| January 2006 News |
January 30, 2006 - The New York Times has a bit about the new generation of Belgian Chocolatiers many of
whom have made there presence felt here in the United States. Interesting article out of Rochester about
Jonathan Leach a local pastry chef / chocolatier and his firm JonJohn's Specialty Desserts. Chocolate.com and
Harmony Sweets have joined together to offer a variety of international chocolates online.
January 29, 2006 - Article out of Birmingham Alabama about the upcoming Chocolate Festival at the Fernbank
Museum in Atlanta listing some of the many exhibitors. Neat piece about some of the events planned during
chocolate month in Hershey Pennsylvania. Fascinating piece out of the Miami Herald about how ecologist Arturo
Gomez-Pompa solved some of the mysteries of Mayan Cacao cultivation.
January 28, 2006 - Small piece about recent chocolate arrival Sweet Riot.
January 27, 2006 - Sales of dietetic chocolate dropped 33.8% in the U.S. last year.
January 26, 2006 - Two groups that advocate for the disabled are suing Stephany's Chocolate in Colorado
claiming discrimination because Stephany's requires each disabled person to be accompanied by a non
disabled person. A Tokyo jeweler has created a chocolate map of Africa and sprinkled it with over 2,000
diamonds. You can purchase this for $5,000,000.
January 25, 2006 - The Elizabeth Shaw chocolate factory in Bristol England is set to close. Built in 1901 as a
state of the art facility it is now slated for redevelopment. Hershey announced today that sales were up 3.4% in the
fourth quarter of 2005. Chefs and chocolatiers in the Louisville, Kentucky area will be banding together to raise
money for charity by holding a tasting Feburary 27th. The English firm Kinnerton is expanding its Fakenham factory
to help keep its production up after launching its Cocoa Deli line of chocolate lollypops. A review of the book
ChocolateChocolate by Lisa Yockelson. The San Antonio Botanical Garden has announced an upcoming
chocolate day February 11 with activities for the whole family.
January 24, 2006 - Petra Foods Ltd said it has agreed to buy the chocolate manufacturing and distribution assets
of Nestle Philippines Inc for $5,000,000.
January 23, 2006 - An article on Steve Almond the author of Candyfreak: A Journey Through the Chocolate
Underbelly of America. Schools in North Somerset England will be banning the sale of candy and fizzy drinks from
school vending machines.
January 22, 2006 - Morehead City North Carolina has announced the will be holding the fourth annual Carolina
Chocolate Festival February 3-5. Operating out of there garage the Kanellias family of Norton, Massachusetts
have set out to make and sell there own chocolate creations. Chicago area chefs are banding together to raise
money to help defray the costs of a kidney transplant for Abigail Wodrich. The Love of Chocolate benefit will be
held February 11th.
January 21, 2006 - Out of Madison Wisconsin an article about local spas and there offering of chocolate
massages. South Bend Indiana's the Chocolate Company has finally had there bid accepted to expand into the
Osco Building. The merchants of Arkansas City are starting a "Beat the Blues with Chocolate" festival this
February to entice customers to keep shopping downtown instead of shopping in the new Wal-Mart Supercenter.
January 20, 2006 - Kent Connecticut will celebrate its 11th Annual Chocolate Festival the afternoon of February
9th. Moonstruck Chocolate has unveiled there Valentines Day line for 2006 and they include a silk bear and
chocolate bears that are hand painted and look real nice. A dispute at the docks has left millions of dollars worth
of cocoa stranded in New York's Brooklyn docks. Until a few years ago New York was the busiest cocoa port in the
United States but has dropped to third. Interesting article about chocolatier and cooking author Alice Medrich. A
recipe for Matcha " Green Tea" hot chocolate.
January 19, 2006 - Cacao Anasa and Viansa Winery & Italian Marketplace have announced a partnership where
the Winery's Tuscan Club members will be offered the opportunity to purchase truffles from Cacao Anasa. The
University Of California Davis has announced that they have isolated a chemical compound that they believe is in
part responsible for some of the health benefits associated with cocoa.
