| January 2007 News |
| Any comments or suggestions, contact us and let us know what you're thinking. |
January 30, 2007 - It looks like more good news for chocoholics on the health front. A recent study from Italy has
found that a high intake of flavanols, found in cocoa, leads to a 31% decrease in the rate of kidney cancer. The
Hershey Company has entered into a joint venture with the South Korean confectionary company Lotte to enter the
growing market in China. Hershey will begin producing some of its more popular products, Hershey Kisses and
Reese's Peanut Butter cups at Lotte's factory outside of Shanghai, China in Jinshan. Children in the United
Kingdom spend more on sodas and candies than children anywhere else in the European Union. They also have
the highest rate of skipping breakfast a new study by market researcher Datamonitor has found. Wrigley, already
the world's largest chewing gum company, has made a dramatic entry into the worldwide chocolate market by
purchasing an 80% share of Russian chocolate company A. Korkunov. The deal calls for Wrigley to purchase the
outstanding 20% of the company at a latter date. The chocolate we've sampled from A. Korkunov, purchased at
Ernest Klein & Company, was pretty good and one market analyst predicts by 2009 chocolate consumption in
Russia will reach that of the United Kingdom. The National Association for the Specialty Food Trade, Inc. (NASFT)
and the Organic Trade Association (OTA) are breaking off from the Food Marketing Institute (FMI) Show in Chicago
starting in 2008. They will still hold their show in Chicago and they will participate in the 2007 FMI Show May 6 - 8,
2007. In the Volinskiy region of the Ukraine Nestle is planning to build a new plant according to local news
reports. The plant will help meet demand from the growing Ukranian market for nestle products especially
confectionary and baby food. Nestle first entered the Ukranian market in 1998 with the purchase of Ukranian candy
maker Svitoch. John & Kira's have unveiled their packaging for their 2007 Valentine's Day line and it looks like a
winner. We've sampled their chocolates and they are of the highest caliber and the holiday packaging looks great,
wood boxes with a wax heart shaped seal. We have come to respect John & Kiras relationships with their vendors.
From Project Mintpatch, kids learning gardening while raising mint which makes its way into John & Kira's
products, to Mut Vitz cooperative produced coffee, Chiapas region beans produced organically. It seems to us
that John & Kira have a clear vision of wanting to use high quality ingredients and have developed an exceptional
supply chain in the process.
January 26, 2007 - Jacques Torres has posted his Valentine's Day offerings for 2007. You can purchase
everything from a heart shaped box with 7 truffles in it for $9 to an assortment of chocolate products in The
Sweetheart Collection for $75. Quality Candy Co., Inc., makers of King Leo and Gilliam candies, announced the
retirement of Charles Edwards. Edward's is a four decade veteran of the industry and before working at Quality he
spent time at Bob's Candies of Albany, Georgia. Hershey Chocolate announced fourth quarter net income was
down 17 million dollars. The company lost sales when they were forced to close a plant in Canada during a
salmonella scare. They do feel they have positioned themselves well in 2007 having acquired Dagoba as an entre
into the organic chocolate field and have made strides towards expanding their presence in the dark chocolate
field. On the flip side Barry Callebaut has reported strong sales for first quarter of fiscal year 2006/07. Sales
revenue increased 3.6% over the same period last year. The United Kingdom's Department of the Environment
and Rural Affairs has released a study that shows average household expenditures on confectionary products
dropped 6.1% in 2005 as 34% of UK households now report they are actively avoiding sugar. The ALL CANDY
EXPO, has announced the 2007 EXPO, running September 17–19, 2007, at Chicago's McCormick Place will have
a much stronger international presence this year.
January 24, 2007 - CJ Allen and Robin Pulsifer have opened Sepia a full service chocolate shop in Centreville,
Cape Cod, Massachusetts. The shop sounds great, a place to sample everything from truffles to vegan chocolate
treats and also serves hot chocolate. It seems fine chocolate shops are opening everywhere. Newtown,
Connecticut is now the home of the Newtown Chocolatier in Ricky's shopping center on Main Street. Owner Jack
Elias does his own dipping in the back of the shop so the chocolate is nice and fresh. One person's attempts at
making chocolate sandwiches. By the way here in New York you can drop by the Belgian restaurant chain, four
locations in Manhattan, Petite Abeille and grab yourself a baquette slathered with Nutella or their great waffles
slathered with Nutella. Quality Candy Company, Inc., maker of King Leo® and Gilliam® candies, has announced
they are marketing a new product Crunchy Patties which is two layers of Belgian chocolate and hard candy bits
mixed together. Read the Press release here. Battle Creek, Michigan chocolatier Mark Rose uses the kitchen of
the Chapel Hill United Methodist Church to create his confections which he sells.
