30 here in New York City at the Jacob Javits Center. In 1911
when George Stamas first started his chocolate making in Newark, New Jersey he probably couldn't imagine
that almost 100 years later his descendants would be battling each other for control of the family's chocolate
business. It's always sad when families fall out over money but from our perspective we're glad they're still
making chocolate.
May 20, 2009 - Sheryl Tilley the chocolate editor for Bellaonline has a recipe posted for Chocolate Banana
Bread which looks promising. Nestle and the University of Tokyo are joining forces and Nestle will finally
have a research presence in Japan. The joint research program is titled "Food For Life". We were in London,
England in March and reacquainted ourselves with all of the good chocolate available at Hotel Chocolat. Their
stores are always a treat to enter and they constantly update their line. You can order yourself their Summer
2009 catalogue here. Godiva has launched a consumer loyalty program which they have currently running in
10 stores. By May 29th they hope to have it up and running in all of their stores. Members will receive email
alerts, the opportunity to win a chocolate party and a free piece of chocolate once a month just for dropping in
to one of their stores. Nice little piece about Air Force Col. Gail Halvorsen who when participating in the
Berlin airlift in 1948 organized the dropping of thousands of chocolate bars to German children who didn't
have enough to eat. If you're in Chicago and in the business you're probably checking out the 2009 All Candy
Expo. Some of the new products that sound interesting are coconut M&Ms and a fudge Snickers bar. There
may be a strike looming for the Wilbur Chocolate workers in Lititz, Pennsylvania. The union has rejected,
Cargill, the parent company's latest offer which called for worker wage cutbacks. The Worlds Finest
Chocolate Factory in the Southwest side of Chicago was evacuated as firefighters and hazmat teams
responded to a call about a fire and ammonia leak. The incident took place in the middle of the night and no
one was hurt.
May 18, 2009 - Edaleen Dairy located in Lynden, WA is recalling their Tin Roof Sundae and Chocolate
Peanut Butter Nut Ice Cream because it has the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. This recall
was voluntary and no one has actual gotten sick from the company's products. Dove Chocolate, taking a
page from the old Tupperware parties, has set up a network for people to host chocolate sampling parties.
The hosts clear a percentage of the parties final sales. If you're going to be anywhere near New Hope,
Pennsylvania on Sunday May 31st for $10 you can check out the second annual Bucks County Chocolate
Show. There will be an educational exhibit " Journey Of The Pod" and a host of chocolatiers. Some of the
vendors that will be present are Vintage Plantations Chocolate, Sweet Mary's Exceptional Chocolates, Ange
du Cocoa and Life By Chocolate. The New York Times has a good recipe for making chocolate tofu pudding.
This isn't your average vegan fare and is well worth taking a look at as it's remarkably easy to make, just
watch the accompanying clip. Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, Inc. announced that it will host an investor
conference call at 4:15 p.m. Eastern Time on Tuesday, May 19, 2009, to discuss its operating results for the
quarter and fiscal year ended February 28, 2009,
May 15, 2009 - Rebecca Franklin, About.com Guide to French Food, has posted some French candy recipes
that look more than a little promising. In a case of what appears to be obvious synergy a test project to
combine Cold Stone and Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory stores is being expanded to several hundred
locations across the country. The move will affect a couple of hundred Cold Stone stores who will be adding
chocolate.
May 10, 2009 - Researchers from the University of Warwick in the UK have come up with a model Formula
Three racing car that runs on chocolate oils. The steering wheel is made of carrots and the seats from soy.
The idea was to make a green racing car. Dubai based chocolatier ChoCo'a has said that current economic
conditions have slowed its rate of growth. The firm which grew sales from 3,800 kgs to 12,000 kgs between
2006 and 2008 has found continued growth a little harder to sustain. Still as the company provides chocolate
to many of the regions high end hotels they have a ready made market for future growth. Through September
7, 2009 The Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh, North Carolina, will be running the exhibition titled
“Chocolate: The Exhibition.”. This was originally presented at the Field Museum in Chicago and the attendee
gets a good walk through on the history of chocolate. If eating chocolate all day isn't enough for you David
Edwards, a Harvard professor and Illinois Institute of Technology graduate is introducing Le Whif. Le Whif,
based on mini inhaler technology will give the user a quick shot of chocolate taste in the mouth with particles
to small to have calories but to large to get into the lungs. The cacao swollen shoot virus which can kill
cacao plants is believed to threaten the Ivory Coast's crop by one third this year. The disease is spread by the
common mealie bug. It has been spreading quickly and scientists hope to find a way to stop its spread.
