My wife and I are in the early stages of opening a retail location
that will feature quality chocolates and candy.

Can anyone recommend some wholesalers and particular brands of
chocolate that are of excellent quality and also value.

I am in the SouthEast region and am concerned with chocolate melting
during summer months, especially during shipping. How is the problem
combatted?
-Linus

"Linus" > wrote in message
...
> My wife and I are in the early stages of opening a retail location
> that will feature quality chocolates and candy.
>
> Can anyone recommend some wholesalers and particular brands of
> chocolate that are of excellent quality and also value.
>
> I am in the SouthEast region and am concerned with chocolate melting
> during summer months, especially during shipping. How is the problem
> combatted?
> -Linus
>
I must admit that I'm surprised. Wouldn't most potential retailers know
something about the kinds of products they want to sell? Nevertheless, my
two cents- Valrhona, Callebaut and Scharffen-Berger are all very good, and
they make large bars. Scharffen-Berger and Michel Cluizel also make
excellent chocolate. I would suggest that you come to the next annual
Chocolate Show in New York (it's in November, and it has a website) so you
can meet with some of the world's top chocolate makers and get some answers
to your questions.

On 04-02-09 15:56:35, Tea wrote:

> I must admit that I'm surprised. Wouldn't most potential retailers know
> something about the kinds of products they want to sell?

I don't think he was asking about brand recommendations, but about a
retailer where he (as a shop owner) could buy them from. That's
obviously something a soon-to-be shop owner needs to research ;-)



--
http://lars.marowsky-bree.de/disclaimer.html
http://www.amazon.de/exec/obidos/wis.../ref=wl_em_to/

On Mon, 09 Feb 2004 15:56:35 GMT, "Tea" > wrote:


>>
>I must admit that I'm surprised. Wouldn't most potential retailers know
>something about the kinds of products they want to sell? Nevertheless, my
>two cents- Valrhona, Callebaut and Scharffen-Berger are all very good, and
>they make large bars. Scharffen-Berger and Michel Cluizel also make
>excellent chocolate. I would suggest that you come to the next annual
>Chocolate Show in New York (it's in November, and it has a website) so you
>can meet with some of the world's top chocolate makers and get some answers
>to your questions.
>
I can understand your surprise. This is a new venture and I am not a
chocolate afficiando at this point. The good news is that we are a
year out from opening and I plan to learn as much as I can during that
time. Usenet has served me well over the years as members of groups
for any particular hobby are usually rather passionate and will steer
you straight on what is good and what's not. I hope to make that show
in NY.
-Linus

at Tue, 10 Feb 2004 02:36:51 GMT in
>,
(Linus) wrote :

>On Mon, 09 Feb 2004 15:56:35 GMT, "Tea" > wrote:
>
>
>>>
>>I must admit that I'm surprised. Wouldn't most potential retailers
>>know something about the kinds of products they want to sell?
>>Nevertheless, my two cents- Valrhona, Callebaut and Scharffen-Berger
>>are all very good, and they make large bars. Scharffen-Berger and
>>Michel Cluizel also make excellent chocolate. I would suggest that you
>>come to the next annual Chocolate Show in New York (it's in November,
>>and it has a website) so you can meet with some of the world's top
>>chocolate makers and get some answers to your questions.
>>
>I can understand your surprise. This is a new venture and I am not a
>chocolate afficiando at this point. ...
>
What's given you an interest in starting up a chocolate store? Knowing what
your focus and direction is would help a lot for me and other people to
give you advice.

