| December 2007 News |
| Any comments or suggestions, contact us and let us know what you're thinking. |
December 29, 2007 - Deborah Markus of Bellaonline has a nice simple recipe for chocolate shortbread. It
requires just four ingredients and very little prep time. With an eye towards the future Swiss chocolate
producer Barry Callebaut has now in place sources for forty different cocoa bean origins. Covering the
globe they have production in place from countries such as Vietnam, Papua New Guinea and Ghana. With
37 plants in 20 countries Callebaut now has a worldwide presence. British confectionary company Zetar
has acquired Lir Chocolates the Irish firm. Zetar hopes to market Lir's more upscale offerings - boxed
chocolates and truffles in the United States.
December 28, 2007 - It's the start of the new year and you're looking for that special treat for a friend, loved
one or business acquaintance. You could do worse than checking out Vosges Haut - Chocolat's Lunar
Chocolate of the Month Club. Available in a six and twelve month plan Vosges ships the lucky recipient an
assortment of treats, everything from caramels to marshmallows. We just got a message from the fine
folks at Trois Crepes Patisserie and we're passing on the information that they'll start selling
Galette des Rois (King's Cake) for the Epiphany. Although there is no chocolate involved this almond
flavored treat is a favorite of ours.
December 21, 2007 - The Government of Vietnam has been investing heavily in increased cocoa planting.
They hope to raise production to 45,000 tonnes a year by 2015. Cargill wants to purchase 20,000 tonnes a
year to increase their options among cocoa producers especially with Vietnam having a stable government
and there being unrest in the Ivory Coast. Hot on the heels of the Canadian Government investigating
possible fixing in the pricing of confectionary products the Wall Street Journal is reporting that The US
Justice Department is now looking into possible price manipulation in the US market.
December 19, 2007 - Swiss chocolate producer Barry Callebaut acquired the cocoa factory of Food
Processing International in Philadelphia. Callebaut plans on spending a total of $51 million on the project
which includes not only the purchase of the plant but a planned expansion from a 25,000 metric tonnes of
chocolate liquor capacity to 50,000 per year. Callebaut wants to invest in these types of facilities so that they
can control quality and taste early in the chocolate making process. Following quickly on taking an
increased stake in Cadbury the Trian Group headed by Nelson Peltz has now called on Cadbury to make a
bunch of changes. The Trian Group has threatened to take matters into their own hands if the current
Cadbury board does not make the changes called for.
December 13, 2007 - Nestle is expanding even further into the world of high end chocolate by partnering
with Pierre Marcolini. For those of you who are here in New York City who haven't yet visited the Pierre Marcolini
shop on Park Avenue it's a trip well worth making. The partnership will definitely add to the Nestle
portfolio of better chocolate which already includes Perugina, Baci and Nestle Noir. Mars, the makers of
M&Ms and Dove Chocolates among other products has raised the ire of PETA (People For The Ethical
Treatment Of Animals). PETA claims that Mars has conducted tests that were not needed under law upon
animals and that were cruel. Live rats had their legs cut open and baby mice were given 5 hours of chilled
baths and then later killed. PETA also points out that Hershey has pledged not to be involved in animal
testing. The group is calling for a boycott of Mars products. Cadbury announced yesterday that strong sales
of chocolate in the United Kingdom and gum in the United States will allow the company to post revenues
in the year higher than the original 4 - 6 % target range. Trian, the hedge fund group run by investor
Norman Peltz has increased its share of Cadbury stock from 3.47% to 4.5%. The Virginia Gazette has a
review of "I'm Dreaming of a Chocolate Christmas," by Marcel Desaulniers. The author claims the recipes
are fairly simple many involving just one spoon and bowl to make.
December 9, 2007 - The Canadian firm, Brookside Foods Ltd, are enjoying strong sales this Holiday
Season. The only problem has been squeezed margins. Having set their prices 10 months ago the
company has been forced to absorb price increases in cocoa and milk. In Singapore the number of victims of food
poisoning from the Prima Deli case has risen to 143. Both the hazel nut paste and the chocolate cream has tested
positive for salmonella. A thief in Bloomington, Minnesota made off with a semi - load of Nestle candy. Apparently
the villain drove up and hitched his truck to a semi - load and pulled just drove away. Guittard Chocolate has
manufactured a 10 lb chocolate bar aptly named the "Monster Bar". The bar can be purchased from The Heavy
Chocolate Co. in Pennsylvania and comes in four flavors. It sells for $49.95 and fortunately shipping is covered in
the price.