May 06,2009 - If you're still looking for a Mother's Day gift it's worth taking a look at the offerings from Vosges
Haut - Chocolat. They still have a few delivery options available but the clock is ticking and in a few more days
you'll be out of luck. In a bid to lower shipping costs the US' National Confectioners Association is putting
together a program that encourages confectioners to pool resources when it comes to shipping to lower
costs for all involved. Cadbury reported a 2% drop in gum sales in the United States and Europe in the first
quarter of 2009. Chocolate showed a 7% growth spurred on by a strong Easter season in the United
Kingdom and strong results in two emerging markets South Africa and India. The clock is also ticking at
Hotel Chocolat for their Mother's Day shipping. Definitely worth a look see. Mars UK has released its 2009
United Kingdom market review and feels the company and the confectionery business in general will both
experience growth this year even in recessionary times. If you are in the city for Mother's Day and want to
treat Mom to something new we highly recommend Bespoke Chocolates a new store that we visited on
Valentine's Day. A small friendly shop that is focused on making quality chocolate. We enjoy visiting shops
where we can watch the chocolate being made before our eyes. The Pretzel-Covered Sea-Salted Caramels
are amazing, the caramel literally exploded in our mouths. It's also fun actually trying to locate Extra Street.
Sheryl Tilley of Bellaonline has a neat piece posted on her visit to Dulceria Blanca Nieve’s (Snow White’s
Candy Store) in Los Algodones, Mexico. She writes about the different products she found just 7 miles into
Mexico. Halloren Schokoladenfabrik AG, the German chocolatier founded in 1804, forecasts sales will rise
42 percent this year as the company adds new products and makes use of additional capacity. This sounds
incredibly ambitious even with the companies acquiring a piece of Delitzscher Schokoladen GmbH last year.
In Atlanta, Georgia Andy Freeman is using his mother's recipe to make and sell chocolate covered cherries
under the name Cherries Devine. He claims the secret to making a great chocolate covered cherry is using
butter cream instead of a syrupy inside. In Indonesia there is a feeling that the country's cocoa exports could
drop 10-20% as world wide demand for "luxury products" drops. We here at eChocolateNYC guess that
barring a bad crop Indonesia will move the same quantity of cocoa as they did last year although they may
receive less in payment.
May 01, 2009 - Schakolad Chocolate Factory has some really nice looking Mother's Day items available this
year. We're always suckers for chocolate heart shaped containers filled with even more chocolate. How
environmentally sound, edible packaging. Although this has nothing to do with chocolate we here at
eChocolateNYC are rarely wowed but we want to pass on Kelloggs announcement that they plan on donating
one full days cereal production, some 3.5 million pounds of branded cereal, to the Feeding America network
of food banks. With demand at food banks up 30% this supply of food is sorely needed. According to new
research funded by the Wrigley Science Institute chewing gum has a beneficial effect on classroom
performance. The study doesn't come to a definitive reason as to why. One theory is the act of chewing
increases blood flow to the brain.
April 24, 2009 - The ingredients firm Puratos has launched a new innovation center in Wisconsin to develop
chocolate suited to the United States market. They have also upgraded their manufacturing plant in Kenosha,
Wisconsin. Cadbury has changed the design and pack size for its Boost and Double Decker lines. They
hope the new design will give the products more visibility on store shelves and increase sales. If you happen
to be in Stowe, Vermont for Mother's day drop by Laughing Moon Chocolates on South Main Street with your
Mom and she'll receive a complimentary chocolate covered strawberry. They also have a bunch of neat
looking workshops running this summer including one on marshmallow making. The alleged price fixing
lawsuit that involves Hershey, Nestle, Cadbury and Mars has been put on hold while the judge that ruled the
suit could proceed is giving the chocolate companies time to appeal his decision. Brent and Sam’s
announced today a voluntary recall on 31 cases of “Simply Enjoy” Brand Pina Coloda White Chocolate
Gourmet Cookies because it may contain undeclared pecans. The BBC reports that an appeal for volunteers
to help researchers see how dark chocolate might help fight disease has attracted 1,500 responses
worldwide in a day. Forty volunteers will be accepted to eat chocolate made for the study. Urine and blood
samples will then be taken to study the chocolates effect on blood function.