As to chocolatiers, the ones mentioned above are among some of the good
starting points. Each of them is fairly well-known and widely distributed.
Among quality chocolates, there are, roughly, 3 groups, the "premium
consumer", the "high-end" and the "elite". In the first group are generally
larger industrial companies that nonetheless produce first-rate chocolate,
such as Ghirardelli, Callebaut, and recently, Lindt to a certain extent. In
the second group are smaller companies, aiming for a more exclusive group
of chocolate-lovers, but who may not necessarily be out to produce the best
chocolate possible at any price. Now, this by no means implies that they're
making compromises, or that their chocolate isn't great, it simply means
that ultimate quality isn't necessarily the only priority for them.
Companies like Valrhona, Scharffen Berger, and El Rey are arguably in this
group. Finally, the third group represents chocolatiers who pursue the best
chocolate with fanatical obsession and stop at nothing, regardless of cost.
Cluizel is perhaps in this group (it must be said that he is decidedly
larger and more commercially-oriented than anyone else in this class) along
with other companies like Domori, Amedei, and Bonnat. Generally speaking, a
premium consumer bar will be about $2.50/100g bar, a high-end $4.00/100g,
and an elite $5.50/100g or more.

You have to be careful, though, because the target market segment doesn't
have a direct relation to actual quality - in other words, there are
"premium consumer" companies that tend to be better than specific "elite"
companies. The other thing is that different companies have different
signature flavours. For instance, Scharffen Berger and Valrhona are
strongly fruity, Cluizel and Domori tend towards milder fruitiness mixed
with spicy overtones, and Pralus is very, very dark and coffee-like.
Valrhona and Cluizel are ultra-smooth, while Bonnat is rougher and more
rustic. Etc. etc.

If I were starting out, I'd want to get a cross-section of different styles
and market segments, without so many brands that it's overwhelming to the
consumer or impossible to manage from a business perspective. A good
selection might be Scharffen Berger, Valrhona, Cluizel, Guittard, El Rey,
and Domori.

As to distributors, Van Rex (http://www.vanrex.com) distributes multiple
brands including Valrhona and Guittard, Vintage Chocolates
(http://www.echocolates.com) distributes several more, including Cluizel
(they're the exclusive distributor for them, in fact), and Dairyland
(http://www.dairylandusa.com) has others, including Domori. The easiest way
to get a distributor list is usually to ask the manufacturer directly, from
whom you can also generally get samples so you can evaluate them before
taking on their line. Be aware that some distributors and manufacturers are
easy to work with, while others can be difficult, or idiosyncratic. You'll
find out as you go along who they are - generally people in the industry
are all pretty familiar with the easy and the difficult companies.

That's a start - do let me know what your purpose and plans are and then I
can direct you further.


--
Alex Rast

(remove d., .7, not, and .NOSPAM to reply)

How would you rate Guittard? "Premium consumer", "high-end", or "elite"?


Alex Rast wrote:

>at Tue, 10 Feb 2004 02:36:51 GMT in
>,
>(Linus) wrote :
>
>
>
>>On Mon, 09 Feb 2004 15:56:35 GMT, "Tea" > wrote:
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>>I must admit that I'm surprised. Wouldn't most potential retailers
>>>know something about the kinds of products they want to sell?
>>>Nevertheless, my two cents- Valrhona, Callebaut and Scharffen-Berger
>>>are all very good, and they make large bars. Scharffen-Berger and
>>>Michel Cluizel also make excellent chocolate. I would suggest that you
>>>come to the next annual Chocolate Show in New York (it's in November,
>>>and it has a website) so you can meet with some of the world's top
>>>chocolate makers and get some answers to your questions.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>I can understand your surprise. This is a new venture and I am not a
>>chocolate afficiando at this point. ...
>>
>>
>>
>What's given you an interest in starting up a chocolate store? Knowing what
>your focus and direction is would help a lot for me and other people to
>give you advice.
>
>As to chocolatiers, the ones mentioned above are among some of the good
>starting points. Each of them is fairly well-known and widely distributed.
>Among quality chocolates, there are, roughly, 3 groups, the "premium
>consumer", the "high-end" and the "elite". In the first group are generally
>larger industrial companies that nonetheless produce first-rate chocolate,
>such as Ghirardelli, Callebaut, and recently, Lindt to a certain extent. In
>the second group are smaller companies, aiming for a more exclusive group
>of chocolate-lovers, but who may not necessarily be out to produce the best
>chocolate possible at any price. Now, this by no means implies that they're
>making compromises, or that their chocolate isn't great, it simply means
>that ultimate quality isn't necessarily the only priority for them.
>Companies like Valrhona, Scharffen Berger, and El Rey are arguably in this
>group. Finally, the third group represents chocolatiers who pursue the best
>chocolate with fanatical obsession and stop at nothing, regardless of cost.
>Cluizel is perhaps in this group (it must be said that he is decidedly
>larger and more commercially-oriented than anyone else in this class) along
>with other companies like Domori, Amedei, and Bonnat. Generally speaking, a
>premium consumer bar will be about $2.50/100g bar, a high-end $4.00/100g,
>and an elite $5.50/100g or more.
>
>You have to be careful, though, because the target market segment doesn't
>have a direct relation to actual quality - in other words, there are
>"premium consumer" companies that tend to be better than specific "elite"
>companies. The other thing is that different companies have different
>signature flavours. For instance, Scharffen Berger and Valrhona are
>strongly fruity, Cluizel and Domori tend towards milder fruitiness mixed
>with spicy overtones, and Pralus is very, very dark and coffee-like.
>Valrhona and Cluizel are ultra-smooth, while Bonnat is rougher and more
>rustic. Etc. etc.
>
>If I were starting out, I'd want to get a cross-section of different styles
>and market segments, without so many brands that it's overwhelming to the
>consumer or impossible to manage from a business perspective. A good
>selection might be Scharffen Berger, Valrhona, Cluizel, Guittard, El Rey,
>and Domori.
>
>As to distributors, Van Rex (http://www.vanrex.com) distributes multiple
>brands including Valrhona and Guittard, Vintage Chocolates
>(http://www.echocolates.com) distributes several more, including Cluizel
>(they're the exclusive distributor for them, in fact), and Dairyland
>(http://www.dairylandusa.com) has others, including Domori. The easiest way
>to get a distributor list is usually to ask the manufacturer directly, from
>whom you can also generally get samples so you can evaluate them before
>taking on their line. Be aware that some distributors and manufacturers are
>easy to work with, while others can be difficult, or idiosyncratic. You'll
>find out as you go along who they are - generally people in the industry
>are all pretty familiar with the easy and the difficult companies.
>
>That's a start - do let me know what your purpose and plans are and then I
>can direct you further.
>
>
>
>

"Alex Rast" > wrote in message
...

> What's given you an interest in starting up a chocolate store? Knowing
what
> your focus and direction is would help a lot for me and other people to
> give you advice.
>
<snip>

Alex,

As always, you have provided some excellent advice. Might I suggest
charging the OP a consulting fee for your services? You seem to know more
than they do and it seems a shame to provide so much information for free.

rona

--
***For e-mail, replace .com with .ca Sorry for the inconvenience!***

at Wed, 11 Feb 2004 15:04:42 GMT in
>, (Stuart S.
Berr) wrote :

>How would you rate Guittard? "Premium consumer", "high-end", or
>"elite"?

Premium Consumer. I want to emphasize again, that the groupings I mentioned
don't bear a direct relationship to the quality of the chocolate produced.
Rather, they have to do with market position. In addition, everybody has
their own taste, which will make some brands seem better, some worse in
their eyes.

Guittard has 2 distinct lines, the "regular" Guittard line and the
"Selection Etienne" The "Etienne" line has a decidedly higher-end position.
In my own tastings, I found the *overall* quality to be basically similar,
but the flavour profile to be different. The regular series aims for a more
balanced, simpler "chocolatey" flavour. Meanwhile, the Etienne has much
more complex flavours where one can discern individual fruity, or spicy, or
tobacco, or floral notes. The Etienne collection are also conched for
considerably longer, so they are smoother, and the finish is better. Snap
is much improved. But the regular series have an unusually well-balanced
purity of chocolate flavour, without anything harsh or insipid. Both lines
feature among their products chocolates that I would consider to be among
the best in the world, regardless of price or market position. In fairness,
however, I will point out that they both also include other chocolates that
at best are only average to fair.

