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In 2007, I felt like something was missing. I loved my chosen home of Santa Barbara, California, but it didn't have a place to buy fine chocolates like the ones I grew up with in Switzerland.
I decided to open a shop myself and returned to Switzerland to study with the talented and generous Jeremy Ramsauer of La Chocolaterie. To keep up with demand, we expanded our downtown kitchen and installed new chocolate-making equipment. Production is flourishing and we're constantly developing new flavors. Aiming to help chocolate-lovers discover the world through their taste buds, we dress our counter with all kinds of bonbons and line our walls with the best bean-to-bars we can find. Nearly 19 years later, our passion for craft chocolate has only grown. We still create our confections in our on-site kitchen using the world's finest chocolate couverture and all-natural, fresh ingredients from the Santa Barbara Farmer's Market. Our staff is as friendly as ever, trained to help you develop your palette and choose perfect flavors for you and your loved ones. We look forward to sharing our favorite chocolates with you, Maya |
Our Ingredients
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It is a fundamental fact that no cook, however creative and capable, can produce a dish of a quality any higher than that of its raw ingredients. ~ Alice Waters
Through the years, our visits to international cacao farms have taught us the importance of knowing where our ingredients come from and the impact of our work as chocolatiers at home and abroad. We care deeply about the well-being of cacao farmers and their families and are committed to working with chocolate sources that pay their farmers a living wage. We proudly work with Felchlin and Conexíon couvertures – base chocolate for our confections – because of their outstanding quality, reliability, and sustainability. After visiting their factory in Schwyz Switzerland, it was evident why Felchlin is one of the best chocolates with which to make our confections. We're also proud to use chocolate from Conexíon, who grow heirloom varieties of cacao and produce their delicious chocolate from start to finish in Ecuador. We also use couverture from various small, craft, bean to bar chocolate-makers. You can taste the care with which dedicated chocolate makers handle their cacao. Chocolate of this quality deserves only the finest partners, which is why we never use artificial flavorings or preservatives. Working with seasonal and natural products like fresh herbs, fruits, nuts, and liquors enables us to create exciting flavors and aesthetics while maintaining our dedication to the highest quality ingredients. We are members of the Fine Chocolate Industry Association and proud sponsors of the Heirloom Cacao Preservation Fund. |
Chocolate Makers |
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We're living in the golden age of craft chocolate. Across the US and abroad, creative geniuses and mad-scientist-types are finessing just two ingredients– cacao beans and sugar– into balanced, exciting, melodies of flavor. They also make gorgeous milk chocolate bars and bars with flavor inclusions. Here are some of the chocolate makers whose bars we're proud to carry in our shop.
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