April 18, 2009 - Last night downtown Lancaster, Ohio held a chocolate walk. Twenty eight local businesses
took part and $10 got you a bag for chocolate carrying and a map of the participating businesses. About 350
people took part. The International Labor Rights Forum (ILRF) recognises Mars' recent road map for
sustainability as “an important step forward” but claims the chocolate company needs to push further into
Fairtrade certification. The Forum's statement was a response to Mar's recent announcement as to their
agreement with the Rainforest Alliance.
April 10, 2009 - Cadbury has revamped their Chocolate Highlights powdered chocolate drink. They've
doubled the amount of milk chocolate in the recipe and changed the labeling to call attention to the changed
recipe. Ethel's Chocolate Lounge is closing up their Chicago operations. Five of the six remaining stores will
close by the end of the month with only the Skokie store remaining. The Skokie store will eventually close up
also but a date for its demise has not yet been announced. This move doesn't effect the companies Las
Vegas operation which comes in at eight stores.
April 05, 2009 - Australians are dealing with their nation's recession by downing chocolate. The
Confectionery Manufacturers of Australasia reported January 2008 to January 2009 sales were up 5.8%.
Retailers have noticed they are running ahead of last years Easter sales. In the United Kingdom Nestle has
relaunched 4 of their chocolate bars in 99 calorie size for those looking to watch their calories. The products
involved are Breakaway, Drifter, Blue Riband and Toffee Crisp bars.
February 14, 2009 - After the Federal Court in Australia ruled against Cadbury in its color purple suit against
Australian chocolate maker Darrell Lea Cadbury filed an appeal. We've covered the suit in the past, Cadbury
claims that Darrell Lea by using the color purple in its packaging is confusing customers into believing they
are purchasing Cadbury product. The court ruled that although the color was the same Lea was not passing
its products off as Cadbury and that the consumer realized they were purchasing Lea not Cadbury product.
German confectionery companies enjoyed more turnover and higher prices in 2008. Unfortunately for the
companies these gains were offset by higher energy and raw material prices. If you're located here in New
York City , with the warm weather just around the corner, and you're plotting visiting Long Island later this year
Newsday has an excellent article about the chocolate shops of Long Island including everything from 5 month
old Chocolate Lady, they look great by the way, to Carle Place's 30 year old Schwartz Candy. If you're in the
Orlando, Florida area and looking for a quick chocolate fix the Orlando Sentinel has an article that lists a
dozen places that look like good places to load up.
February 11, 2009 - An interesting looking recipe for Raspberry and White Chocolate Cupcakes. Joseph
Mitchell the Jefferson State Community College , Alabama culinary program director, teaches a course called
Chocolate Alchemy. The course was quite popular and afforded the students a hands on experience. You can
read about it here. Cocoa farmers in the Ivory Coast are threatening to stop trucks carrying cocoa and other
good if they do not receive a higher price for their crops. On average they receive 40% of the traded on the
London Exchange price while farmers in neighboring Ghana receive 70%. The Ivory Coast produces 40% of
the world's cocoa so even a temporary disruption could lead to higher prices. What looks like a promising
recipe for dark chocolate creme brulee.
February 07, 2009 - Northridge Elementary in Ohio has their fourth graders setting up their own businesses.
