guittard chocolate factory tour

Complete Chocolate Lover’s Guide for the San Francisco Bay Area

Guittard Chocolate Company

One of San Francisco’s original chocolate companies — and those in the know consider it the best of the OCC’s

10 Guittard Rd, Burlingame

San Francisco Peninsula DIY Tour

Best-smelling industrial park on earth

Guittard Chocolate Company is one of the original chocolate companies of San Francisco, established during the Gold Rush. Many local chocolatiers use Guittard chocolate to make their artisanal candies, and Guittard also has its own line of bean-to-bar single origin and blended bars.

This is company headquarters and also the factory for specialty and limited-edition products with vintage equipment and proprietary processes. The main factory is in Fairfield, but neither location is open to the public.

There’s no retail store here or tour of the facilities, but the area around the factory smells amazing. Take a seat in the small courtyard and breathe in the delicious chocolate aroma.

Read more on CBTB:

• Chocolate heaven
• A real treat
• Pioneers & veterans of SFBA artisan chocolate
• 2014 Salon: This time, it’s personal

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Restaurants, food and drink | cal poly humboldt closes campus for rest of semester over gaza protests, restaurants, food and drink, restaurants, food and drink | 7 ways to revel in the bay area’s extravagant chocolate scene, including shops with single-origin and 81-percent chocolate, tastings, brownie flights, festivals, beer pairings, a chocolate selfie museum, plus oprah’s fave and augmented reality, vegan, gluten-free, sugar-free chocolate, a sundae eating contest, and tours of where the chocolate magic happens..

Dan Honda/Bay Area News Group File

Dandelion Chocolate in San Francisco's Mission district woos patrons with its confections, but its hot chocolate is even more swoon-worthy.

As melanges turn chocolate, chocolate maker Kelsey Bair leads a tour of Dandelion Chocolate in San Francisco.

Dandelion makes chocolate on-site with only specially selected cacao beans.

A blackboard charts the lineup of tours, events and chocolate classes at Dandelion.

Dandelion's European Hot Chocolate is an Italian-style hot cocoa that's rich and thick and served daily in the San Francisco's chocolate factory cafe (Photo: Eric Wolfinger).

Dandelion's Mission Hot Chocolate is made with spices like cinnamon and chilis and is available in the factory's San Francisco cafe (Photo: Eric Wolfinger).

Ghirardelli Square

San Francisco's Ghirardelli Square hosts a chocolate extravaganza every September with ...

... chocolate and wine pairings ...

... and sweets from more than 50 confectioners and chefs.

You'll find truffles, ice cream and more at Ghirardelli Square's annual chocolate festival, held each September in San Francisco.

San Francisco's Gourmet Walks chocolate walking tours visits chocolate havens around the city. Here, tour guests sample Recchiuti chocolates at the Ferry Building.

Amy Guittard's "Guittard Chocolate Cookbook"

Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group

Chocolate store or Tiffany's? It's tough to tell when the confections at Saratoga's new Plumed Horse Chocolaterie are so beautiful. Here, Kiri Wanless greets guests during the store's grand opening celebrations in Saratoga.

Most of the chocolates at the Plumed Horse Chocolaterie are hand-painted.

Chocolatier Angelica Duarte hand-paints most of her chocolates, including these confections, dubbed Peppermint Graffiti.

Plumed Horse Chocolaterie chef Angelica Duarte talks with a guest during the grand opening celebrations on Feb. 1.

A quote from Plumed Horse Chocolaterie's chef, Angelica Duarte, "Art is meant to be admired then consumed," adorns a wall at the chocolaterie.

Chocolate Covered is a small chocolate shop in Noe Valley and is believed to carry the largest selection of gourmet chocolates on the West Coast (Photo: Pali Boucher)

Chocolate Covered, a gourmet chocolate shop in San Francisco's Noe Valley, carries a wide selection of chocolates from around the world (Photo: Pali Boucher).

