| 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.
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.