Crushpad

Coco and Cabernet!

In my last post, I mentioned that we have been busy with lots of events. One of the more local events, where we did not have to get on a plane, was the night at San Francisco’s Crushpad. The evening started with a selection of three red wines: a Merlot, a Zinfandel and a Cabernet.

The event was put on by TasteTV, producer of Chocolate Television and the International and Luxury Chocolate Salons. They teamed with Crushpad to create the very first wine specifically designed to pair well with chocolate. The event was: CHOCOLATE SEIZURE 2008.

The design team for this one of a kind boutique wine consisted of TasteTV, Crushpad winemakers, a panel of top artisan chocolatiers (including yours truly) food & wine journalists from the bay area and the lucky people who purchased tickets.

The evening consisted of attendees collecting chocolate samples from all of the chocolate makers and then tasted them with each of the three different wines. Personally, I thought the Merlot was really good and the most drinkable at the time. The zinfandel and the cabernet were also good but needed a bit of aging to really make it really stand up to the chocolate. In the end, the Cabernet won, which was a tribute to the people who attended the event. They were able to recognize certain elements in the wine, which after a bit of aging would be the perfect match. Very impressive!

With only 300 bottles available, this will be very special wine to savor with the best dark chocolate. Because we were part of the event, Coco Delice Fine Chocolates will be on the label with the rest of the other chocolate makers who were there for the pairing.

New York Bash

Well, it has been a while since my last post…hmm, why do I feel like am a church confession? I do have a good reason-we have been doing lots of special events-Chicago, San Francisco (Crushpad) and the latest New York City. The event in Manhattan was for an organization called City Harvest. Below is a summary of the event and as you can imagine that the chocolate flew out the door, especially since we were only one of three chocolate makers at the event.

City Harvest, a non-profit that delivers food to hungry New Yorkers, raised enormous awareness last night during an extremely chic event called Focus: An auction of the finest photography, with special food tastings prepared by many well known chefs from restaurants like Le Bernardin, Victor’s Cafe, and South Gate to name a few. The lobster from Eric Ripert Le Bernardin was out of this world!

There were also special musical performances by the Kevin Bacon’s band, the Bacon Brothers, and the Cringe Band, led by John Cusimano, Rachael Ray’s husband. Both groups put on spectacular performances that had the room rocking.

The event had a silent auction of some of the finest photography donated by some of the world’s most famous photographers; along with jewelry from Judith Ripka which raised much needed funds to help feed the city’s needy. Other sponsors of the evening were FUJIFILM, Interview Magazine, Gotham Magazine, Diageo, and super sweet chocolates from Coco Delice and Marti Chocolatt.

Rachael Ray, one of the bidders of the live auction, bought a Rolling Stones picture of Mick Jagger singing Jumping Jack Flash which sold for $10K. Rachael, who also sits on City Harvest’s board of directors, reminded the nearly 800 guests how we need to help support this important, 25 year old organization and make sure the region’s needy are not forgotten.

On an eco-friendly point, by the end of 2009 City Harvest will convert their trucks to be hybrid — which should help reduce emissions by 40 percent. City Harvest also uses pedi-cabs to transport food around Manhattan.

The event was produced by Bradford Rand, CEO of Go Green Expo in association with Timothy White, and a world renowned photographer who also sits on the board of City Harvest.

Chocolate Trends

Here is part of an article I found on the future market trends for gourmet chocolate-good news for all the chocolate lovers out there (and chocolate makers!). Enjoy!

Specialty foods, whether gourmet, organic or all natural are the rage these days. Formerly available only through farmers’ markets or specialty foods stores, premium fares have gained far-reaching acceptance. Consumers only have to go to the local chain grocery and drug store to find their daily fix. The market for gourmet foods and beverages is currently valued at over $42 billion and is expected to exceed $62 billion by 2009. Americans might not need premium treats, but we surely want them and want them daily.

Concerned with the high saturated fat and sugar content for decades, consumers have set aside premium chocolates for the most special occasions. Recent research has revealed the potential health benefits of chocolate to the public. More and more people are embracing chocolates, some are even incorporating higher-quality treats into their daily routines. As a result, the premium chocolate market grew at an annual rate of 10.5% during the period between 2001 and 2005 compared to a paltry 1.8% of the overall chocolate candy sales. Premium chocolate is far and away the most exciting category in the confectionery segment.

Demographics

Premium chocolate is an acquired taste. This is especially true in the case of the dark chocolate sub-segment that differentiates itself with less sugary, more bitter flavors than conventional confectionary fares. As such, children or teens do not represent the primary market for this category. A blessing in disguise is the fact that the gourmet chocolate market stays strong despite the dwindling percentage of U.S. households with children, which threatens the sales prospects of the sugar confections industry as a whole.