January 18, 2006 - Godiva has announced there Valentines Day promotion for 2006. One lucky winner will receive
an $80,000 shopping spree at jewelers H. Stern and also receive 80 boxes of Godiva Chocolate plus a trip for two
to New York City. Check out there site for details.
January 17, 2006 - After declaring dropping sales in the last quarter of 2005 , Thorntons has become the object of
speculation about possible takeover bids. Nice article from Richmond Virginia about a local woman,
Jeanne-Louise Womble chasing her dream and becoming a chocolatier. From the Philippines , San Isidro Mayor
Tomas Abelita is promoting his towns chocolate producing capabilities by marketing a brand of hot chocolate
labeled "Chocolate de San Isidro." The town hopes to entice an investor to build a chocolate factory to process the
towns cocoa harvest. Local farmers have been receiving seedlings and been encouraged to plant and the town
hopes to be able to provide jobs after harvest.
January 16, 2006 - Interesting piece from the Washington Post about a visit to a small Parisian chocolate shop.
Article on Hershey product Kissable which is somewhat like an M&M.
January 14, 2006 - Neat little article about ordering customized M&Ms.
January 13, 2006 - HG Marsh Premium Chocolate Ice Cream has recalled a batch of its Ice Cream as it may
contain almonds which were not labeled correctly. An interesting article about Adora Chocolate Calcium
Supplements which are "gourmet" chocolates loaded up with calcium and vitamins. You can get a free sample at
www.adorasamples.com. Two Australian women who started making chocolate ten months ago have watched
there operation rapidly expand. Interesting article about Cadbury and they're efforts to expand into other markets
as there chocolate sales stagnate. The article describes the testing of Trident Splash. Hershey plans a new
product line Hershey Sticks which are low calorie and will come in four flavors: milk chocolate, caramel-filled milk
chocolate, mint milk chocolate and dark chocolate. World's Finest Chocolate Inc. has purchased the Queen Anne
line of chocolates. Queen Anne sells thirty million dollars a year of there chocolate covered cherries. Production of
the cherries will be moved to World's Finest Chocolate's factory in Chicago. Interesting piece on
Marketwatch.com that has information on the new book on Milton Hershey as well as how the Hershey trust
helps underprivileged kids and what a well run company Hershey is. Speaking of Hershey they are now making
chocolate covered pretzels in conjunction with Snyders Of Hanover.
January 12, 2006 - Amcor one of the worlds largest packaging companies has teamed up with the Australian firm
Plantic to develop biodegradable packaging. Plantic, only two years old, already makes biodegradable trays for
chocolate companies such as Nestle UK and Cadbury.
January 11, 2006 - Kosher food manufacturer Manischewitz is test marketing its Tam Tam crackers dipped in
milk chocolate. The product is being test marketed in the Boston area at the moment the Boston Herald reported
today. Debauve and Gallais have partnered with Glide Effortless in setting up Glide's first non-digital goods shop.
Martha Stewart appears on the Today Show and whips up a chocolate Angel Food Cake. The recipe and some
video of her appearance. Information about Philadelphia's 11th Anniversary Chocolate Festival that will be held
February 4th and 5th. Snapshot Chocolate has announced a new line of greeting cards printed on edible
chocolate. You can also print photos on chocolate.
January 10, 2006 - A recipe for chocolate truffles with pistachios.
January 09, 2006 - British health campaigners are turning up the heat in there campaign to reduce the size of
British chocolate bars. A barge started sinking off the Brooklyn waterfront and several freight cars of raw cocoa
took on some water.
January 08, 2006 - From Jamaica an interesting article about Michelle Smith a local chocolatier and how she
expanded her operation from a kitchen setup to her own shop.
January 07, 2006 - The New York Chocolate and Confections Company has announced they will soon resume
production and that they plan no future layoffs. The company had been functioning out of the Fulton , New York
former Nestles plant.
