A Brief Glance Through Some High End Chocolate Brands

There are some high end chocolate brands that have become well known internationally and have obtained a good share of the world market. A brief glance through a few of these famous brands will reveal many interesting things about why they can be considered leaders in a field where quality reigns.

Godiva Chocolates

Founded in 1926 in Belgium, Godiva today lays claim to more than 400 stores in North America, Europe and Asia. Apart from these stores, Godiva candies are sold by more than ten thousand retailers all over the world. All together, these outlets bring in about $500 million dollars in sales yearly. A name that has long been identified with gourmet chocolate, Godiva has a diverse list of products. Among the most popular is an elegant box of chocolates named Gold Ballotin which has nineteen pieces and sells for $30 dollars plus tax. A smaller tin containing eight Godiva truffles unabashedly sells for $25 dollars plus tax and no one is complaining.

Godiva, like most chocolatiers, creates chocolates from the following basic foundations: dark chocolate, milk chocolate and white chocolate. However, regardless of what type of chocolate you purchase from Godiva, you are sure to get something smooth and sinfully flavorful that came from the imagination of a chef rather than an assembly line.

Leonidas Confections

Leonidas is a family-owned Belgian chocolate company which was established in 1913. Though it has yet to conquer the American market in the way Godiva has, it opened a store in New York in 1991 and definitely has a following of its own. It is one of the most widespread chocolate companies in the world today with more than 300 shops in Belgium alone. It also has more than 300 stores in France as well and more than 700 shops in other cities in all over the world.

Leonidas chocolates, packaged beautifully, start at over 30 dollars a pound. This is a price that their customers pay willingly in exchange for the deliciously rich confections that keep the family value of excellence in chocolate.

See’s Candies

The first See’s Candies store was opened in Los Angeles in 1921. From there it has grown to the giant that it is today with over 200 stores. The store prides itself on its excellent customer service and its tradition of using only the best ingredients. Their motto being Quality without Compromise, See’s Candies does not use preservatives nor substitutes for cocoa butter.

Among the most popular products of See’s Candies are its classic gift box which contains truffles, molasses chips, peppermint twists, almond squares, buttery caramel and California brittle. A one pound box of these fantastic delights goes for upwards of $20 dollars, certainly not as high as the price of as European chocolates but every bit as good.

Ghirardelli Chocolate

In 1849, Domenico Ghirardelli went to San Fransisco in search of gold and he actually found it but not in the mines. Instead he found his fortune in the chocolate he sold from his kitchens.
Today Ghirardelli rakes over $2 billion in sales and operates a shop that has become a regular tourist destination in San Fransisco.

The company makes sure it produces candy that will support the company’s claim to being one of the best high end chocolate brands. It accomplishes this by its rigid standards in selecting only the best cocoa seeds and by doing its own roasting and production of chocolate liquor. It is known to reject more than half of the cocoa seeds delivered to the company’s purchasing department and anyone who has indulged in Ghirardelli’s truffle collection will surely say the hard work shows itself in the resulting quality of its products.

The past decade has seen a shift in people’s preferences regarding chocolate. This change manifests itself in the growing popularity and corresponding rise in sales of premium chocolate. While there is still a large market for ordinary chocolate bars more and more, people are looking for the finest taste in chocolate that comes only from high end chocolate brands.