This kind of spread is typical. It's extremely rare for a producer to have
consistently great chocolate across their entire line.

--
Alex Rast

(remove d., .7, not, and .NOSPAM to reply)

Hi, Linus,
Where in the Southeast will you be located?
When I was running a business several years ago I dealt often with a
company called Tropical Nut and Fruit. You can find them on the web at:
http://www.tropicalnutandfruit.com/
Good luck on your venture!!
Mary

Linus wrote:
> On Mon, 09 Feb 2004 15:56:35 GMT, "Tea" > wrote:
>
>
>
>>I must admit that I'm surprised. Wouldn't most potential retailers know
>>something about the kinds of products they want to sell? Nevertheless, my
>>two cents- Valrhona, Callebaut and Scharffen-Berger are all very good, and
>>they make large bars. Scharffen-Berger and Michel Cluizel also make
>>excellent chocolate. I would suggest that you come to the next annual
>>Chocolate Show in New York (it's in November, and it has a website) so you
>>can meet with some of the world's top chocolate makers and get some answers
>>to your questions.
>>
>
> I can understand your surprise. This is a new venture and I am not a
> chocolate afficiando at this point. The good news is that we are a
> year out from opening and I plan to learn as much as I can during that
> time. Usenet has served me well over the years as members of groups
> for any particular hobby are usually rather passionate and will steer
> you straight on what is good and what's not. I hope to make that show
> in NY.
> -Linus
>

Hi, Linus,
Where in the Southeast will you be located?
When I was running a business several years ago I dealt often with a
company called Tropical Nut and Fruit. You can find them on the web at:
http://www.tropicalnutandfruit.com/
Good luck on your venture!!
Mary

Linus wrote:
> On Mon, 09 Feb 2004 15:56:35 GMT, "Tea" > wrote:
>
>
>
>>I must admit that I'm surprised. Wouldn't most potential retailers know
>>something about the kinds of products they want to sell? Nevertheless, my
>>two cents- Valrhona, Callebaut and Scharffen-Berger are all very good, and
>>they make large bars. Scharffen-Berger and Michel Cluizel also make
>>excellent chocolate. I would suggest that you come to the next annual
>>Chocolate Show in New York (it's in November, and it has a website) so you
>>can meet with some of the world's top chocolate makers and get some answers
>>to your questions.
>>
>
> I can understand your surprise. This is a new venture and I am not a
> chocolate afficiando at this point. The good news is that we are a
> year out from opening and I plan to learn as much as I can during that
> time. Usenet has served me well over the years as members of groups
> for any particular hobby are usually rather passionate and will steer
> you straight on what is good and what's not. I hope to make that show
> in NY.
> -Linus
>

in article , Linus at
wrote on 2/8/04 3:34 PM:

> My wife and I are in the early stages of opening a retail location
> that will feature quality chocolates and candy.
>
> Can anyone recommend some wholesalers and particular brands of
> chocolate that are of excellent quality and also value.
>
> I am in the SouthEast region and am concerned with chocolate melting
> during summer months, especially during shipping. How is the problem
> combatted?
> -Linus
>

Linus:

The questions are so vague as to be almost meaningless. Alex Rast, as usual,
ha done a great job in responding with very specific comments about
particular chocolate recommendations, but before you start debating the
merits of Cluizel vs Guittard it is very important to step back and take a
bigger picture look:

1) Who is your market? What's the demographic? Are people going to expect to
pay $15/lb or $50? Is the market kids, adults - how old? What's the closest
competition -- locally and conceptually. Who are you going to be like? Who
are you NOT going to be like?