January 06. 2006 - Trader Joe's gourmet fudge has announced a recall in eight states owing to walnuts be
included in the product and then not being properly labeled for possible allergic reactions. The Rocky Mountain
Chocolate Factory announced record sales and record profits today. In Great Britain chocolate makers are being
criticized for making available giant size chocolate bars. Many makers had promised to curb there production and
then have apparently failed to keep those promises as Great Britain "struggles" with an obesity epidemic. British
scientists from the University of Salford are working on a diet pill that is made from cocoa extract. They claim that it
has shown the ability to alter the metabolic rate and has the added benefit of tasting like chocolate. The Rocky
Mountain Chocolate Factory, Inc. Board authorizes repurchase of additional shares of common stock from
existing excess cash balances up to $2,000,000 worth of shares. Bangkok, Thailand struggles with a shortage of
white sugar even though the country is an exporter of sugar. The Thai government has tried to control the price of
sugar within Thailand, keeping the price artificially low to help consumers which has led to the disappearance of
sugar from store shelves in recent weeks.
January 05, 2006 - British retailer WHSmith has responded to charges by Tory Party leader David Cameron that
they push chocolate bars as opposed to selling healthy food.
January 04, 2006 - The BBC reported today that Tory Party leader David Cameron has criticized Britain's retailers
for pushing chocolate bars and other chocolate products through discounting. He feels they should discount
healthy food instead of confectionary items. Britain's chocolate maker Thortons reported a 4.9% decline in same
store sales (369 shops) from last year. Croydon Park Hotel's executive chef Howard Mander constructed a large
chocolate house for children undergoing cancer treatment at The Royal Marsden Hospital, in Sutton England.
National Geographic News has reported that a newly discovered mammal has been named after British candy
maker Cadbury. Named Kryoryctes cadburyi the mammal roamed the planet in the days of the dinosaur. It
resembled the spiny anteater and was discovered in Australia.
January 03, 2006 - The FDA finds the levels of lead found in chocolate acceptable. Hershey Co.'s Chocolate World
free tour will be closed for a three month $5,000,000 upgrade. Among the new attractions will be the addition of
three singing cows. The tour is scheduled to reopen April 01, 2006. Over 63 million visitors have taken the tour
since it's inception in 1973. A nice article with photo of Anna Shea chocolatier, and her shop in Tarrytown , New
York.
whom have made there presence felt here in the United States. Interesting article out of Rochester about
Jonathan Leach a local pastry chef / chocolatier and his firm JonJohn's Specialty Desserts. Chocolate.com and
Harmony Sweets have joined together to offer a variety of international chocolates online.
January 29, 2006 - Article out of Birmingham Alabama about the upcoming Chocolate Festival at the Fernbank
Museum in Atlanta listing some of the many exhibitors. Neat piece about some of the events planned during
chocolate month in Hershey Pennsylvania. Fascinating piece out of the Miami Herald about how ecologist Arturo
Gomez-Pompa solved some of the mysteries of Mayan Cacao cultivation.
January 28, 2006 - Small piece about recent chocolate arrival Sweet Riot.
January 27, 2006 - Sales of dietetic chocolate dropped 33.8% in the U.S. last year.
January 26, 2006 - Two groups that advocate for the disabled are suing Stephany's Chocolate in Colorado
claiming discrimination because Stephany's requires each disabled person to be accompanied by a non
disabled person. A Tokyo jeweler has created a chocolate map of Africa and sprinkled it with over 2,000
diamonds. You can purchase this for $5,000,000.
January 25, 2006 - The Elizabeth Shaw chocolate factory in Bristol England is set to close. Built in 1901 as a
state of the art facility it is now slated for redevelopment. Hershey announced today that sales were up 3.4% in the
fourth quarter of 2005. Chefs and chocolatiers in the Louisville, Kentucky area will be banding together to raise
money for charity by holding a tasting Feburary 27th. The English firm Kinnerton is expanding its Fakenham factory
to help keep its production up after launching its Cocoa Deli line of chocolate lollypops. A review of the book
ChocolateChocolate by Lisa Yockelson. The San Antonio Botanical Garden has announced an upcoming
chocolate day February 11 with activities for the whole family.
January 24, 2006 - Petra Foods Ltd said it has agreed to buy the chocolate manufacturing and distribution assets
of Nestle Philippines Inc for $5,000,000.
