12 Delicious Chocolate Factory Tours And Tastings (Slideshow)
Mast Brothers Chocolate in Brooklyn, N.Y.
In Brooklyn's Williamsburg neighborhood lies Mast Brothers Chocolate, which offers a variety of single-estate and single-origin chocolates along with its house blend. Owned and operated by Rick and Michael Mast, the company offers free samples of chocolates at their storefront, which is located in the same room as the open-spaced factory, allowing guests to also get a peak of workers making the artisan chocolate bars. The bean-to bar process is also sketched in pictures of cacao pods and plantain leaves on a chalkboard stretching across one of the walls in the store.
Perugina Tour and Chocolate School in Perugia, Italy
The famous Baci chocolates are made in a factory in Perugia, Italy. Not only is there a full-fledged chocolate factory there, but also a chocolate school for those who are looking to take their education to the next level. And the Perugina Casa del Cioccolato was opened in 2007 to teach people about the pleasures of chocolate.
Ethel M Chocolates in Las Vegas
Many lovers of fine-quality chocolate might not think of venturing to Las Vegas for a tasting and a tour, but Ethel M Chocolates might change their mind. While on a self-guided tour of the factory, guests can also take a stroll through the Botanical Cactus Garden on premises that has more than 300 species of plants. Visitors will also be offered a tasting and have the opportunity to learn about the production process from the factory's knowledgeable staff.
Big Island Candies in Hilo, Hawaii
There is no shortage of samples on this Hawaiian chocolate tour. The factory, established in 1977, is known for its chocolates and its macadamia nut cookies. The factory is open year-round Monday through Friday, and guests have the ability to tour the facility on a self-guided tour before exiting through the gift shop that offers a variety of chocolates including milk chocolate, creamy white, and a sugar-free option.
Lake Champlain Chocolates in Burlington, Vt.
Vermont isn't just known for its maple syrup; it's also an up and coming chocolate-making region. The tours here are offered five days a week and give guests the opportunity to watch the chocolate-making process. They can also taste the company's different varieties, including chocolate truffles, organic chocolate bars, dark chocolate sea salt caramels, and almond butter crunch.
Maison Cailler in Broc, Gruyère, Switzerland
This Swiss chocolatier not only offers factory tours but also chocolate workshops for groups. What's incredible about this overall tour is that guests get the opportunity to physically hold the cocoa beans in their hands while listening to chocolatiers discuss the different production stages of the process. Chocolate lovers have the opportunity to taste cocoa, milk chocolate, and other ingredients throughout the tour.
TCHO in San Francisco
This San Francisco chocolatier offers both public and private factory tours, depending on the depth of knowledge and type of experience a guest wants to have. What's unique about the factory is that tours will teach guests about its TCHOSource program of direct training and investments in cocoa farmers, and how the company manufactures all of its chocolate from scratch.
Stettler Chocolate Factory in Geneva
The factory offers guided tours and workshops that share the company's love of chocolate-making with budding connoisseurs. With many programs to choose from, guests can listen to the history of chocolate, learn the secrets of chocolate-making, and experience a tasting. The factory also provides students with a farewell gift, of what else, chocolate.
Theo Chocolates in Seattle
Seattle's Theo Chocolates provides hourlong tours of its facilities and educates guests with the story of cacao and how it's being created into the chocolate they can taste at the end of the tour. It also points out the social and environmental issues existing among cocoa farmers today. The tour also explains the multi-level "bean to bar" process that goes on within the walls of the factory.
Temple of Chocolate Côte d'Or Belgium
If you're in Belgium, you should know the people take their chocolates very seriously. At the Cote d'Or Temple of Chocolate, the company puts on a tour known as "The Temple of Chocolate," which is an interactive tour through the Toltec temple, the Spanish Galleon, and the old factory.
Haigh’s Chocolates in Adelaide, Australia
Haigh's Chocolates is the oldest family-owned chocolate manufacturing retailer in Australia. It offers free guided tours of the facilities followed by chocolate tastings and complimentary tea and coffee. Guests can taste a range of products including fresh chocolates and sugary confections, such as the company's famous chocolate frogs, truffles, fruit centers, fudges, and bars.
Confiserie Sprüngli in Zürich
In true Swiss fashion, this high-end chocolatier is one of the oldest in the country, dating back to as early as 1836, when the company first was founded. Though tours around the actual factory are not offered, a visit to the shop and storefront in Zürich gives visitors a deep insight in the history of the company, as well as tastings of the staggering array of chocolates and truffles. The company prides itself on using the highest-quality ingredients and using raw materials including milk, cocoa beans, cream, butter, and eggs, all from Switzerland. Their famous truffles are made from delicious chocolate and cream, and are a guest favorite.