2) Are you selling chocolates (i.e., confections) or chocolate (bars)? Very
few companies that manufacture chocolate also make confections or candy.

3) Are you going to be selling well-known brands or artisanal brands?
European or American?

4) What else is in the product mix? Hot and cold beverages? Pastries?
Anything hand-made on premises or repackaged?

5) The old cliché is fast, cheap, good - pick any two. Excellent quality and
value are very subjective terms. At $90+/lb the Amedei Porcelana is
excellent quality and value to people who know that they are eating (I know,
there are people on this list who purchased quite of bit of it from me a
couple of months ago). Knowing what's a great value at $15 pound is harder -
you have to rely on your own taste sensibility and be true to the image you
are trying to project.

6) The Chocolate Show, while good, is too narrow a venue to get a true
feeling for the market and what's available. You need to visit the Fancy
Food Show. End of June, New York City.

7) Someone mentioned that you should hire {Alex Rast} as a consultant. Not a
bad idea. One of my clients started selling their hand-made truffles about
last Thanksgiving and just opened up their first retail location -- today as
a matter of fact, in Tennessee. One of the services I provided was a walking
tour of the Fancy Food Show last June. I like to think that I helped them
avoid a number of costly mistakes as well as get to market much faster.

You're probably hiring other consultants (e.g., an architect) and it makes a
huge amount of sense to hire someone to help you with this.

My 33%,
Clay
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Clay Gordon
President, pureorigin
www.chocophile.com

The replies I've gotten have been wonderful. Especially Alex and
Clay...Thank You!

To be more specific, the business is going to be tied in with a Candy
Bouquet service. The product mix that I am envisioning will be candy
bouquets, fudge, chocolates, confections, greeting cards, and
miscellaneous gift items.

This idea is literally only about a week or so old and I used my
question here as sort of a springboard for some ideas and a general
direction where to go. The business will be owned and operated by my
wife and I. She will quit her job and work full time while I'll be
part time. I am 34 years old and have a BS in in business (Finance
and Mgmt Science) but no experience as an entrepreneur. It has been
my dream to start and run a successful business. I think this
business suits mine and my wife's personalities and I love chocolate
as much as anyone. I haven't been exposed to any high end brands, but
don't necessarily see that as a detriment at this point.

I'm currently working on the business plan and my primary target
market is men and women between 30 and 50. I anticipate that the
candy bouquets will drive the most revenue with the chocolates, fudge,
and confections coming a strong second and the greeting cards and
small gifts just being a supplement..

We are about a year out from opening as the location that we are
shooting for is currently under development and will be an upscale,
outdoor shopping mall. It should be good for a lot of foot traffic
and will be between 1100 and 1400 square feet.

I don't know how much of a market there will be for high-end and above
grade chocolate. While there isn't any local competition in that
category, I imagine that the chocolate lovers like yourselves have
favorite distributors or retailers who ship to you cheaper than what I
could sell it for from a retail business.

Right now I'm envisioning having a supply of Lindt, Ghirardelli, and
Scharffen Berger bars, truffles from Dan's Chocolates. Beyond that I
am still researching for other types of confections and fudge.

I'm still very apprehensive at this point as is my wife. We have
talked about running a business for years and have never gone through
with it. This time, I think we have the right idea and will have the
right plan.

-Linus


On Sun, 08 Feb 2004 20:34:20 GMT, Linus >
wrote:

>My wife and I are in the early stages of opening a retail location
>that will feature quality chocolates and candy.
>
>Can anyone recommend some wholesalers and particular brands of
>chocolate that are of excellent quality and also value.
>
>I am in the SouthEast region and am concerned with chocolate melting
>during summer months, especially during shipping. How is the problem
>combatted?
>-Linus

at Sat, 14 Feb 2004 13:42:24 GMT in <f78s20lkv0fh6s3do49g4gntbp2qeb2p3e@
4ax.com>, (Linus) wrote :

>The replies I've gotten have been wonderful. Especially Alex and
>Clay...Thank You!
>
>To be more specific, the business is going to be tied in with a Candy
>Bouquet service. The product mix that I am envisioning will be candy
>bouquets, fudge, chocolates, confections, greeting cards, and
>miscellaneous gift items.