January 23, 2006 - An article on Steve Almond the author of Candyfreak: A Journey Through the Chocolate
Underbelly of America. Schools in North Somerset England will be banning the sale of candy and fizzy drinks from
school vending machines.
January 22, 2006 - Morehead City North Carolina has announced the will be holding the fourth annual Carolina
Chocolate Festival February 3-5. Operating out of there garage the Kanellias family of Norton, Massachusetts
have set out to make and sell there own chocolate creations. Chicago area chefs are banding together to raise
money to help defray the costs of a kidney transplant for Abigail Wodrich. The Love of Chocolate benefit will be
held February 11th.
January 21, 2006 - Out of Madison Wisconsin an article about local spas and there offering of chocolate
massages. South Bend Indiana's the Chocolate Company has finally had there bid accepted to expand into the
Osco Building. The merchants of Arkansas City are starting a "Beat the Blues with Chocolate" festival this
February to entice customers to keep shopping downtown instead of shopping in the new Wal-Mart Supercenter.
January 20, 2006 - Kent Connecticut will celebrate its 11th Annual Chocolate Festival the afternoon of February
9th. Moonstruck Chocolate has unveiled there Valentines Day line for 2006 and they include a silk bear and
chocolate bears that are hand painted and look real nice. A dispute at the docks has left millions of dollars worth
of cocoa stranded in New York's Brooklyn docks. Until a few years ago New York was the busiest cocoa port in the
United States but has dropped to third. Interesting article about chocolatier and cooking author Alice Medrich. A
recipe for Matcha " Green Tea" hot chocolate.
January 19, 2006 - Cacao Anasa and Viansa Winery & Italian Marketplace have announced a partnership where
the Winery's Tuscan Club members will be offered the opportunity to purchase truffles from Cacao Anasa. The
University Of California Davis has announced that they have isolated a chemical compound that they believe is in
part responsible for some of the health benefits associated with cocoa.
January 18, 2006 - Godiva has announced there Valentines Day promotion for 2006. One lucky winner will receive
an $80,000 shopping spree at jewelers H. Stern and also receive 80 boxes of Godiva Chocolate plus a trip for two
to New York City. Check out there site for details.
January 17, 2006 - After declaring dropping sales in the last quarter of 2005 , Thorntons has become the object of
speculation about possible takeover bids. Nice article from Richmond Virginia about a local woman,
Jeanne-Louise Womble chasing her dream and becoming a chocolatier. From the Philippines , San Isidro Mayor
Tomas Abelita is promoting his towns chocolate producing capabilities by marketing a brand of hot chocolate
labeled "Chocolate de San Isidro." The town hopes to entice an investor to build a chocolate factory to process the
towns cocoa harvest. Local farmers have been receiving seedlings and been encouraged to plant and the town
hopes to be able to provide jobs after harvest.
January 16, 2006 - Interesting piece from the Washington Post about a visit to a small Parisian chocolate shop.
Article on Hershey product Kissable which is somewhat like an M&M.
January 14, 2006 - Neat little article about ordering customized M&Ms.
January 13, 2006 - HG Marsh Premium Chocolate Ice Cream has recalled a batch of its Ice Cream as it may
contain almonds which were not labeled correctly. An interesting article about Adora Chocolate Calcium
Supplements which are "gourmet" chocolates loaded up with calcium and vitamins. You can get a free sample at
www.adorasamples.com. Two Australian women who started making chocolate ten months ago have watched
there operation rapidly expand. Interesting article about Cadbury and they're efforts to expand into other markets
as there chocolate sales stagnate. The article describes the testing of Trident Splash. Hershey plans a new
product line Hershey Sticks which are low calorie and will come in four flavors: milk chocolate, caramel-filled milk
chocolate, mint milk chocolate and dark chocolate. World's Finest Chocolate Inc. has purchased the Queen Anne
line of chocolates. Queen Anne sells thirty million dollars a year of there chocolate covered cherries. Production of
the cherries will be moved to World's Finest Chocolate's factory in Chicago. Interesting piece on
Marketwatch.com that has information on the new book on Milton Hershey as well as how the Hershey trust
helps underprivileged kids and what a well run company Hershey is. Speaking of Hershey they are now making
chocolate covered pretzels in conjunction with Snyders Of Hanover.