January 23, 2007 - Bob Untiedt, owner of Graham's Fine Chocolates and Ice Cream in Geneva, Illinois has rented
a new shop and is opening Graham's 318 which is larger and where he will be able to serve gelato, frozen hot
chocolate and chocolate fondue. Warren Brown and other chefs will be cooking at TasteDCs first Chocolate,
Food and Wine Festival on January 25th. The menu sounds great but the item that interests up the most is the
chocolate-covered tangerine-oil marshmallow kisses.
January 22, 2007 - Thorntons Plc the English chocolate firm reported a 2% increase in sales this quarter over the
same period last year. This was good news for the company who had suffered sluggish sales during the
Summer's heat. The Epilepsy Foundation's Chocolate Ball has been running for 21 years. Every year Rochester,
New York chefs compete by creating chocolate treats keeping with the years theme. This year the theme is Pirates
Of The Genesee. This years Ball will be held February 3rd and tickets are $125. The Jack In The Box chain of
restaurants is adding a new item to their menu. The Chocolate Oreo Cookie Shake will be composed of Oreo
cookie pieces, vanilla ice cream and bittersweet chocolate syrup. Read the Press Release here. If you're not in the
Rochester, New York area February 3rd maybe you can make the Freeport Arts Center's annual Wine, Cheese
and Chocolate fund-raiser being held the same day instead. Proceeds form the event go to support the Freeport ,
Illinois Arts Center. Throughout Japan retailers are pulling products from the Fujiya Company. The companies
President was forced to resign a week ago when it was found the company, owners of 800 baked goods shops
and manufacturers of cakes, candy and chocolate, had been using expired ingredients including milk, cream,
eggs and fillings in their products. The company, founded in 1910 and well known for its "Peko-chan" smiling girl
mascot, is reeling from the scandal and has had its 800 + stores closed while the investigation proceeds.
Although the company was only accused of fouling their baked goods retailers have been pulling al of the
companies products as a precaution.
January 18, 2007 - M&M's custom printing is geared up with a Valentine's Day offering of M&M's with your
message on them with a variety of heart shaped and red colored items to pair with them to make a neat gift. If you
happen to be in the Vermont area mark your calendar for March 24th when Kirk Weed, a chocolatier with 25 years
experience, will appear at the Lake Champlain Chocolates Factory Store & Cafe, 750 Pine Street , and will show
those who attend how to make and decorate chocolate Easter eggs. He'll answer questions and there will be a
sampling and take home recipes. There is no need to register in advance. Chocolate Fantasy, Fond Du Lac,
Wisconsin, is looking for vendors for its 11th annual event scheduled for 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 28, at
the Ramada Plaza Hotel ballroom, 1 N. Main St. The event is a fundraiser for the Fond du Lac Soroptimist
International chapter . Dairy firm HP Hood has introduced Simply Smart Chocolate Fat Free Milk. The milk is free of
artificial sweeteners and growth hormones.
January 17, 2007 - 2007 is the 100 th anniversary of the birth of the Hershey kiss. Hershey has announced all
sorts of events to celebrate this occasion. Try the Guess and Win Sweepstakes for a chance to win a $10,000
romantic trip. Make the trip to Hershey, Pennsylvania on July 7th for the actual birthday celebration. Of course don't
forget that the Postal Service has a Hershey Kiss postage stamp. Vosges Haut - Chocolat has announced their
Valentine's Day assortments and they sound great. They are bringing back the Gatsby and Daisy Truffle Collection.