December 8, 2007 - Divine, the fair trade chocolate firm from Great Britain, feel the holiday season will
increase sales by 15%. The companies cocoa is supplied by a farmers co-operative in Ghana. Godiva
received a bit of bad news when a shipment of their product that was manufactured in France and ship to
Asia ending up having some boxes where pieces of chocolate had bits of metal in them. Their were no
reported injuries but to be on the safe side the company recalled their product from the shipment. Diamond
Foods, the Almond Company, is releasing a new product in early 2008 that should be quite popular. They
will begin to coat almonds in dark chocolate and they will be sold as Emerald Cocoa Roast Dark
Chocolate. We see Diamond Almonds all over so hopefully the chocolate coated almonds will receive the
same distribution. In Great Britain the Labour Party's Member Of Parliament for Nottingham North,
Graham Allen, is threaten to levy a tax upon chewing gum if manufacturers do not come up with a way to
make gum bio degradable. He feels Nottingham's Market Square is suffering from a gum problem and
believes the industry could solve the problem if they allocated the resources to come up with a solution.
December 7, 2007 - A fire at Denmark's AarhusKarlshamn's has resulted in the death of one of the
companies workers and has lead to a halt in production. AAK has been able to move some of its
production to other plants but will suffer financially as they will not be able to make up for all the lost output.
In 2000 Susan Tuveson changed her career from Attorney to chocolatier. She opened Cocoa Chocolates in
Kittery, Maine. Some of her best sellers are basil truffles, she sells over 200 a week and salt caramels. A
small chocolate firm from Alresford, Great Britain, The Alresford Chocolate Company, has secured an
order from the Piccadilly-based Fortnum and Mason for 150 of there lollies. Fortnum's has been in
business for 300 years. A new study has found that children in the United Kingdom spend over
$800,000,000 a year on snacks on their way to school every morning.
December 6, 2007 - The New York Times has what appears to be a tasty recipe for Chocolate Almond
Paste Filling With Rum-Soaked Raisins. By the way if you haven't had an almond croissant from
Almondine, 85 Water Street (across from Jacques Torres in DUMBO), you are missing one of life's sublime
pleasures. In New Zealand boxes of Donovan's Chocolate Fudge have been recalled because some were
found to be moldy. The San Francisco Chronicle has an article on the use of cocoa nibs, especially by
Scharffen Berger. We've tried the Scharffen Berger nibs and the chocolate covered Sweet Riot nibs and we
heartily recommend both.
December 5, 2007 - Helen Lewis of Global Business Insights has issued a new report about the
confectionary business. She reports that there is an increase in the use of different and unique flavors.
Some of the flavors that she finds gaining favor are pomegranate, eucalyptus and goji. Some that are
declining in use are lemon and hazelnut. The New York Times has a recipe for Chocolate-Apricot Babka.
Many years back, think 1967 or so, there was a bakery between 85th and 86th Street and Lexington Avenue
here in Manhattan. The name of the place was Babka and as a youngster I consumed Babkas a few times
a week. I run across them on Second Avenue around 6th Street and Zaros makes them but it might be my
mind playing tricks on me but they don't seem as spongy as the Babkas of my youth. Consumer Reports
has rated some of the more popular brands of Hot Chocolate. They gave their highest marks to
Ghirardelli's Double Chocolate mix and Hershey's Cacao Reserve Mayan Blend. They also reported that
the hot chocolate that was prepared with milk instead of water rated higher. We always thought that this
was common knowledge.
December 4, 2007 - The fine folks at Trois Crepes Patisserie have a handful of nice selection of
Christmas gifts. We highly recommend you take a look at their selection of Marquise de Sevigne chocolate
bars. Try the lemon or the Creme Brulee if you're looking for something tasty. By the way if you've never had
a Buche De Noel, France's Christmas treat, give Trois Crepes a call and order one. Enerhealth Botanicals
has new product on the market, Cocoa Mojo. The product contains Ganoderma which strengthens the
immune system as well as Cordyceps. The fortified cocoa should be used during the cold and flu system
to bolster the body.