Based on that premise, I think you may have more success with chocolate
confections that with the pure chocolate bars. If your main line is
"bouquets" of any form, I imagine most likely that these are primarily
going to be given as gifts. And the gift-giving dynamic is very different
from the personal-consumption one.

A chocolate bar is usually something bought for personal consumption rather
than as a gift, because it has less the image of a precious item denoting
affection and much more that of something to deliver visceral appeal.
Unless the buyer has a very specific recipient in mind, and knows their
tastes very well, they're not likely to buy a chocolate bar (in spite of
the Hershey's ad) because, well, receiving a chocolate bar as a gift
doesn't seem particularly "special" to most people. A box of chocolates is
much more traditional and usually more welcome.

In addition, you'll need to remember that gift buyers aren't as likely to
know much about the ins and outs of what they're buying. Most will be more
or less ignorant of the subtleties of fine chocolate. So, to a certain
extent, you'll either have to be prepared to educate them (either in person
or with promotional materials), or to focus your product mix around things
that *look* pretty. With no other way to judge, most people will go for the
nicest-looking product because in the end you have to decide somehow.

High-end chocolate bars generally sell best to the devoted chocoholics,
which means you can bring in a clientele, as opposed to the gift-giving
group who are rarely regular patrons unless you establish a clear
reputation for supplying absolutely the finest chocolates (or whatever) to
be had anywhere nearby. However, in order to attract that market, you'd
most likely need to shift your focus because a chocoholic isn't necessarily
going to suspect that he/she might find great chocolate bars in a store
specializing in candy bouquets.

....
>I don't know how much of a market there will be for high-end and above
>grade chocolate. While there isn't any local competition in that
>category, I imagine that the chocolate lovers like yourselves have
>favorite distributors or retailers who ship to you cheaper than what I
>could sell it for from a retail business.

Price isn't particularly material next to local availability. When you want
a chocolate bar, you want it *right now*, not in a week or so, and so it's
far preferable to have a local retailer, regardless of the price, simply
because you can gratify your craving immediately. However, of greater
concern is whether there's a critical mass of chocoholics in your area. In
order for the chocolate-bar-focussed business to succeed, there needs to be
enough regular customers that you can move the bars, because the non-
chocoholic is rarely going to go slightly out of the way for a chocolate
bar, not when they can buy a Hershey bar at their local supermarket.

The business of *chocolates*, however, is very different - people will go
somewhat out of their way, because, when buying a gift, it's more of a
special occasion and they feel it may deserve a more careful search.
However, these are casual purchases - you wouldn't attract as many regular
customers but you might get more people walking through the door. So it
comes down to a choice - do you want more customers with low frequency of
purchase, or fewer customers but a lot of recurring business?

Lack of local competition is a double-edged sword. While having a local
monopoly on quality chocolate could mean plenty of business, it might also
mean that there isn't the local demand to support such a business. Even
there, it gets complicated. Sometimes the *current* local demand isn't very
high, but can be made to be high enough to support your operation through
information - i.e. if you send out enough promotional materials, or get the
local paper to write an article, or do some other activity to get locals
aware of the possibilities of quality chocolate, you might find people
catching on and developing the demand. Conversely, if you become too
successful, you're bound to attract additional competition, who may be
better funded, more knowledgeable, or have better industry contacts.

>Right now I'm envisioning having a supply of Lindt, Ghirardelli, and
>Scharffen Berger bars, truffles from Dan's Chocolates. Beyond that I
>am still researching for other types of confections and fudge.

Based on your concept, I would look to a different group of chocolatiers to
supply bars. The 3 you mention are mostly producers of plain chocolate bars
- they don't produce much by way of high-end chocolate confections,
certainly nothing that seems special as a gift.