The Collection is composed of two pieces the Gatsby Truffle which is composed of dark chocolate swirled with
brut champagne and topped with a red rose petal and the Daisy Truffle is composed of white chocolate with pink
rosé champagne from Reims, a few drops of rose water and a pink rose petal. The packaging looks great and you
can go with the 9 piece for $27 or the Limited Edition Luxe Gatsby which comes in a lucite box filled with other
interesting items besides truffles for $250 or many other different configurations. With the temperature here in New
York City under 20 degrees here in New York City this morning we here at eChocolateNYC are taking a look at the
world of hot chocolate and our eyes are focussed on DeBrands offerings. Not only does their hot chocolate look
great but they have entered the marshmallow field with four made from scratch flavors Vanilla, Cocoa, Berry and
Cinnamon. We're most curious about the cinnamon a marshmallow flavor we have yet to see anywhere.
January 16, 2007 - Monticello, Illinois has chocolate night coming up this February. The merchants on Main Street
all pass out chocolate goodies to late night shoppers. It's a good deal for merchants who receive traffic during a
slow period and customers who get to load up on treats on a cold wintry night. Just in case you can't read enough
about drinking chocolate The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has an excellent article about the state of all things
drinking chocolate. Downtown Staunton, Maine is the home of Alice Lee's The Sweet Shoppe, on New Street.
Leaving JC Penney she took her retirement fund and set up shop. She's installing a kitchen soon so she can
make and serve home made chocolate. Fran Bigelow, the founder of Fran's Chocolates, will be signing copies of
her book "Pure Chocolate" at The Bayview Thriftway, 516 W. Fourth Ave., Olympia , Washington tomorrow Tuesday
the 17th from 4 - 5 pm. A recipe for Fran Bigelow's Princess Pudding. Debby Sarsany and Dawn Olson are the
owners of Au-Chocolat, a chocolate fountain rental business co-owned by the two sisters. Their booth was a hit at
The Bridal Expo 2007 at the Decatur, Illinois Conference Center and Hotel. Dippin' Dots, those crunchy , frozen
little bits of flavor have grown into a nearly 50 million dollars a year business for founder Curt Jones who runs the
business out of Nashville, Tennessee and his factory in Paduach, Kentucky.
January 14, 2007 - Indiana Public Radio is launching a favorite recipe contest :"All Things Chocolate". There are
amateur, youth and professional divisions. BellaOnline has a few nice ideas for Valentine's Day. The Minneapolis
Star Tribune has a cool article about drinking chocolate which in the last six months seems to have become
popular all over the nation. A Butterscotch-chocolate chip brownies recipe that seems worth exploring. In India the
traditional way of sending wedding invitations has changed and now invitations are more commonly coming
accompanied with a box of chocolates usually in a gold package. The Office Of Fair Trading in the United Kingdom
has gotten a Hong Kong company, Global DM Licensing, to stop claiming there product Slim-Choc would allow its
user to lose twenty pounds in twenty days. Noka Chocolates chocolatier, Katrina Merrem, offers advice on how to
taste and get the full enjoyment out of your Valentine's Day chocolates.
January 13, 2007 - Dagoba is releasing four new bars. They are Lemon Ginger, Nibs, Seeds and Superfruit which
contains acai, currants and goji berries. If you happen to be in Des Moines, Iowa and feel the need for a cup of
excellent hot chocolate the Des Moines Register has a run down of some of the cities better places to go. 50Plus
Research, a market research company has recently completed a survey and found seniors and baby boomers in
order would find reading the hardest thing to give up, with chocolate second and sex third. If you're in
Montgomery, Alabama you might want to check out Cool Beans at the Café d'Art, and try their peppermint white hot
chocolate. The State out of South Carolina has a recipe for Mini candied cranberry chocolate cupcakes. Out of
Boston the recipe for chocolate filled bananas.
January 09, 2007 - In Malaysia Maestro Swiss Management Services , the distributor of Vochelle chocolate
products, has projected to gain 20 percent share of the Malaysian chocolate market this year. With Asian chocolate
markets growing Vochelle is available in Singapore, India and Hong Kong. The United Kingdom company
Gourmet Games has released a new item a game where one samples chocolates and then tries to guess its
cocoa content and country of origin. Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels settled his Sugar Bowl wager with Governor
Kathleen Babineaux Blanco , Notre Dame lost. He paid up with candy from India's Amish community and products
from The South Bend Chocolate Company. Quaker Oats has issued a Press Release for it's new breakfast cereal,
Life Chocolate Oat Crunch a chocolate flavored cereal for adults. UK supermarket Asda and retailer WHSmith will
stock GoLower Chocolane Crème bars, which are low in sugar and carbs. GoLower Chocolate Crème Bars are
also fortified with zinc, selenium and omega 3 and 6 essential fatty acids. Baskin - Robbins has released a new
line of chocolate treats. The line called "Love Chocolate ?" includes flavors such as Swiss Chocolate Treasure
which has Blueberry Lavender Ice Cream combined with Milk and Swiss chocolate and a Double Chocolate Fudge
Shake. Belgian chocolate maker Guylian has announced for Easter they will repackage their Seashell with a box
of their chocolates.