December 2, 2007 - A new study from Global Business Insights comes to the conclusion that firms in the
confectionary business will have to invest in new product development. The companies will face consumer
pressure as consumers will be searching for their historical desire to be indulged but also will be looking
for items that they perceive to be healthful. This bodes well for dark chocolate which provides both good
taste and health benefits. Deborah Markus of BellaOnline has an interesting recipe for Vegan Chocolate
Mousse. We're not quite sure how well mixing tofu and chocolate chips will work out but we are interested
in the concept of a non dairy chocolate mousse.
December 1, 2007 - USA Today has an interesting article on starting a chocolate business. The reporter
interviewed two chocolate entrepreneurs Donna Gabrilson of Market Street Toffee and Jeff Shepherd of
Lillie Belle Farms. The advice is reasonable, keep startup costs low, stand out in the market by being
different etc. The CEO of Moonstruck Chocolate has left the company to pursue other interests. Delmar
Fuhrman had run the company since 2004. Here's a novel recipe taken from The Bacon Cookbook (Wiley,
$35) by James Villas. The recipe is for Bacon and Peanut Butter Chocolate Truffles and seems worth
trying. Susan Dequeant the owner of Special Occasion Chocolates in Arlington, Texas gave an interview to
NBC 5 in Texas which is worth taking a look at. She explains the start of her company and gives some
details of her operation. The International Building on the New York State Fairgrounds was the home for the
first-annual Central New York Wine and Chocolate Festival. Over a dozen upstate wineries were represented as
well as chocolate companies such as Meyers Chocolates, Lindt Master Chocolatiers and Woodmark Chocolates. A
Ford Iveco cargo lorry is working it's way towards the Malian city of Timbuktu. The vehicle is biodiesel and runs on
chocolate waste. The organizers of the expedition are hoping to show if you can make it through the Sahara
powered by biodiesel then more people might feel encouraged to try alternate fuel sources.
requires just four ingredients and very little prep time. With an eye towards the future Swiss chocolate
producer Barry Callebaut has now in place sources for forty different cocoa bean origins. Covering the
globe they have production in place from countries such as Vietnam, Papua New Guinea and Ghana. With
37 plants in 20 countries Callebaut now has a worldwide presence. British confectionary company Zetar
has acquired Lir Chocolates the Irish firm. Zetar hopes to market Lir's more upscale offerings - boxed
chocolates and truffles in the United States.
December 28, 2007 - It's the start of the new year and you're looking for that special treat for a friend, loved
one or business acquaintance. You could do worse than checking out Vosges Haut - Chocolat's Lunar
Chocolate of the Month Club. Available in a six and twelve month plan Vosges ships the lucky recipient an
assortment of treats, everything from caramels to marshmallows. We just got a message from the fine
folks at Trois Crepes Patisserie and we're passing on the information that they'll start selling
Galette des Rois (King's Cake) for the Epiphany. Although there is no chocolate involved this almond
flavored treat is a favorite of ours.
December 21, 2007 - The Government of Vietnam has been investing heavily in increased cocoa planting.
They hope to raise production to 45,000 tonnes a year by 2015. Cargill wants to purchase 20,000 tonnes a
year to increase their options among cocoa producers especially with Vietnam having a stable government
and there being unrest in the Ivory Coast. Hot on the heels of the Canadian Government investigating
possible fixing in the pricing of confectionary products the Wall Street Journal is reporting that The US
Justice Department is now looking into possible price manipulation in the US market.
December 19, 2007 - Swiss chocolate producer Barry Callebaut acquired the cocoa factory of Food
Processing International in Philadelphia. Callebaut plans on spending a total of $51 million on the project
which includes not only the purchase of the plant but a planned expansion from a 25,000 metric tonnes of
chocolate liquor capacity to 50,000 per year. Callebaut wants to invest in these types of facilities so that they
can control quality and taste early in the chocolate making process. Following quickly on taking an
increased stake in Cadbury the Trian Group headed by Nelson Peltz has now called on Cadbury to make a
bunch of changes. The Trian Group has threatened to take matters into their own hands if the current
Cadbury board does not make the changes called for.
