A few years ago I and my family enthusiastically signed up for a tour
of a "chocolate factory." I was expecting to see roasted cocoa beans
on one side of the factory and chocolate on the other. Instead I saw
that the factory started with 5 kg or 10 kg slabs of chocolate
purchased from chocolate wholesalers. Slabs were tossed into a giant
cauldron of molten chocolate in the middle of the factory. Molten
chocolate was then taken from there to make a huge variety of
chocolate candies some of which were specifically designed for the
local market.

I told the owner of my surprise about not seeing chocolate being made.
He explained that there were only about 12 chocolate makers in the
whole world. Companies such as Hershey, Cadbury, Nestle, Mars and
Ghirardelli fit into that category. However, companies such as Godiva,
Sees and thousands of others make chocolate products but do not make
chocolate itself.

I thought the readers of this group would be interested in this
knowledge. Can those of you in the know confirm it?

Which other companies make chocolate as opposed to create and market
chocolate products?

So if one is a chocoholic who enjoys all chocolate products but
particularly likes plain, neat unadulterated chocolate, wouldn't one
only buy chocolate bars from the chocolate makers.

By the way the the factory I visited was Sherm Edwards Candies in
Trafford, PA. The tour was lots of fun and the owner was friendly and
enthusiastic.

Where does one go to tour a chocolate factory that makes chocolate. A
few years ago we went to Hershey, PA but that factory tour was not a
factory tour instead it was a simulated factory a la Disney style -
nice, very nice but not the real deal.