At Noe Valley's Chocolate Covered, you'll find a wide array of rare chocolates around the world, including Askinosie, which works with cacao farmers in Amazonia and the Philippines (Photo: Pali Boucher).

It’s no secret that the San Francisco Bay Area is a sweet spot — especially for chocoholics. The city by the bay has enjoyed top-notch chocolate shops since the Gold Rush, when Etienne Guittard and Domenico Ghirardelli discovered something even better than gold: cacao. They made their fortunes in the sweetest possible way.

Legions of artisan confectioners and chocolate makers have followed suit — and we are the oh-so-happy beneficiaries. Here are seven spectacular ways to explore the Bay Area’s chocolate scene, from wildly decadent sips to Willy Wonka-esque tours and a new chocolaterie with Michelin cred.

1 DRINK: The ultimate hot chocolate

Move over, Swiss Miss. Dandelion Chocolate’s small-batch, bean-to-bar chocolate factory in San Francisco’s Mission district houses a cafe that serves exquisite drinkable chocolates — the best we’ve tasted in the Bay Area. There are currently three flavors on the menu: Classic and mildly sweet House Hot Chocolate ($5.75), a spicy Mission Hot Chocolate ($5.75) and, the most sinful of them all, an Italian-inspired European Drinking Chocolate ($4.50) that’s thick, rich and unforgettable.

Pair it with one of Executive Pastry Chef Lisa Vega’s gorgeous creations. We’re still dreaming about the Brownie Bite Flight ($5.50), three single-origin brownies, each with their own flavor notes.

Don’t miss: The best seat in the house is along the chalkboard corridor, where you can catch a glimpse of the production process. Sip your cocoa and watch as chocolate-makers roast, crack, sort, grind, temper and mold beans into bars. Or take a tour. They’re $5 a person and offered Wednesday through Saturday from 6:10 to 6:50 p.m.

Details: Open 10 a.m. daily at 740 Valencia St., San Francisco. Dandelion also has a shop inside the Ferry Building Marketplace.  www.dandelionchocolate.com

2 EAT: Jewel-like chocolates

The luxurious Plumed Horse Chocolaterie has been selling out of its gem-like truffles and other creations since it opened its doors in December, just across the street from its Michelin-starred parent restaurant, The Plumed Horse. Angelica Duarte is the classically trained chocolatier behind the operation, conceiving and hand-making the colorfully stunning chocolates, from the pyramid-like Vanilla-Infused Dark Chocolate to the red swirls of the Fresh Jalapeno. Her chocolates also support The Plumed Horse’s dessert program. That’s right — they’re Michelin quality, too.

Details:  Open from noon Wednesday-Saturday at 14572 Big Basin Way, Saratoga; www.plumedhorse.com/chocolatier

3 PLAY: Willy Wonka tours

Whether you’re a Mokaccino maven, a milk chocolate fan or a deeply dark, 81-percent chocolate devotee, those small flat squares of TCHO chocolate are difficult to resist. Best not even try. Instead, head over to Berkeley’s artisanal, Willy Wonka-woulda-loved-this chocolate factory — minus the fictional Oompa Loompas — where single-source cacao goes from bean to bar. TCHO Chocolate, which was purchased by the Japanese-based Ezaki Glico Company earlier this month, reintroduced its guided factory tours late last year. Take a 45-minute walk-through to see where the chocolate magic happens, followed, of course, by a guided tasting.

Don’t miss: TCHO hosts occasional special events, too. A recent Chocolate + Beer Pairing brought Oakland’s Novel Brewing Co. into the delicious mix with tours of both the chocolate factory and brewery, followed by chocolate tastings and sudsy flights.

Details:  Factory tours ($10) are offered Monday-Thursday by appointment and include tastings, as well as a $10 discount at the factory gift store. 3100 San Pablo Ave., Berkeley;  tcho.com

4 SHOP: 900 varieties of chocolate

Beyond the cobalt-blue storefront of Chocolate Covered, this Noe Valley shop holds enough chocolate varieties to make your head spin. Co-owners Jack Epstein and Marilyn Sitkoff have curated what many consider to be the largest selection of artisan chocolates on the West Coast — an estimated 900 gourmet chocolates from 19 countries. You’ll find it all, from Oakland’s Michael Mischer Chocolates and San Francisco’s Jade Chocolates to obscure European delights, including Iceland’s Omnom Chocolate Factory. Vegan, gluten-free or sugar-free? They’ve got that, too.