Read about how some of the students invested four dollars each of their money to open up a chocolate
business. Reuters has a thought provoking article about the 10 best chocolate travel destinations. The
number one was Oaxaca, Mexico where chocolate is freely mixed with many different foods. The country of
Ghana came in second and Hershey, Pennsylvania took the bronze. NBC has posted a clip of two minutes of
a tour of the Palmer Chocolate factory. English retailer Marks & Spencer has finally triumphed in its 13 year
legal battle with the British tax authorities. The taxman About $5,000,000 were at stake as the arguement
went that Mark & Spencer's chocolate tea cakes had been classified as biscuits, English for cookies, and
therefore were taxed incorrectly. CNN.Com has the information on available chocolate tours in five different
cities. They are Chicago, Paris, New York, Boston and San Francisco. Kathy Blankenbiller has been making
chocolate items for thirty years. For the last year she has worked at Wilbur Chocolate Candy Americana
Museum Store & Mail Order in Lititz, Pennsylvania. She's discussed chocolate with President Obama when
he came through on a campaign trip.
February 02, 2009 - John & Kiras is bringing back " Bee My Lovebug " which are cute little ladybug chocolates
for Valentine's Day. Take a look at them here. Vosges Haut - Chocolat has a bunch of nice items available
for Valentine's Day. Take a look at the flaming hearts, The Amalfi Flaming Heart made with Lemon zest, pink
peppercorns & white chocolate looks particularly great and the heart shaped purple box filled with almost
anything Vosges makes would be a welcome gift for any chocoholic. Zachary Confections has announced a
voluntary recall of Double Dipped Peanuts, Chocolate Covered Peanuts, Bridge Mix, Peanut Clusters and
Caramel Nut Clusters. With the ongoing fear of possible salmonella contamination the company has
decided to a nationwide recall of these products. For a precise list from the FDA click here. Askinosie
Chocolate has announced they will be producing the Philippine's first sourced chocolate bar available here
in the United States. The bars named Davao are 77%. This is good news for the Philippines as the
government has been investing in the nation's chocolate industry hoping to create an export product.
Firefighters from Banbury, Great Britain responded to a call to put out a fire in the local Barry Callebaut
factory's extractor fan.
January 31, 2009 - With some much bad news in the industry lately it is encouraging to see Hershey's has
announced that profits were up 51% in the fourth quarter of last year. The company credits changing prices
for much of its good news. A Thornton's shop in Edinburgh, Scotland got quite a surprise when a pigeon, yes
a pigeon entered the shop and then proceeded to try out the chocolate fountain. The bird covered in
chocolate then couldn't fly off as his wings became sticky. The SSPCA came, picked up the bird, cleaned it off
and has named it Wonka for obvious reasons. The bird is at a wildlife rescue center and should be fine.
Stacey VanWaldick had a dream to make edible jewelry out of chocolate. She used the facilities at Syracuse
University's South Side Innovation Center. At their Community Test Kitchen she developed her custom molds
and by using fillings provided by Meyer's Chocolates of Oneida, New York. She now has her own company
Promise Me Chocolate which sells chocolate rings and gems. San Francisco chocolate maker, Original
Beans Inc. is introducing a new chocolate bar carrying the hefty price of $13.00 for 3.5 ounces. The
companies slogan is "the planet:replant it" and claims they will plant a tree in the area of origin for each bar
bought. The company has contracts with farmers in Bolivia, Ecuador and the Congo. Inside each wrapper is a
lot number that allows you to trace the origin of the beans in your particular bar.
