When your sweet tooth just won’t keep silent, indulge your love of chocolate with your desire to be healthy and check out Scharffen Berger Chocolate in Berkeley, California (914 Heinz Avenue, map it).
Founded in 1996 by a wine maker and a doctor, the company is a complete manufacturer of chocolate. That is, they make their chocolate “from bean to bar” using small-batch processing with vintage European equipment. This means that Scharffen Berger performs every step of the manufacturing process starting with the bean and ending with the chocolate.
With a primary focus on dark chocolate varieties, that’s the healthy stuff, the company recipes use high quality products — beans from the premier cacao growing countries, large crystal cane sugar, and whole bean Tahitian and Bourbon vanillas — and processes. The manufacturing process takes over 40 hours!
Although the company was acquired by The Hershey Company in 2005, it has managed to maintain its premiere, boutique-chocolate identity
FREE public factory tours are offered daily, giving guest the opportunity to learn about chocolate, including its health properties, and to learn how Scharffen Berger makes it. The tour lasts about an hour, and includes a chocolate history lesson followed by a tour of the factory. Allow about an hour. Advance reservations are required, and can be made online. Walk-ins are accepted on a space available basis. Closed toed shoes required for safety reasons, and all participants must be ten years of age or older.
After the tour, stop by Cafe Cacao for lunch (served 11 am – 3 pm daily), brunch (weekends, 9 am – 3 pm), or dessert. The Tribute cake is as delicious as advertised: chocolate layered cake filled with whipped chocolate ganache, and Scharffen Berger bittersweet chocolate glaze. ($8.50) Take out is also available.
If you’re not in the Bay Area but still want to enjoy a little Scharffen Berger, you can take their virtual factory tour and purchase their chocolate products online.
Photo credit: Flickr, candy; mixer
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