Among the adult population, surveys show some overlapping with the general gourmet food industry. A few consumer groups stand out: young adults (18-34 years old), the affluent (with household earnings of at least $100,000), women, and Asians. However, differences between segments are often small. Indulgences have become dear to the old and the young, low-and-high-income earners alike. Like most things that were once limited to only the wealthiest customers, premium chocolates have gone mainstream.

Market Conditions

With margins tightening elsewhere in the confectionery segment, top-flight chocolates have become an increasingly important part of manufacturers’ portfolios. As such, more and more mainstream marketers seek to move up-market, either through launching their own premium lines or by acquiring small, yet established producers. Their presence, albeit still in the minority, can only lead to an even more dynamic and exciting industry.

The market as a whole has seen great strides in distribution reach. Once exclusively available at specialty & boutique shops, premium chocolate now generates 40% of total sales through food, drug, and mass channels. A large part of the expansion is due to the mainstream player’s existing retail network and advertising muscle. One cannot ignore the exceptional branding and marketing done by others to make gourmet chocolate the ever-emerging phenomenon it is today.

Consumer Trends

As newly-released data indicates the level of concerns about serving foods that contain sugar to be the highest since 1994. The once-labeled “health fad” is not going away anytime soon. Hence consumption of chocolate, a product high in both fat and sugar, can hardly be considered guilt-free. Manufacturers have reacted by creating added value in the form of vitamins and healthy ingredients. The Hershey Company unveiled Whole Bean Chocolate which contains 7 grams of fiber in each serving. This product is a part of the company’s antioxidants-rich Goodness Chocolate portfolio, meant to be enjoyed in moderation as part of an active and healthy lifestyle.

Rising health concerns have led to the emergence of another gourmet segment, quipped by insiders as “the dark side of chocolate”. Dark chocolate, which has high flavanoids content, saw its 2006 sales volume jump 43%. Also, as their palates evolve and deem sugary taste less desirable, consumers actively seek to “trade up” toward even darker chocolate. Indeed, the percent of cocoa content has become increasingly important to customers both as a measure of taste and of health benefits. Companies listened and started rolling out products with more than 70% cocoa. In 2005, Lindt introduced a 99% cocoa bar to the delight of chocolate connoisseurs around the world.

In comparison, milk chocolate features as little as 10 percent cocoa, and its milk content has been shown to dilute potential health benefits of antioxidants.Yet, consumers have not turned their backs on milk chocolate. Recent consumer research by Mintel uncovered an indifference between milk and dark among premium chocolate lovers. For all the positive press heaved upon dark chocolate, there might be a big untapped market where companies would gain from positioning their milk chocolates as premium.

Manufacturers are also going beyond the basic flavor notes to satisfy customers who seek exotic fares. Vosges Haut-Chocolat’s Barcelona Bar, for example, lists hickory-smoked almonds and fleur-de-sel gray sea salt among its ingredients. Products touting honey, chai tea, goji berries and pumpkin seed flavors are already on the market. Ice wine, goat cheese, olive oil, and malt are soon to come.

The world of chocolate has witnessed many other exciting trends. Thanks to the ever growing organic foods craze, consumers’ awareness has increased. Chocolatiers are becoming more ethically concerned about how and where certain goods are made. Single bean, or origin chocolate, and Fair Trade-certified bars have developed quite a following. Artisan chocolates, with their exclusive hand-crafted products, limited versions and endless flavor experiments have their own appeal.

Advertising & Packaging

Despite being in the world’s largest confectionery market, U.S. consumers possess a somewhat less refined taste. As such, it is vital for companies to actively engage in “recruiting” chocolate lovers. Guerrilla-type sampling programs and tasting classes work wonders in unveiling chocolate’s positive attributes to the public.Commercially produced chocolate has its root in Western Europe countries: Belgium, Switzerland, France, etc. In fact, many high-end chocolate gift boxes now come with instructional leaflets containing tasting notes and tips such as "Place your tongue on the roof of your mouth and swirl the melting chocolate all over." Readily available recipes and chocolate-related information, such as those on Lindt’s website, are also effective educating tools. Mars launched a series of Ethel’s Chocolate Lounges where customers can learn firsthand about the finer points of chocolate indulgence while getting their daily fixes.

Positioning itself in the premium category, gourmet chocolate would benefit from constant product differentiation. Labeling that plays up cocoa content, country of origin and health-related hints would go a long way toward achieving this goal. Chocolate is often an impulse purchase; hence displays, product placements and feature tie-ins can be a key sales driving factor. Also, for a premium market, gourmet chocolate lovers are a rather price-conscious crowd. Hershey’s Cacao Reserve’s disappointing launch is believed to have stemmed from the company’s refusal to compete on prices and hold temporary discounts.