January 08, 2007 - The website Sally's Place has compiled a list of the five best artisan marshmallow makers in
the USA. Their list includes Lillie Belle Farms, Aida Candies and Keggs from Houston Texas. The article also
includes a neat little history of marshmallow. We here at eChocolateNYC were surprised to learn that the
Egyptians were eating marshmallow in 2000 BC. Wyoming's senator Craig Thomas has taken offer the "Candy
Desk" in the Senate chamber. For the past decade, Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pa., was seated at the desk but with
his recent loss the desk came up for grabs. The desk is where senators can drop by and get a quick chocolate or
candy fix. Usually candy makers from the Senators home state stock the desk which of course was no problem for
Senator Santorum as Pennsylvania is the home of Hershey as well as a host of smaller candy makers. Senator
Thomas has run into the problem that Wyoming has no major manufacturers but companies such as the
Huckleberry Mountain Candy Co., based in Jackson may be able to fill the need. Hershey Foods and the Mauna
Loa Macadamia Nut Corporation have finalized a deal where Mauna Loa will provide the name and Hershey will
enrobe them with milk and dark chocolate.
January 06, 2007 - 2007 will mark the 20th Anniversary of DeBrand Chocolates. Congratulations to this fine firm
who constantly turn out great products. Harry London Candies Inc. has enjoyed a surge in sales of its popular
Buckeye candy as Ohio State's football team has played great on the field. The team's nickname is the Buckeyes
and the candies are peanut butter inside chocolate with a peanut butter drop on top. The company has announced
they've sold 3 million extra pieces which they attribute to the team's success. The candy actually looks like an
actual Buckeye which is a nut. Speaking of Buckeyes, the team will be playing in the BCS championship game in
Arizona. To capture attention Anthony-Thomas Candy Company will be handing out their buckeyes. Oliver Kita has
decided to sell his restaurant, Heaven Cafe, in Woodstock New York and relocate to Rhinebeck New York. He has
opened Oliver Kita Fine Catering and Confections at 8 Astor Square, Rhinebeck. He spent two years studying
chocolate making in France and Montreal and sells the chocolates he makes. One of the items he makes and
sells are a 500 gram chocolate Buddha.
January 04, 2007 - Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, Inc. reported higher third quarter and nine-month earnings
today in a conference call. Same store sales were up 3.1% over the same period last year. 17-year-old, Andrea
Meterko, runs Andrea's Chocolates out of Niagara Falls High School and her parents' home. What started as a
school project in October has grown as Andrea sells her homemade confections to be fellow students and staff
members. Gourmet Retailer has some interesting information as to how retailers allocate space for the sale of
chocolate.
January 03, 2007 - Lake Champlain Chocolates has released their Valentine's Day assortments. Among the
items available are the "Be Mine" basket which is an New England ash basket filled with boxes containing 50
assorted truffles, hearts and squares. The Grand Heart is a box filled with 22 chocolates and the Hearts Gift Box
which has 32 assorted chocolates. Why not try something a little different this year for Valentine's day. Try melting
down some quality chocolate and dip some items for your loved ones. Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, Inc.
Schedules Third Quarter and Nine-Month Earnings Conference Call for January 4, 2007. The call will take place at
4:15 EST. NOKA Chocolate has introduced new packaging. The black and silver boxes will have a telescoping lid
and can be saved as a reminder of the NOKA experience. If you have never sampled NOKA we here at
eChocolateNYC recommend you give them a try. You can read the Press Release about the new packaging here.
Masterfoods the European makers of Snickers, Mars, Twix, M&Ms, Galaxy, Skittles, Maltesers and Starburst has
announced they will put the amount of calories of each bar on the front of the bar's label.