Details: Open from 10:30 a.m. daily at 4069 24th St., San Francisco; www.chocolatecoveredsf.com

5 PLAY: Chocolate festivals

A chocolate selfie museum? Augmented reality sweets? We don’t even know what that means and we want to go! TasteTV’s annual San Francisco International Chocolate Salon ($20 in advance, $30 at the door), slated for March 11 at Golden Gate Park, includes tastings, interactive exhibits, chef and author talks and, of course, confections; www.SFChocolateSalon.com .

And ChocolateForce’s swanky International Chocolate Festival ($35-$50) will head for Silicon Valley for a two-day chocolate extravaganza, April 20-22 at the San Mateo Event Center, where the festivities include tastings, talks, culinary demonstrations, and wine and beer pairings;  internationalchocolatefest.com.

Don’t miss:  San Francisco’s Ghirardelli Chocolate Festival held each September out-dazzles them all with celebrity chef culinary demos, chocolate school sessions, Earthquake Sundae-eating contests and a chocolate lounge that pairs gourmet desserts with wine, beer and spirits for the over-21 crowd. Tickets are typically $20-$50 and benefit Project Open Hand; www.ghirardelli.com/history-events.

6 BAKE: Guittard secrets

Details: Available at local bookstores, as well as Amazon and other online booksellers.

7 PLAY: Sweet strolls

From bonbons to truffles, San Francisco’s chocolate scene is dominated by new-wave chocolatiers, who turn cacao beans into tiny works of art. Why would you want to sample just one confectioner’s skill when you could try chocolate from six? Gourmet Walks chocolate tours take you on a three-hour stroll from the city’s historic waterfront near Embarcadero Four to Union Square, with plenty of chocolate stops along the way.

Don’t miss:  It’s perfectly possible to visit Teuscher, the Swiss chocolate maker in Union Square, and get completely distracted by the nougat, praline, kirsch and other divine chocolates. Keep a clear head, people! Go straight for the Champagne truffles. They’re Oprah’s fave.

Details:  Chocolate walking tours ($55) are offered on Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 10:30 a.m. and Saturday at 2 p.m. and include six tasting stops;  gourmetwalks.com .

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Williams-Sonoma Artisan Stories: Amy Guittard of Guittard Chocolate Company

Guittard Chocolate Co. products have been a favorite amongst American chocolate lovers since the mid-1800s—as well as a long-standing favorite of ours for more than forty years. Williams-Sonoma has a long-standing history with Guittard: the relationship first began in the early 1970s, when founder Chuck Williams began carrying Guittard’s iconic 10-pound chocolate bars in his original store on Sutter Street in San Francisco. Eventually, Guittard became the exclusive supplier for a number of seasonal confections, including The Original Peppermint Bark , Peppermint Bark Cookies , and Williams-Sonoma Sticky Paws . And this season, we’ve partnered with them yet again to create new, exclusive quick bread mixes crafted with Guittard cocoa, as well as artisan-quality baking chocolate .

Our team traveled to Guittard’s chocolate factory in Burlingame, CA, to tour the factory and catch up with Amy Guittard who, in addition to being a fifth-generation Guittard family member, also heads marketing for the company. She shared the story behind her family’s chocolate, her thoughts on what sets Guittard chocolate apart, and what it’s like to grow up in a chocolate factory.

Guittard Chocolate Co. is a San Francisco Bay Area institution that’s been around for nearly 150 years. What’s the story behind it? 