December 13, 2007 - Nestle is expanding even further into the world of high end chocolate by partnering
with Pierre Marcolini. For those of you who are here in New York City who haven't yet visited the Pierre Marcolini
shop on Park Avenue it's a trip well worth making. The partnership will definitely add to the Nestle
portfolio of better chocolate which already includes Perugina, Baci and Nestle Noir. Mars, the makers of
M&Ms and Dove Chocolates among other products has raised the ire of PETA (People For The Ethical
Treatment Of Animals). PETA claims that Mars has conducted tests that were not needed under law upon
animals and that were cruel. Live rats had their legs cut open and baby mice were given 5 hours of chilled
baths and then later killed. PETA also points out that Hershey has pledged not to be involved in animal
testing. The group is calling for a boycott of Mars products. Cadbury announced yesterday that strong sales
of chocolate in the United Kingdom and gum in the United States will allow the company to post revenues
in the year higher than the original 4 - 6 % target range. Trian, the hedge fund group run by investor
Norman Peltz has increased its share of Cadbury stock from 3.47% to 4.5%. The Virginia Gazette has a
review of "I'm Dreaming of a Chocolate Christmas," by Marcel Desaulniers. The author claims the recipes
are fairly simple many involving just one spoon and bowl to make.
December 9, 2007 - The Canadian firm, Brookside Foods Ltd, are enjoying strong sales this Holiday
Season. The only problem has been squeezed margins. Having set their prices 10 months ago the
company has been forced to absorb price increases in cocoa and milk. In Singapore the number of victims of food
poisoning from the Prima Deli case has risen to 143. Both the hazel nut paste and the chocolate cream has tested
positive for salmonella. A thief in Bloomington, Minnesota made off with a semi - load of Nestle candy. Apparently
the villain drove up and hitched his truck to a semi - load and pulled just drove away. Guittard Chocolate has
manufactured a 10 lb chocolate bar aptly named the "Monster Bar". The bar can be purchased from The Heavy
Chocolate Co. in Pennsylvania and comes in four flavors. It sells for $49.95 and fortunately shipping is covered in
the price.
December 8, 2007 - Divine, the fair trade chocolate firm from Great Britain, feel the holiday season will
increase sales by 15%. The companies cocoa is supplied by a farmers co-operative in Ghana. Godiva
received a bit of bad news when a shipment of their product that was manufactured in France and ship to
Asia ending up having some boxes where pieces of chocolate had bits of metal in them. Their were no
reported injuries but to be on the safe side the company recalled their product from the shipment. Diamond
Foods, the Almond Company, is releasing a new product in early 2008 that should be quite popular. They
will begin to coat almonds in dark chocolate and they will be sold as Emerald Cocoa Roast Dark
Chocolate. We see Diamond Almonds all over so hopefully the chocolate coated almonds will receive the
same distribution. In Great Britain the Labour Party's Member Of Parliament for Nottingham North,
Graham Allen, is threaten to levy a tax upon chewing gum if manufacturers do not come up with a way to
make gum bio degradable. He feels Nottingham's Market Square is suffering from a gum problem and
believes the industry could solve the problem if they allocated the resources to come up with a solution.
December 7, 2007 - A fire at Denmark's AarhusKarlshamn's has resulted in the death of one of the
companies workers and has lead to a halt in production. AAK has been able to move some of its
production to other plants but will suffer financially as they will not be able to make up for all the lost output.
In 2000 Susan Tuveson changed her career from Attorney to chocolatier. She opened Cocoa Chocolates in
Kittery, Maine. Some of her best sellers are basil truffles, she sells over 200 a week and salt caramels. A
small chocolate firm from Alresford, Great Britain, The Alresford Chocolate Company, has secured an
order from the Piccadilly-based Fortnum and Mason for 150 of there lollies. Fortnum's has been in
business for 300 years. A new study has found that children in the United Kingdom spend over
$800,000,000 a year on snacks on their way to school every morning.