January 02, 2007 - Cocoa prices are trending upwards as peace talks between the rebels and the government of
the Ivory Coast have broken down. There is a very real fear that civil war in the Ivory Coast would disrupt cocoa
supplies.
found that a high intake of flavanols, found in cocoa, leads to a 31% decrease in the rate of kidney cancer. The
Hershey Company has entered into a joint venture with the South Korean confectionary company Lotte to enter the
growing market in China. Hershey will begin producing some of its more popular products, Hershey Kisses and
Reese's Peanut Butter cups at Lotte's factory outside of Shanghai, China in Jinshan. Children in the United
Kingdom spend more on sodas and candies than children anywhere else in the European Union. They also have
the highest rate of skipping breakfast a new study by market researcher Datamonitor has found. Wrigley, already
the world's largest chewing gum company, has made a dramatic entry into the worldwide chocolate market by
purchasing an 80% share of Russian chocolate company A. Korkunov. The deal calls for Wrigley to purchase the
outstanding 20% of the company at a latter date. The chocolate we've sampled from A. Korkunov, purchased at
Ernest Klein & Company, was pretty good and one market analyst predicts by 2009 chocolate consumption in
Russia will reach that of the United Kingdom. The National Association for the Specialty Food Trade, Inc. (NASFT)
and the Organic Trade Association (OTA) are breaking off from the Food Marketing Institute (FMI) Show in Chicago
starting in 2008. They will still hold their show in Chicago and they will participate in the 2007 FMI Show May 6 - 8,
2007. In the Volinskiy region of the Ukraine Nestle is planning to build a new plant according to local news
reports. The plant will help meet demand from the growing Ukranian market for nestle products especially
confectionary and baby food. Nestle first entered the Ukranian market in 1998 with the purchase of Ukranian candy
maker Svitoch. John & Kira's have unveiled their packaging for their 2007 Valentine's Day line and it looks like a
winner. We've sampled their chocolates and they are of the highest caliber and the holiday packaging looks great,
wood boxes with a wax heart shaped seal. We have come to respect John & Kiras relationships with their vendors.
From Project Mintpatch, kids learning gardening while raising mint which makes its way into John & Kira's
products, to Mut Vitz cooperative produced coffee, Chiapas region beans produced organically. It seems to us
that John & Kira have a clear vision of wanting to use high quality ingredients and have developed an exceptional
supply chain in the process.
January 26, 2007 - Jacques Torres has posted his Valentine's Day offerings for 2007. You can purchase
everything from a heart shaped box with 7 truffles in it for $9 to an assortment of chocolate products in The
Sweetheart Collection for $75. Quality Candy Co., Inc., makers of King Leo and Gilliam candies, announced the
retirement of Charles Edwards. Edward's is a four decade veteran of the industry and before working at Quality he
spent time at Bob's Candies of Albany, Georgia. Hershey Chocolate announced fourth quarter net income was
down 17 million dollars. The company lost sales when they were forced to close a plant in Canada during a
salmonella scare. They do feel they have positioned themselves well in 2007 having acquired Dagoba as an entre
into the organic chocolate field and have made strides towards expanding their presence in the dark chocolate
field. On the flip side Barry Callebaut has reported strong sales for first quarter of fiscal year 2006/07. Sales
revenue increased 3.6% over the same period last year. The United Kingdom's Department of the Environment
and Rural Affairs has released a study that shows average household expenditures on confectionary products
dropped 6.1% in 2005 as 34% of UK households now report they are actively avoiding sugar. The ALL CANDY
EXPO, has announced the 2007 EXPO, running September 17–19, 2007, at Chicago's McCormick Place will have
a much stronger international presence this year.
January 24, 2007 - CJ Allen and Robin Pulsifer have opened Sepia a full service chocolate shop in Centreville,
Cape Cod, Massachusetts. The shop sounds great, a place to sample everything from truffles to vegan chocolate
treats and also serves hot chocolate. It seems fine chocolate shops are opening everywhere. Newtown,
Connecticut is now the home of the Newtown Chocolatier in Ricky's shopping center on Main Street. Owner Jack
Elias does his own dipping in the back of the shop so the chocolate is nice and fresh. One person's attempts at
making chocolate sandwiches. By the way here in New York you can drop by the Belgian restaurant chain, four
locations in Manhattan, Petite Abeille and grab yourself a baquette slathered with Nutella or their great waffles
slathered with Nutella. Quality Candy Company, Inc., maker of King Leo® and Gilliam® candies, has announced
they are marketing a new product Crunchy Patties which is two layers of Belgian chocolate and hard candy bits
mixed together. Read the Press release here. Battle Creek, Michigan chocolatier Mark Rose uses the kitchen of
the Chapel Hill United Methodist Church to create his confections which he sells.