Amy Guittard : My great-great-grandfather, Etienne Guittard, founded the company in 1868. He came from France looking for gold and brought chocolate with him to trade for mining supplies. When he got here, he realized he had more luck selling chocolate than he would mining for gold. He went back to France, finessed his skills, and then came back to San Francisco and opened doors on Sansome Street. We made chocolate, but we also did spices, teas, coffees. Once the 1906 earthquake burned the majority of the city down, that’s when we consolidated down to just making chocolate. After the earthquake, we moved our factory to Main Street. The city decided to build a freeway over that factory, and that moved us down to Burlingame around 1954. We’ve been making chocolate here ever since.

My dad is the current President and CEO. He was working with his father and brother for many years, and in 1988, my grandfather passed away from Lou Gehrig’s disease. In 1989, six months later, my uncle passed away. My dad was moved into a different sort of role very quickly, and a lot of the people who are here today were with him during that time. We talk about Guittard as a family business, but we’re also a family business in terms of our employees, our suppliers and our customers. We really do consider them the extended Guittard family.

Did you always know you wanted to be a part of the family business? 

AG : When I was really young, I wanted to be a bus driver or a cheerleader. But I loved the idea of making something. Sometimes I’d do filing, but where I loved to be was on the science side of working with chocolate, working here in R&D. Out of school, I worked in brand management at Clif Bar for six years. I always wanted to be in food. I get very attached to the idea that this is an agricultural product; it comes from the earth.

I always talk about the artistic journey [of chocolate]. What the farmers do—how they cultivate, ferment and dry the beans—is an art. Then it comes to us, and we apply our own art to it. Then we hand it off to someone else, whether it’s a home baker or pastry chef or confectioner, and they apply their own art. Throughout the process, there’s this exponential value-add, where at the end, you have all these outpourings of artistry and you could only have such a beautiful product. It’s very humbling.

What do you think separates Guittard from the rest and makes it different from all the other chocolate companies out there?

AG : It’s not one factor. It’s the combination of our passion for quality, our inherent leadership in pushing the industry in new ways, and it’s about our inherent pull toward fostering relationships with our farmers, our employees and our customers.

I almost describe us as rebels in the industry. My dad is constantly on the hunt for innovative blends and different types of beans. However, he’s a purist when it comes to cocoa, making sure we’re keeping those heritage heirloom flavors that we’ve had forever.

As a Guittard, did you literally grow up in a chocolate factory?

AG : My grandfather’s house was very close to here. I remember we would go swing by Jack in the Box and grab burgers. We’d usually swing by and say hello to my dad, and then we’d go say hi to my grandfather. In the bean room, I would climb up on those bags and play around. My dad, grandfather and uncle all shared what is now my dad’s office, and I remember very clearly running from the factory into the office and having them all there. It makes me very emotional when I think about that.

So do you just eat chocolate for breakfast, lunch and dinner?

AG : I have a very, very, very big sweet tooth. I probably start eating chocolate at like 9:00 in the morning. Sometimes I’ll have a little chocolate protein powder. We have nonpareils here that I eat like popcorn if I need a little pick-me-up. Sometimes I’ll eat chocolate instead of lunch. I always have to have dessert.

What does someone who lives chocolate order for dessert? Will you go for the chocolate soufflé?

AG : I am a sucker for fruit desserts, like a fruit galette, but I always have to also order chocolate. So maybe the fair thing to say is I’m a two-desserter. You need a palate-cleanser!

Chocolate Lightning Round

Okay, Amy: It’s time for our chocolate lightning round! First things first: dark or milk chocolate?

Fudgy or cakey brownies?

AG : Fudgy.

Crisp or chewy?

AG : Chewy.

Hot chocolate or chocolate shake? 

AG : Tie? One in the morning, one at night!

Chocolate with wine or chocolate with beer?

AG : Chocolate with wine.

Classic or new Willy Wonka movie? 

AG : I love Johnny Depp, but classic! Hands down.

Learn about selecting, tasting and baking with chocolate , and check out even more Guittard products .

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Would love to know Amy’s favorite chocolate recipe?