December 6, 2007 - The New York Times has what appears to be a tasty recipe for Chocolate Almond
Paste Filling With Rum-Soaked Raisins. By the way if you haven't had an almond croissant from
Almondine, 85 Water Street (across from Jacques Torres in DUMBO), you are missing one of life's sublime
pleasures. In New Zealand boxes of Donovan's Chocolate Fudge have been recalled because some were
found to be moldy. The San Francisco Chronicle has an article on the use of cocoa nibs, especially by
Scharffen Berger. We've tried the Scharffen Berger nibs and the chocolate covered Sweet Riot nibs and we
heartily recommend both.
December 5, 2007 - Helen Lewis of Global Business Insights has issued a new report about the
confectionary business. She reports that there is an increase in the use of different and unique flavors.
Some of the flavors that she finds gaining favor are pomegranate, eucalyptus and goji. Some that are
declining in use are lemon and hazelnut. The New York Times has a recipe for Chocolate-Apricot Babka.
Many years back, think 1967 or so, there was a bakery between 85th and 86th Street and Lexington Avenue
here in Manhattan. The name of the place was Babka and as a youngster I consumed Babkas a few times
a week. I run across them on Second Avenue around 6th Street and Zaros makes them but it might be my
mind playing tricks on me but they don't seem as spongy as the Babkas of my youth. Consumer Reports
has rated some of the more popular brands of Hot Chocolate. They gave their highest marks to
Ghirardelli's Double Chocolate mix and Hershey's Cacao Reserve Mayan Blend. They also reported that
the hot chocolate that was prepared with milk instead of water rated higher. We always thought that this
was common knowledge.
December 4, 2007 - The fine folks at Trois Crepes Patisserie have a handful of nice selection of
Christmas gifts. We highly recommend you take a look at their selection of Marquise de Sevigne chocolate
bars. Try the lemon or the Creme Brulee if you're looking for something tasty. By the way if you've never had
a Buche De Noel, France's Christmas treat, give Trois Crepes a call and order one. Enerhealth Botanicals
has new product on the market, Cocoa Mojo. The product contains Ganoderma which strengthens the
immune system as well as Cordyceps. The fortified cocoa should be used during the cold and flu system
to bolster the body.
December 2, 2007 - A new study from Global Business Insights comes to the conclusion that firms in the
confectionary business will have to invest in new product development. The companies will face consumer
pressure as consumers will be searching for their historical desire to be indulged but also will be looking
for items that they perceive to be healthful. This bodes well for dark chocolate which provides both good
taste and health benefits. Deborah Markus of BellaOnline has an interesting recipe for Vegan Chocolate
Mousse. We're not quite sure how well mixing tofu and chocolate chips will work out but we are interested
in the concept of a non dairy chocolate mousse.
December 1, 2007 - USA Today has an interesting article on starting a chocolate business. The reporter
interviewed two chocolate entrepreneurs Donna Gabrilson of Market Street Toffee and Jeff Shepherd of
Lillie Belle Farms. The advice is reasonable, keep startup costs low, stand out in the market by being
different etc. The CEO of Moonstruck Chocolate has left the company to pursue other interests. Delmar
Fuhrman had run the company since 2004. Here's a novel recipe taken from The Bacon Cookbook (Wiley,
$35) by James Villas. The recipe is for Bacon and Peanut Butter Chocolate Truffles and seems worth
trying. Susan Dequeant the owner of Special Occasion Chocolates in Arlington, Texas gave an interview to
NBC 5 in Texas which is worth taking a look at. She explains the start of her company and gives some
details of her operation. The International Building on the New York State Fairgrounds was the home for the
first-annual Central New York Wine and Chocolate Festival. Over a dozen upstate wineries were represented as
well as chocolate companies such as Meyers Chocolates, Lindt Master Chocolatiers and Woodmark Chocolates. A
Ford Iveco cargo lorry is working it's way towards the Malian city of Timbuktu. The vehicle is biodiesel and runs on
chocolate waste. The organizers of the expedition are hoping to show if you can make it through the Sahara
powered by biodiesel then more people might feel encouraged to try alternate fuel sources.