January 23, 2007 - Bob Untiedt, owner of Graham's Fine Chocolates and Ice Cream in Geneva, Illinois has rented
a new shop and is opening Graham's 318 which is larger and where he will be able to serve gelato, frozen hot
chocolate and chocolate fondue. Warren Brown and other chefs will be cooking at TasteDCs first Chocolate,
Food and Wine Festival on January 25th. The menu sounds great but the item that interests up the most is the
chocolate-covered tangerine-oil marshmallow kisses.
January 22, 2007 - Thorntons Plc the English chocolate firm reported a 2% increase in sales this quarter over the
same period last year. This was good news for the company who had suffered sluggish sales during the
Summer's heat. The Epilepsy Foundation's Chocolate Ball has been running for 21 years. Every year Rochester,
New York chefs compete by creating chocolate treats keeping with the years theme. This year the theme is Pirates
Of The Genesee. This years Ball will be held February 3rd and tickets are $125. The Jack In The Box chain of
restaurants is adding a new item to their menu. The Chocolate Oreo Cookie Shake will be composed of Oreo
cookie pieces, vanilla ice cream and bittersweet chocolate syrup. Read the Press Release here. If you're not in the
Rochester, New York area February 3rd maybe you can make the Freeport Arts Center's annual Wine, Cheese
and Chocolate fund-raiser being held the same day instead. Proceeds form the event go to support the Freeport ,
Illinois Arts Center. Throughout Japan retailers are pulling products from the Fujiya Company. The companies
President was forced to resign a week ago when it was found the company, owners of 800 baked goods shops
and manufacturers of cakes, candy and chocolate, had been using expired ingredients including milk, cream,
eggs and fillings in their products. The company, founded in 1910 and well known for its "Peko-chan" smiling girl
mascot, is reeling from the scandal and has had its 800 + stores closed while the investigation proceeds.
Although the company was only accused of fouling their baked goods retailers have been pulling al of the
companies products as a precaution.
January 18, 2007 - M&M's custom printing is geared up with a Valentine's Day offering of M&M's with your
message on them with a variety of heart shaped and red colored items to pair with them to make a neat gift. If you
happen to be in the Vermont area mark your calendar for March 24th when Kirk Weed, a chocolatier with 25 years
experience, will appear at the Lake Champlain Chocolates Factory Store & Cafe, 750 Pine Street , and will show
those who attend how to make and decorate chocolate Easter eggs. He'll answer questions and there will be a
sampling and take home recipes. There is no need to register in advance. Chocolate Fantasy, Fond Du Lac,
Wisconsin, is looking for vendors for its 11th annual event scheduled for 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 28, at
the Ramada Plaza Hotel ballroom, 1 N. Main St. The event is a fundraiser for the Fond du Lac Soroptimist
International chapter . Dairy firm HP Hood has introduced Simply Smart Chocolate Fat Free Milk. The milk is free of
artificial sweeteners and growth hormones.
January 17, 2007 - 2007 is the 100 th anniversary of the birth of the Hershey kiss. Hershey has announced all
sorts of events to celebrate this occasion. Try the Guess and Win Sweepstakes for a chance to win a $10,000
romantic trip. Make the trip to Hershey, Pennsylvania on July 7th for the actual birthday celebration. Of course don't
forget that the Postal Service has a Hershey Kiss postage stamp. Vosges Haut - Chocolat has announced their
Valentine's Day assortments and they sound great. They are bringing back the Gatsby and Daisy Truffle Collection.
The Collection is composed of two pieces the Gatsby Truffle which is composed of dark chocolate swirled with
brut champagne and topped with a red rose petal and the Daisy Truffle is composed of white chocolate with pink
rosé champagne from Reims, a few drops of rose water and a pink rose petal. The packaging looks great and you
can go with the 9 piece for $27 or the Limited Edition Luxe Gatsby which comes in a lucite box filled with other
interesting items besides truffles for $250 or many other different configurations. With the temperature here in New
York City under 20 degrees here in New York City this morning we here at eChocolateNYC are taking a look at the
world of hot chocolate and our eyes are focussed on DeBrands offerings. Not only does their hot chocolate look
great but they have entered the marshmallow field with four made from scratch flavors Vanilla, Cocoa, Berry and
Cinnamon. We're most curious about the cinnamon a marshmallow flavor we have yet to see anywhere.