I really enjoyed this interview. I love Guittard chocolate. I found Amy’s story so endearing. It makes me think of my own grandparents and how much they influenced my life. Thank you.

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Wrapping Things Up

The final stop of the Chocolate Tour of Scottsdale is Classic Cakes Bakery. The owner of Classic Cakes Bakery, Neil Levinson, is originally from Montreal Canada and relocated with his family to Arizona where they have lived for more than 20 years now. Classic Cakes Bakery has a lot to offer in terms of delightful treats. The Bakery prides itself on making truly artistic and creative cakes. Classic Cakes Bakery also makes wonderful pies, S’more tarts, as well as Red Velvet Twinkies. Spending time with Neil Levinson is quite rewarding. The owner truly knows his stuff, and you will learn a lot about baking creatively and artistically.

Chocolate tours of Scottsdale take place seasonally, running from October through May and stopping when the summer sets in due to the intense heat in Arizona. The tours are customizable for groups with unique interests and are best suited for people between the ages of eight and eighty. The cost for the Chocolate Tour of Scottsdale is $45 in addition to tax and is inclusive of a wide selection of complimentary delights. If you will be visiting Phoenix and would like to make the most out of your time, it would be a great idea to register with Gwendolyn for the delightful Chocolate. Your palate will thank you for it.

Owned by the delightful Gwendolyn McKay, Chocolate Tour of Scottsdale takes participants between the ages of eight and eighty through a 2-mile stroll of the beautiful town of Scottsdale. The tour can be equated to the Amazing Race of Chocolate, where your mission should you choose to accept it, is to visit as many chocolate hotspots and sample as many chocolate treats as possible within the available time limit of two hours and thirty minutes. Do not hesitate in joining the Chocolate Tour of Scottsdale and experiencing chocolate and other goodies deliciously and extraordinarily. Take the amazing and delicious chocolate tour and be guided through the most chocolicious moments you have ever had in your life.

You will get the opportunity to visit some of the best chocolatiers not just in Scottsdale but in Arizona. You will enjoy delightful delicatessen chocolate assortments that will without a doubt awaken your palate to the extent of becoming a chocoholic. The weather in Arizona is also quite lovely and complements the tour making it a memorable one. The highlights of the tour include a beautiful stroll through the popular streets of Scottsdale showcasing a variety of shops and art galleries. The lineup of chocolate assortments available for your taste buds is inexhaustible and includes hot chocolate, ice cream, baked goods, cupcakes, truffles, and much more. The atmosphere is friendly and fun, and Spanish tours are also provided. If you are a great fan of chocolate and would like to learn more about the history of chocolate as well as the chocolate-making process, or are just looking for something fun to do during your free time, the Chocolate Tour of Scottsdale is for you.

Making a Stop at See’s Candies!

The next stop, See’s Candies is equally delightful. The chocolate maker uses California’s Guittard Chocolate to make some of the most playful and creative chocolate treats. Established in 1921, with the motto “Quality Without Compromise” the confectioner ensures that all their products are free of preservatives, and sells them for about $20 a pound. This store also makes it convenient for you to mix and match any combination of your choice in a single order. What makes See’s Candies stand out and all the more delightful is the way the place is set up. The Shops mirrors have a white and black color theme and are inspired by the kitchen of the establishment’s owner, Mary See, where she began her chocolate journey. See’s Candies was initially launched in LA, California later expanding to over two hundred shops across the globe that are serviced by their factories in San Francisco and Los Angeles.

The Chocolate Tour of Scottsdale also features the Herb Box, which is a locally owned business offering a healthy selection of delightful meals alongside delicious chocolate treats. While chocolate is great and delicious, it is not food. A stop at heart Box ensures that you have a healthy meal to give you even more energy for a stroll as you explore other chocolate shops in Scottsdale. The next stop following the stop at Heart Box is Nordstrom’s Sugarfina, situated at the Fashion Square Mall (right beside the LTC Tree ). The company makes a wonderful selection of chocolate products including gummies made using George Clooney’s Casamigos Tequila, and Cuban chocolate cigars made in Italy by Vendi. Right next door to Sugarfina is Caketini. If you would like a chocolate cannoli, this is the place. Caketini provides a broad range of truffle-style cake pops as well as super-high cakes using family recipes from the owner.