January 26, 2009 -The New York Times has a nice piece about Bond Street Chocolates and it's eclectic mix
of chocolate items. Among other items the store has a chocolate, edible gold leaf covered, Buddha. Also the
store sells a Jesus made of chocolate as well as a chocolate Ganesh and Our Lady Of Guadalupe. The shop
is the brainchild of pastry chef Lynda Stern. The Dubai company Al Nassma Chocolate LLC who specialize
in making chocolate from camel's milk have opened their first retail outlet. Located in Umm Nahad in Dubai
the store is right next door to Camelicious who supply the camel's milk needed for the chocolate. In an effort
to boost their European chocolate operations Food processor Archer Daniels Midland Co. has agreed to
acquire Schokinag-Schokolade-Industrie Herrmann GmbH & Co., a German chocolate and cocoa powder
producer. Schokinag operates out of Mannheim, Germany and has a plant in Belgium. The Chattanooga-
Hamilton County Business Development Center has developed its first chocolate business. When Pastry
chef Wendy Buckner, finished training at the French Pastry School in Chicago she and her husband,
Brandon, returned to Chattanooga, Tennessee with the idea of opening their own chocolate business. After
looking at some local real estate that would have been to expensive to renovate on their own they signed on
in the Development Center., Some nice footage from Reuters of a recent chocolate fair in Mexico City,
Mexico. The World Cocoa Foundation is offering a guide to the cocoa industry on sustainability principles
that focus on equitable profit, labour standards and environmental issues. Sustainability is the number one
issue. Especially with soil erosion in countries like the Ivory Coast the industry will have a hard time acting as
responsible citizens and maintaining profitability. Barry Callebaut has sunk about $40,000,000 to build a new
plant in Mexico. The plant will source cocoa from Brazil and Africa and will supply 100,000 tons a year. The
plant is Callebaut's third largest and the company hopes to tap into the growing Mexican market, estimated
6.5% a year, as European growth flattens. Hershey's has added so many higher quality products in the last
few years and they have some product this year that's worth taking a look at. We here at eChocolateNYC has
taken a shine to the Bliss line, they really do have a subtle taste and feel. Take a look at their Valentine's Day
offerings here. Vosges Haut - Chocolat has released a limited run of their champagne infused truffles, The
Gatsby Collection. An item dripping with romance. Take a look here. The recession has hit Barry Callebaut
as sales were off 6.3% in the quarter ending November 30, 2008. The company did report their was
substantial growth in Asia and South America to help offset the drop of sales in Europe.
January 20, 2009 - Due to the recent salmonella outbreak the South Bend Chocolate Co. is recalling all of
its products that contain peanut butter. The company has not received any complaints about its products its
just announcing the recall as a precaution. The Bella Vista-Bentonville, Arkansas, Chapter of the American
Association of University Women will hold a chocolate auction and style show Feb. 14.The event will start at 9:
30 a.m. at the Shewmaker Center for Workforce Technologies at Northwest Arkansas Community College in
Bentonville. Abbott Nutrition today announced that it is initiating a precautionary, voluntary recall of
ZonePerfect® Chocolate Peanut Butter bars, ZonePerfect® Peanut Toffee bars and NutriPals™ Peanut Butter
Chocolate bars in response to the widening recall involving peanut butter and peanut paste ingredients
manufactured by Peanut Corporation of America (PCA). Chocolate eating is deeply ingrained in the culture of
Spain. NPR has an interesting article on the many different ways that chocolate is consumed in the country.
With deep fryers common in most homes many breakfast on Sundays with homemade churros, strips of fried
dough dipped in drinking chocolate. The San Francisco Chocolate Factory has changed its name to Bridge
Brands Chocolate. To celebrate they have announced a contest in which chocolate consumers are asked to
write an essay about how chocolate has helped them to "bridge the gap". The grand prize winner will get a
years supply of chocolate. Department of Trade and Industry in the Phillipines is helping Marian Gabrielle
Bordado of Naga City promote her confections, chocolate with pilinuts, so that she can sell her product
outside of the country and become an exporter. What started as a business project in school, she and two
classmates borrowed money and produced chocolate bars as part of her courses requirements, has steadily
grown. She calls her line Choco Naga and we here at eChocolateNYC wish her all the luck in the world. Here
in New York City The Ritz Carlton Hotel in Battery Park is bringing back its Friday and Saturday night
"Chocolate Bar" for the month of February. Gorge on chocolate and champagne and keep an eye on the
Statue Of Liberty from the hotel's Rise Bar. It's $75 per person and reservations are a must. With sugar
prices on the rise scientists from The Agricultural Research Service (ARS) have developed two new strains of
sugar cane that they feel will grow well in Florida's sandy soil. With 17% of cocoa produced in the Ivory Coast
not meeting quality standards the government has announced an ambitious plan to increase quality. Two
areas that will be targeted will be the actual bean drying and improving the quality of the soil.