January 16, 2007 - Monticello, Illinois has chocolate night coming up this February. The merchants on Main Street
all pass out chocolate goodies to late night shoppers. It's a good deal for merchants who receive traffic during a
slow period and customers who get to load up on treats on a cold wintry night. Just in case you can't read enough
about drinking chocolate The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has an excellent article about the state of all things
drinking chocolate. Downtown Staunton, Maine is the home of Alice Lee's The Sweet Shoppe, on New Street.
Leaving JC Penney she took her retirement fund and set up shop. She's installing a kitchen soon so she can
make and serve home made chocolate. Fran Bigelow, the founder of Fran's Chocolates, will be signing copies of
her book "Pure Chocolate" at The Bayview Thriftway, 516 W. Fourth Ave., Olympia , Washington tomorrow Tuesday
the 17th from 4 - 5 pm. A recipe for Fran Bigelow's Princess Pudding. Debby Sarsany and Dawn Olson are the
owners of Au-Chocolat, a chocolate fountain rental business co-owned by the two sisters. Their booth was a hit at
The Bridal Expo 2007 at the Decatur, Illinois Conference Center and Hotel. Dippin' Dots, those crunchy , frozen
little bits of flavor have grown into a nearly 50 million dollars a year business for founder Curt Jones who runs the
business out of Nashville, Tennessee and his factory in Paduach, Kentucky.
January 14, 2007 - Indiana Public Radio is launching a favorite recipe contest :"All Things Chocolate". There are
amateur, youth and professional divisions. BellaOnline has a few nice ideas for Valentine's Day. The Minneapolis
Star Tribune has a cool article about drinking chocolate which in the last six months seems to have become
popular all over the nation. A Butterscotch-chocolate chip brownies recipe that seems worth exploring. In India the
traditional way of sending wedding invitations has changed and now invitations are more commonly coming
accompanied with a box of chocolates usually in a gold package. The Office Of Fair Trading in the United Kingdom
has gotten a Hong Kong company, Global DM Licensing, to stop claiming there product Slim-Choc would allow its
user to lose twenty pounds in twenty days. Noka Chocolates chocolatier, Katrina Merrem, offers advice on how to
taste and get the full enjoyment out of your Valentine's Day chocolates.
January 13, 2007 - Dagoba is releasing four new bars. They are Lemon Ginger, Nibs, Seeds and Superfruit which
contains acai, currants and goji berries. If you happen to be in Des Moines, Iowa and feel the need for a cup of
excellent hot chocolate the Des Moines Register has a run down of some of the cities better places to go. 50Plus
Research, a market research company has recently completed a survey and found seniors and baby boomers in
order would find reading the hardest thing to give up, with chocolate second and sex third. If you're in
Montgomery, Alabama you might want to check out Cool Beans at the Café d'Art, and try their peppermint white hot
chocolate. The State out of South Carolina has a recipe for Mini candied cranberry chocolate cupcakes. Out of
Boston the recipe for chocolate filled bananas.
January 09, 2007 - In Malaysia Maestro Swiss Management Services , the distributor of Vochelle chocolate
products, has projected to gain 20 percent share of the Malaysian chocolate market this year. With Asian chocolate
markets growing Vochelle is available in Singapore, India and Hong Kong. The United Kingdom company
Gourmet Games has released a new item a game where one samples chocolates and then tries to guess its
cocoa content and country of origin. Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels settled his Sugar Bowl wager with Governor
Kathleen Babineaux Blanco , Notre Dame lost. He paid up with candy from India's Amish community and products
from The South Bend Chocolate Company. Quaker Oats has issued a Press Release for it's new breakfast cereal,
Life Chocolate Oat Crunch a chocolate flavored cereal for adults. UK supermarket Asda and retailer WHSmith will
stock GoLower Chocolane Crème bars, which are low in sugar and carbs. GoLower Chocolate Crème Bars are
also fortified with zinc, selenium and omega 3 and 6 essential fatty acids. Baskin - Robbins has released a new
line of chocolate treats. The line called "Love Chocolate ?" includes flavors such as Swiss Chocolate Treasure
which has Blueberry Lavender Ice Cream combined with Milk and Swiss chocolate and a Double Chocolate Fudge
Shake. Belgian chocolate maker Guylian has announced for Easter they will repackage their Seashell with a box
of their chocolates.
