What’s better than getting your loved one chocolate for Valentines Day? Taking them directly to the source! Check out our favorite chocolatiers from around the world, then WOW your significant other with a trip to taste chocolate at its finest.
Vermont: Lake Champlain Chocolates
It all started in a restaurant kitchen in Burlington, Vermont. During the holidays, Jim Lampman would buy fancy chocolates to give to his staff. Until one Christmas, when his pastry chef confessed what he really thought of those chocolates. The result was a batch of hand-rolled truffles so smooth and creamy, so deep in pure chocolate flavor — after just one bite, Jim knew they were onto something. Within a year the restaurant was sold and Lake Champlain Chocolates was born.
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Ireland: Lorge Chocolatier
A pastry chef from France, Benoit Lorge decided to use his qualifications to help him travel the world. After traveling to Corsica, the South of France and Scotland he finally landed in Ireland where he settled in Kenmare. During the winter months, Benoit used the extra time that he had to produce exclusive chocolates to help raise money for local charities. The demand for Benoit’s very special and unique products soon gained him an exclusive reputation and his products were in great demand.
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Wisconsin: Gail Ambrosius Chocolatier
Growing up on a dairy farm in Seymour, Wisconsin, Gail’s mom instilled a lifelong love of cooking in her ten children. Gail finally took a chance on her dream of owning a chocolate shop at the age of 45. She took an online class and then returned to France, where she unabashedly sampled lots of world-class chocolates and soaked in as much information as she could gather. After coming home with nearly 50 pounds of chocolates, she worked tirelessly to make her dream a reality.
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California: Woodhouse Chocolates
After nearly 20 years of winemaking, the Andersons began to notice a pattern in their lives: chocolate. So they spent two years immersed in it. Tracy took every course she could find on chocolate and her home kitchen was transformed into a chocolate laboratory. John created the physical space for their shop and kitchen just blocks from their home, in which it all sits today, as well as putting his valuable palate to work in the development of their chocolates.
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Belgium: Dumon Chocolatier
The story of Dumon Chocolatier starts back in 1992, when Stephan Dumon started a small-scale production of artisan truffles for bakeries and pastry chefs nearby in Torhout (just outside Bruges). Very soon neighboring citizens in Torhout asked if they could buy from him as well, so a small shop was set up in the garage. In 1996 Stephan’s mother opened her own unique shop in the town centre of Bruges, and ss popularity of our chocolates grew, the production-facilities grew as well.
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