January 13, 2009 - The National Sleep Foundation has pointed out that you might want to avoid eating
chocolate, especially dark chocolate just before bedtime. The combination of caffeine and theobromine, two
stimulants can lead to some tossing and turning. Sherman, Texas will be holding a "Chocolate Indulgences"
fundraiser for CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) of Grayson County. The event will be held February
14, at the Municipal Ballroom in Sherman. In 1976, Lucinda Gregory and her husband relocated to
Shaftsbury, Vermont and purchased the Chocolate Pot. They renamed it the Chocolate Barn and established
it as a New England institution. Now at age 80 Ms.Gregory, her husband John passed in 1981, has decided
to sell the business and focus on other endeavours. She still makes all the fudge herself, over a thousand
pounds a year. The shop has a fine collection of chocolate molds. The store comes with a house and 5 acres
of land. In December, 2008, Mark Zipkin and Aylene Geringer opened The Chocolate Box in Silverton,
Oregon. The shop which specializes in carrying chocolate made by Pacific Northwest chocolatiers such as
Euphoria, Fiori and Extreme chocolate brands, as well as gourmet confections made by the Brigittine Monks
of Amity.
January 12, 2009 - Alison Nelson of Chocolate Bar has added some new twists on the New York favorite,
egg creams. Espresso, hazelnut and black and white are three new additions. She took her staff on a tour of
some of New York's remaining egg cream spots so they could sample and learn from the best. Rocky
Mountain Chocolate Factory's Q3 net income down 33% the company reported. This is for the quarter ending
November 31, 2008. In the United Kingdom many feel that allergy warnings on products have gotten a bit
silly. Cadbury now is making sure by redesigning the label of the UK's top selling chocolate bar the Dairy Milk
so that there will be no doubt that it contains actual milk.
January 09, 2009 - British chocolate retailer Thorntons blamed a sluggish UK economy and fewer
shoppers on the streets to explain their 2.3% drop in business in the 12 weeks leading up to Christmas.
Pastry chef Tracy Thompson of Sjölinds Chocolate House, Mount Horeb, Wisconsin, is interviewed and
talks about her shop which opened in 2006. The Pittsburgh Post -Gazette has a nice recipe from the book
"Chocolat" by Stephan Lagorce for hot chocolate souffle.
January 02, 2009 - If you're in New Jersey on January 20th and are interested in chocolate the SCAN
Learning Center, Monmouth Mall, Eatontown, will offer the class "It's All About the Chocolate". If you're in
Washington state in early February The Enumclaw Chocolate Festival is set for February 6th and 7th. There
will be a variety of chocolate vendors as well as wine pairings. There was a fire in Sydney, Australia earlier
today at a chocolate factory that crossed over into an electrical substation causing a blackout for 35,000
people. We're not sure what chocolate the factory produced but as soon as we know we'll post it.
January 01, 2008 - The Contra Costa Times has an interesting recipe for French Chocolate Bark, that's
chocolate mixed with cherries and apricots. A recipe out of the Toledo Blade for Chocolate Whoopie Pies.
Cadbury has announced that they will be dropping the Crunchies and white chocolate Dreams from their
Heroes selection. They will be replaced with Bournvilles and Eclairs. This isn't the first time the Heroes
lineup has changed, last year they dropped Time Outs and Picnics. Avebe is launching two new uses for its
potato starch based one of which is a vegan alternative to gelatine for soft jellies and wine gum-type
confectionery. It wasn't that long ago when there was little in the treats market for vegans but that has been
rapidly changing and this is another step in that direction. Researchers at Princeton University claim in a
new study that they can show sugar addiction in rats. We here at eChocolateNYC always thought sugar
addiction was a given but now it has been quantified in a study of rats and their sugar intake. Professor
Nicolas Christakis from Harvard Medical School has written a piece in the British Medical Journal which is
sure too stir up a bit of controversy. In it he lays out his case that the reaction to peanut allergies has been
way overboard and may do more harm than good. As fear increases more parents have their children tested
which leads to many testing positive for what might be minor allergies. Then by depriving the child of nuts the
child's allergy becomes more sensitive. He also points out that actual death toll from the allergy is around
150 cases a year in the United States whereas lightening kills 100 and automobile accidents 45,000.
| Any comments or suggestions, contact us and let us know what you're thinking. |
|
|