January 08, 2007 - The website Sally's Place has compiled a list of the five best artisan marshmallow makers in
the USA. Their list includes Lillie Belle Farms, Aida Candies and Keggs from Houston Texas. The article also
includes a neat little history of marshmallow. We here at eChocolateNYC were surprised to learn that the
Egyptians were eating marshmallow in 2000 BC. Wyoming's senator Craig Thomas has taken offer the "Candy
Desk" in the Senate chamber. For the past decade, Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pa., was seated at the desk but with
his recent loss the desk came up for grabs. The desk is where senators can drop by and get a quick chocolate or
candy fix. Usually candy makers from the Senators home state stock the desk which of course was no problem for
Senator Santorum as Pennsylvania is the home of Hershey as well as a host of smaller candy makers. Senator
Thomas has run into the problem that Wyoming has no major manufacturers but companies such as the
Huckleberry Mountain Candy Co., based in Jackson may be able to fill the need. Hershey Foods and the Mauna
Loa Macadamia Nut Corporation have finalized a deal where Mauna Loa will provide the name and Hershey will
enrobe them with milk and dark chocolate.
January 06, 2007 - 2007 will mark the 20th Anniversary of DeBrand Chocolates. Congratulations to this fine firm
who constantly turn out great products. Harry London Candies Inc. has enjoyed a surge in sales of its popular
Buckeye candy as Ohio State's football team has played great on the field. The team's nickname is the Buckeyes
and the candies are peanut butter inside chocolate with a peanut butter drop on top. The company has announced
they've sold 3 million extra pieces which they attribute to the team's success. The candy actually looks like an
actual Buckeye which is a nut. Speaking of Buckeyes, the team will be playing in the BCS championship game in
Arizona. To capture attention Anthony-Thomas Candy Company will be handing out their buckeyes. Oliver Kita has
decided to sell his restaurant, Heaven Cafe, in Woodstock New York and relocate to Rhinebeck New York. He has
opened Oliver Kita Fine Catering and Confections at 8 Astor Square, Rhinebeck. He spent two years studying
chocolate making in France and Montreal and sells the chocolates he makes. One of the items he makes and
sells are a 500 gram chocolate Buddha.
January 04, 2007 - Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, Inc. reported higher third quarter and nine-month earnings
today in a conference call. Same store sales were up 3.1% over the same period last year. 17-year-old, Andrea
Meterko, runs Andrea's Chocolates out of Niagara Falls High School and her parents' home. What started as a
school project in October has grown as Andrea sells her homemade confections to be fellow students and staff
members. Gourmet Retailer has some interesting information as to how retailers allocate space for the sale of
chocolate.
January 03, 2007 - Lake Champlain Chocolates has released their Valentine's Day assortments. Among the
items available are the "Be Mine" basket which is an New England ash basket filled with boxes containing 50
assorted truffles, hearts and squares. The Grand Heart is a box filled with 22 chocolates and the Hearts Gift Box
which has 32 assorted chocolates. Why not try something a little different this year for Valentine's day. Try melting
down some quality chocolate and dip some items for your loved ones. Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, Inc.
Schedules Third Quarter and Nine-Month Earnings Conference Call for January 4, 2007. The call will take place at
4:15 EST. NOKA Chocolate has introduced new packaging. The black and silver boxes will have a telescoping lid
and can be saved as a reminder of the NOKA experience. If you have never sampled NOKA we here at
eChocolateNYC recommend you give them a try. You can read the Press Release about the new packaging here.
Masterfoods the European makers of Snickers, Mars, Twix, M&Ms, Galaxy, Skittles, Maltesers and Starburst has
announced they will put the amount of calories of each bar on the front of the bar's label.
January 02, 2007 - Cocoa prices are trending upwards as peace talks between the rebels and the government of
the Ivory Coast have broken down. There is a very real fear that civil war in the Ivory Coast would disrupt cocoa
supplies.