If you want to offer chocolate bars, I think a better bet would be the
companies that also manufacture really first-rate confections, the kind
that people really will consider giving as special gifts. Cluizel is always
a good choice because his confections are as good, and as pretty-looking,
as his bars. Amedei also makes some beautiful confections, but the price of
Amedei is staggering - *very* intimidating for the novice buyer and perhaps
something to stay away from in the short term, at least until you can build
a reputation. Enric Rovira, a Spanish manufacturer, has gorgeous chocolates
- real eye-poppers, and his basic chocolate bars are also very good.

Chocolates require even more care in shipping than chocolate, if you wish
to ship it. Shipping in warm weather during the summer is extremely
hazardous. For chocolates, you'll usually need an insulated container
(usually, a double-wall Styrofoam box), with the product therein cushioned
with bubble-wrap and/or Styrofoam "S"'s, and an ice pack. Bars are a little
more sturdy, but still, they will require insulation from the heat. Fudge
ships far better. Extreme heat will cause problems with fudge, but an ice
pack is rarely required. The rule of thumb for regular chocolate is, if
it's likely to be continuously in an environment where the temperature is
over 75F for an extended time, say, 4 hours or more, then you'll be safest
to ice-pack it.

The premium for quality chocolates is much higher than that for quality
chocolate bars. A standard 100 g chocolate bar might cost $1.50, where a
quality one could run $3.00 or more, but where you could buy an 250g box of
gash chocolates for perhaps $2.50, for truly quality chocolates, that same
box will most likely be upwards of $8.00. Here in Seattle, the ultimate
quality truffles sell for $1.50 each and above!

It's also a good idea to find out what manufacturers of quality chocolate
confections are in your general area. The closer they are to you, the
better, because the chocolates will be fresher, they will arrive to you in
better condition, and you'll have a more reliable supply. Chocolate bars
are far less sensitive in this area because they keep for a while - stored
properly, their shelf life is in the years, as opposed to weeks, and they
can effectively be shipped in bulk cases, where chocolates invariably need
smaller shipment sizes and packages.

As you can see, what you have confronting you at this point is choices, not
answers.

Many wholesellers will not ship chocolate in the hot weather.
You will have to plan ahead, and double bag and freeze chocolate
for use in warmer months. Just remember to thaw thoroughly, while
it is still bagged. No air into the frozen chocolate, or it will condence
into water, and you will have one large chocolate mess...unusable for
melting or dipping.

"Linus" > wrote in message
...
> My wife and I are in the early stages of opening a retail location
> that will feature quality chocolates and candy.
>
> Can anyone recommend some wholesalers and particular brands of
> chocolate that are of excellent quality and also value.
>
> I am in the SouthEast region and am concerned with chocolate melting
> during summer months, especially during shipping. How is the problem
> combatted?
> -Linus
>

Hi Joan.
I am a trained chocolatier and have had a chocolate business in India
for the past two years. As you know the temperatures here are quite
high. There are two ways of handling warm weather shipments. One is to
use compund chocolate with a higher melting point, and the other is by
using nomal couverture and packing your cartons with a padding of ice
gel packs. I hope this info is useful If you do need any more info or
would like to chat on this subject..please do write to me on

(Max Koneru) wrote in message . com>...
> Hi Joan.
> I am a trained chocolatier and have had a chocolate business in India
> for the past two years. As you know the temperatures here are quite
> high. There are two ways of handling warm weather shipments. One is to
> use compund chocolate with a higher melting point, and the other is by
> using nomal couverture and packing your cartons with a padding of ice
> gel packs. I hope this info is useful If you do need any more info or
> would like to chat on this subject..please do write to me on
>

HEY HEY...that's pretty hot. a chocolate store thingy in
INDIA!!!...i'm totaly flying to india to get sum of your chocolate!