New Happenings

So, I know it has been a while since my last post, but I have been busy interviewing potential new employees so we can be up to speed for the holiday season. Being in the chocolate business is like being in the retail business-in July, we are planning for February and in March we are planning for December.

I am happy to report that I have found a couple of great new employees-both who will be training as chocolate production staff. One of the challenges of being an artisan chocolate maker is that everything that we do is done by hand, so it takes a while to train someone in the techniques of how we do things. It is not like we are training them on the operation of a big piece of machinery that will do all of the work-they have to learn the various technical variances of the chocolate we happen to be working with on any given day. I will keep you posted on their progress.

Speaking of big machines, we have upgraded to a new chocolate machine that can melt and temper about 60 pounds of chocolate at one time, this versus the machines we were using previously which had a capacity of only 10 pounds. Our newest addition to the family is the JKV 30-which is a very easy to use machine that does not rely on a lot of fancy bells and whistles. The advantage of a machine like this is that if something does go wrong, it can be repaired quite easily, for there are not a lot of complicated digital parts. This machine, if maintained on a regular basis will last for decades-which is makes it a very valuable asset to the production line and helps add to bottom line.

When one owns their own chocolate business, it helps greatly if one can take apart a machine and fix it. Luckily, I am pretty mechanically inclined-I often remind my friends that I put a new engine in my 1967 Ford Fairlane station wagon that I had while living in Tucson, Arizona. I loved that car-every time I hear the B-52’s song “Love Shack”, I think of that car. It was the song that was popular at the time and I really liked cranking up the stereo! This picture is not one of mine, but it looked very similar-oh, those were the good ole days! In fact, I drove this car which had air conditioning, during one of the hottest summers on record-at least back then, where air traffic control diverted flights from Phoenix to Tucson, because it was only 117 degrees Tucson and 123 degrees in Phoenix. The issue was that the aircraft were not certified to land in temperatures over 120 degrees-now that is hot-not even my Ford Fairlane’s AC could keep up with that.

I actually sold this car and used the money to move to the SF Bay area-so I guess, in a way, my old Fairlane had something to do with founding my chocolate company. Hmm, maybe it is time to come up with a chocolate named for it.

Being a good chocolatier

Well one of the many challenges of running your own business is finding time to do some of the little things…like writing a blog! Even though the summer months tend to be the slower months for chocolate sales, there is tons of planning to do for the fall and spring seasons-kind of like working at the Gap! Even though the store is brimming with all of the summer items, you are already thinking about winter and the following spring-it is enough to make one’s head spin. But, like any good Scorpio, I keep pushing on!

I have also had lots of encouragement from a friend who owns The Flirty Bride (www.theflirtybride.com) who is a blogging queen as far as I am concerned…not to mention very talented at everything she does! I just love her website.

One of the great things about writing a blog, it that I am able to be more informal than if I were drafting a marketing email to send out to my customers. I also get to share ideas and tidbits about myself that might not fit into an email newsletter. One of the interesting things I have noticed is that I will be doing something or talking with someone and will think-“that would be a great topic for my blog”…then I forget to write it down. I think I need to carry around one of those digital voice recorders that I am always seeing advertised on TV-you know, the ones where you remind yourself that you need milk, eggs, dog food, or where you parked the car.

As you will come to learn, I have a varied work background-I have worked in the banking industry (Bank of America-no, this is not a plug), telecom, retail, restaurants, coffee salesman, natural foods (Buffalo Whole Foods in SF)-yes, this is a plug! (http://buffalowholefoods.com)

I remember thinking when I worked at “Buffalo”- “geez, I would never want to run my own business”. This thought was prompted by the fact that I would see my boss, who was (and still is) the owner of the store (Rob Mitchell) working long hours, 5, 6, and 7 days a week and would think that what a horrible life!

Don’t get me wrong, working at Buffalo was one of my favorite places to work and I made many friends, some of whom I still keep in touch with. I have found myself thinking about Rob lately and comparing my management style to his and pondering the things I learned while working there. Rob always said “Thank you” when his employees left for the day or when he left for the day. I also say “Thank you” to my employees and it is nothing I thought consciously about, but something that I think was instilled to me by working for Rob.

Wow, if all business owners did this one simple thing every day, I think it would change their business. I know it sounds like a little thing, but those little things add up to a lot. Hmm-Thank You Rob!