Have you ever found yourself craving for chocolate at 2 in the morning, only to find a bare cupboard and everything closed? Worry no more. The next stop of the chocolate tour, Sprinkles will transform your life. Sprinkles features a streetside cupcake ATM featuring more than 500 cupcakes where you can purchase a cupcake anytime you like. Sprinkles make life better and so much fun for you if you love cupcakes. When the owner of Sprinkles, Candace Nelson launched her initial cupcake shop in Beverly Hills, California, she only offered cupcakes. The selection has since expanded to cookies, doggie cupcakes, and mini cupcakes. Candace has several copies of her own cookbooks available if you are interested in her style of baking, and would like to learn more about it.

Introduction to the Chocolate Tour of Scottsdale

Do you love chocolate? Then you will love the Chocolate tour of Scottsdale. The tour covers the streets of Scottsdale and promises a walk to some of the best chocolate destinations you have ever been to. The tour comprises visiting local shops and chocolatiers where you will get the opportunity to learn fun facts and sample lots of chocolate. The chocolate samples come in various forms, including hot chocolate, baked goods, cupcakes, truffles, and much more. Try out as many samples as you would like because Love and chocolate can never be too much.

The Chocolate Tour of Scottsdale presents an opportunity to indulge in some of the region’s most delectable chocolates. The tour takes place monthly for several days and takes visitors on a walking tour of various dessert establishments in Old Town Scottsdale . If you are looking for fun activities to do during the weekend and are a great lover of chocolate, you need to look no further than the Chocolate Tour of Scottsdale. Sign up for the chocolate tour to enjoy some of Scottsdale’s most delicious chocolates. Registration is available online for $45, and you can pick the day that is most convenient for you to take the chocolate tour. The tour that runs throughout the week has many popular stops such as Godiva Chocolatier located on Camelback Road, and Chocolade van Brugge located on Marshall Way. From hot chocolate to cupcakes, truffles, and other baked goods, the dessert selection available for your tastebuds is inexhaustible. Each individual chocolate tour is restricted to a dozen participants, so it might be a good idea to book your slot early to ensure you get the tour that fits your schedule.

Explore Scottsdale’s sweet side on this guided walking tour that goes through the finest chocolate deals in the town. In this chocolicious tour, you will learn about neighborhood shops and chocolates from around the area. The tour is ideal for chocolate lovers or people who would like to learn about the history of chocolate, how it is made, and test samples of the world’s most delightful treat. Indulge in cupcakes, dessert, hot chocolate, truffles a variety of other delightful treats made from or with chocolate, and get acquainted with the chocolate producers and proprietors of some of the best chocolate stores in Scottsdale, while enjoying the energetic and beautiful climate of Scottsdale.

Gwendolyn McKay, the owner of the Chocolate Tour of Scottsdale is delightful and hospitable and takes part in the tour as a guide. She is quite knowledgeable about the best chocolate spots in the area as well as chocolate itself. You will find your tour with her quite delightful. Gwendolyn McKay’s love for cocoa and admiration for chocolate is apparent in every step of the Scottsdale chocolate trip. The tour usually starts at Paul’s Salon and Spa (do not let the name fool you. The area comprises a unique boutique that you should certainly explore if you have enough time on your hands.) To kick off the fantastic chocolate race is a patio sample of Lavender and Earl Gray bonbon from the store Zak’s Chocolate. Although Zak’s chocolate’s location is a bit of a distance from downtown Scottsdale, the goodies are too delightful not to be included in a chocolate tour of the area. The company produces some of Arizona’s best bean-to-bar chocolate, alongside some confections, truffles, and bonbons. After tasting the treats at Zak’s Chocolate, you will understand why it is an award-winning establishment.

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