January 12, 2006 - Amcor one of the worlds largest packaging companies has teamed up with the Australian firm
Plantic to develop biodegradable packaging. Plantic, only two years old, already makes biodegradable trays for
chocolate companies such as Nestle UK and Cadbury.
January 11, 2006 - Kosher food manufacturer Manischewitz is test marketing its Tam Tam crackers dipped in
milk chocolate. The product is being test marketed in the Boston area at the moment the Boston Herald reported
today. Debauve and Gallais have partnered with Glide Effortless in setting up Glide's first non-digital goods shop.
Martha Stewart appears on the Today Show and whips up a chocolate Angel Food Cake. The recipe and some
video of her appearance. Information about Philadelphia's 11th Anniversary Chocolate Festival that will be held
February 4th and 5th. Snapshot Chocolate has announced a new line of greeting cards printed on edible
chocolate. You can also print photos on chocolate.
January 10, 2006 - A recipe for chocolate truffles with pistachios.
January 09, 2006 - British health campaigners are turning up the heat in there campaign to reduce the size of
British chocolate bars. A barge started sinking off the Brooklyn waterfront and several freight cars of raw cocoa
took on some water.
January 08, 2006 - From Jamaica an interesting article about Michelle Smith a local chocolatier and how she
expanded her operation from a kitchen setup to her own shop.
January 07, 2006 - The New York Chocolate and Confections Company has announced they will soon resume
production and that they plan no future layoffs. The company had been functioning out of the Fulton , New York
former Nestles plant.
January 06. 2006 - Trader Joe's gourmet fudge has announced a recall in eight states owing to walnuts be
included in the product and then not being properly labeled for possible allergic reactions. The Rocky Mountain
Chocolate Factory announced record sales and record profits today. In Great Britain chocolate makers are being
criticized for making available giant size chocolate bars. Many makers had promised to curb there production and
then have apparently failed to keep those promises as Great Britain "struggles" with an obesity epidemic. British
scientists from the University of Salford are working on a diet pill that is made from cocoa extract. They claim that it
has shown the ability to alter the metabolic rate and has the added benefit of tasting like chocolate. The Rocky
Mountain Chocolate Factory, Inc. Board authorizes repurchase of additional shares of common stock from
existing excess cash balances up to $2,000,000 worth of shares. Bangkok, Thailand struggles with a shortage of
white sugar even though the country is an exporter of sugar. The Thai government has tried to control the price of
sugar within Thailand, keeping the price artificially low to help consumers which has led to the disappearance of
sugar from store shelves in recent weeks.
January 05, 2006 - British retailer WHSmith has responded to charges by Tory Party leader David Cameron that
they push chocolate bars as opposed to selling healthy food.
January 04, 2006 - The BBC reported today that Tory Party leader David Cameron has criticized Britain's retailers
for pushing chocolate bars and other chocolate products through discounting. He feels they should discount
healthy food instead of confectionary items. Britain's chocolate maker Thortons reported a 4.9% decline in same
store sales (369 shops) from last year. Croydon Park Hotel's executive chef Howard Mander constructed a large
chocolate house for children undergoing cancer treatment at The Royal Marsden Hospital, in Sutton England.
National Geographic News has reported that a newly discovered mammal has been named after British candy
maker Cadbury. Named Kryoryctes cadburyi the mammal roamed the planet in the days of the dinosaur. It
resembled the spiny anteater and was discovered in Australia.
January 03, 2006 - The FDA finds the levels of lead found in chocolate acceptable. Hershey Co.'s Chocolate World
free tour will be closed for a three month $5,000,000 upgrade. Among the new attractions will be the addition of
three singing cows. The tour is scheduled to reopen April 01, 2006. Over 63 million visitors have taken the tour
since it's inception in 1973. A nice article with photo of Anna Shea chocolatier, and her shop in Tarrytown , New
York.
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