Gay Weddings and Chocolates

Well, as promised, I am reporting back on the gay wedding event I mentioned in my previous post. Coco Délice Fine Chocolates attended the first ever gay wedding pavilion this past week. The pavilion was part of the Golden Gate Business Association's (GGBA) yearly event focusing on gay-owned and gay friendly businesses in the San Francisco Bay Area. The extravaganza was held at the Hotel Whitcomb in San Francisco. With the recent happenings surrounding gay marriage in the state of California, organizers saw fit to include the wedding pavilion to focus on vendors providing services for gays and lesbians choosing to take part in the historic legislation. In fact, we were included (briefly that is) in the Associated Press' report on the event which can be viewed on You Tube: Gay Weddings. The great thing about being located in the wedding pavilion was that there was plenty to eat and drink. From the champagne provided by Hornblower Cruises, to the very scrumptious offerings of Out of Thyme Catering (www.outofthymecatering.com) it all kept us going through the five hour event.

Being a gay business owner, I was proud to be a part of this groundbreaking event. We met lots of great people, including other gay business owners as well as couples who were looking forward to tying the knot very soon. More info on the GGBA can be found on their website: www.ggba.com

In case you did not know, the legislation passed recently allows same-sex couples from other states to come to California for their weddings, resulting in a potential ground swell of interest from same-sex couples from all over the country. As active wedding/special event vendors here in the Bay Area, we all have the opportunity to be part of this historical and important movement.

O.K, a little something on chocolate next time…I promise!

Coco Delice Fine Chocolates New Blog

Welcome to our new blog! We have been thinking about doing this for quite some time, but have always used the excuse of not having time to write a blog.

Hmm…you have not heard of Coco Delice Fine Chocolates? That’s ok, we are a small boutique chocolate company producing our amazing chocolates in Oakland California. Our style is simple, but elegant, with a traditional focus on uncomplicated flavors and premium dark chocolate. Much of our chocolate is from Belgium, with smaller amounts being from Venezuela. Our chocolates are influenced greatly by the European masters.

The company is owned by me (Chef Dennis) and I am the Master Chocolatier. But chocolate like ours does not happen without a lot of help. As such, that is why sometimes this blog will be written by me and at other times, by one of my many talented chocolate staff. Obviously, I have lots of ideas floating around in my head for blog topics-for I want this to be a place where people come to be entertained by our challenges and successes, learn new things about chocolate, and to gain a bit of insight as to what it takes to start, run and maintain an artisan chocolate company in the bay area, or any small business for that matter.

So a quick run-down on me. The question I am asked most often is “how did you get into making chocolate”? My answer is usually…”Therapy”! Really, it is true-I have worked in many businesses in my 42 years of life, but only found chocolate about six years ago. I moved to the bay area in the fall of 1990, several weeks before the Folsom street fair. In fact the friends with whom I was staying with (likely a bit longer than they had planned), dropped me off at the Fair and said we will be back at 5:00 to pick you up. Wow, what an introduction to this fairly naïve boy from Tucson Arizona.

Fast forward a couple of years, and I had worked for a major telephone company, a major bank, a natural foods store, in addition to many odd jobs such as painting houses and hauling furniture up three and four flights of stairs of San Francisco Victorians-wow, that was hard work, but I was in great shape! Oh, and there was the waiter’s job at a fairly fancy restaurant in the Embarcadero and a buss boy job at a restaurant in the Castro-that lasted about a week-that was really hard work. All you waiters out there-take care of your buss persons!

Eventually, I went back to school, while working full time and earned enough credits to transfer to UC Berkeley, where I graduated with a degree in Conservation and Resource Studies. From there I landed into an environmental consulting job-not all that exciting or romantic-really a lot of writing at the computer-but I got to work with some very fun people who are still very good friends and have been very supportive of my chocolate business. Over several more years, moved to a couple of other firms in the Bay Area, but excitement of the change would only last a short while, before I was bored again. This “pattern” was where the therapy came into play. More on my environmental background later.

This is seeming a bit long for a blog, I am sure there some blog guidelines out there that says, don’t bore the reader”!

So I will save some of the historical information for the next entry, but I wanted to take some space to also say how excited I am to be attending one of the major gay business events in the bay area on Tuesday, June 10^th. There are some exciting changes happening these days from the election process that is underway, to the legalization of gay marriage in California. One reason I am excited about this event is that because Coco Délice Fine Chocolates is a gay-owned chocolate company, and we do lots of weddings and special events. The weddings are really, really fun-we get to meet lots of interesting people who are inviting us to take part in one of the most important days of their lives. And now, we get the opportunity to do that with our friends in the gay community, some of whom have been waiting for this moment for a very long time.

I plan to report back here on the event (http://ggba.org/) entitled the 2008 LGBT Pride business Expo, which will feature the first of its kind, gay wedding pavilion.

I invite readers of this blog, to write in with any questions pertaining to chocolate or non chocolate for that matter. I look forward to sharing my world of chocolate (along with the trials and tribulations which accompany such work) with you, and in the process forming a blog community devoted to everything chocolate...well almost everything. Till next time!

Chef Dennis