Scharffen Berger Chocolate

The tour was pretty lame I have to say. I did learn a lot about chocolate but the tour was pretty short and the nature of the tour made us start and end in the gift shop...so you kinda feel the pressure to get something. They do give you free samples on the tour, so if you have an hour to kill and get some free chocolate, go ahead and check it out. more

Scharffen-Berger is famous round here, and apparently now around the country. We're not so used to decent chocolate in the United States, so this stuff blows our little minds. The funny thing about Scharffen-Berger chocolate is that it almost doesn't taste like chocolate. They use their own special blend of different cacao varietals, and make their own chocolate from it, and it has a very complex fruity taste. They claim, I think, that the bittersweet has cherry and berry flavors in it, and the very dark chocolate has flavors of tobacco and other things that I forget. Somehow these flavors come out so strongly that I often crave chocolate after eating theirs, which can be unsettling, but at least it's the result of eating something really good. more

They used to be independent and now are owned by Hershey's. It makes me sad because they used to have all kinds of handouts and info about whether their stuff was vegan and whether it qualified as fair trade and all of that, but now they're owned by a company that uses cacao from Ivory Coast plantations that use child slave labor... which just kills my appetite. Since Scharffen-Berger uses its own special blends of particular beans from particular (other) places, I assume that they're still not supporting slavery on chocolate plantations. But it makes me sad to see their profits potentially going to evil. The STORE is awesome though. The factory store in Berkeley is very wonderful. Everyone there is super-friendly, and they recognize me and often give me and other people broken chocolates and stuff that isn't selling, just for fun. Or tastes of stuff that isn't out yet. They have great art for sale and great shirts and great fun kitchen stuff - not just chocolate. Even books. And they have a freezer full of this amazing ice cream made with their chocolate. And incredible cookies and brownies. It's just so much more from them than you could ever get at the supermarket. more

I love the tour. I went on one for my birthday a few years ago and it was a wild success. I got to roll 99% cacao chocolate in the chocolate ganache and the cacao nibs and eat it. It was so good. I was so wired after that, you would not believe. We got to see and smell everything! It was all so cool. The factory store might be the best part... but that's another review! The tour is just so much fun, though. Groups need to reserve in advance (and you can reserve a tour online!) but one or two people can sometimes get squeezed in on the spot. more

Lots of chocolate variety to choose from and lots of prices. There are cheap chocolates and more expensive chocolates. Be prepared to gain a lot of weight because everything in there tastes so good. It is a wonderful place to stock up on chocolate. Friendly staff willing to help anyone who asks them a question. more

then Scharffen Berger is a must see! They sell some of the best locally made dark chocolate that you can find. Many varieties and all of it is excellent. If you are a chocolate fiend like I am, then you will also love the free tours that they give of the factory and the chocolate making process. You can reserve ahead of time on their website. Both informative and fun! more

scharffen berger chocolate is a local chocolate that is becoming popular as a gourmet chocolate maker that specializes in dark chocolate. the shop in Berkeley is small, but carries their entire line of chocolates. it's pretty pricey, but if you like dark chocolate it's worth trying. it is also nice to give as gifts! more

the scharffen berger factory tour is something that you can drive by all the time and never know there was a factory making chocolate in there! scharffen berger is a small, gourmet-type chocolate that specializes in dark chocolate but has regular chocolate as well. the tour is short, but informative and cool because they let you walk through and see everything, and try their various types of chocolates! definitely worth a visit. the tour itself is free, but their chocolate is on the pricey side. more

Willy Wonka has nothing on the Scharffen Berger chocolate factory in Berkeley. You can live out your wildest chocoholic fantasies while learning how chocolate gets from the bean to your mouth. Best of all, it's FREE!! You can sign up for a Scharffen Berger Factory Tour on their website. It's best to not be late because someone would be more than happy to fill your shoes on their waiting list. Although there are no Oompa Loompas around, there are quite a few wacky chocolate making gadgets that would make Tim Burton proud. There is also an on-site cafe (YUMMY!) and store in which you can purchase fresh Scharffen Berger chocolate gifts and fabulous kitchen accessories. more

Another locally owned and founded chocolatier. Scharffen Berger is very well-known for its gourmet dark chocolates, and for the fact that it stills makes chocolate the old-fashioned way with much of the turning, melting, and smelting done by hand. It is a world-class East Bay business -- a boutique chocolate maker. One of the owner/operators, Robert Steinberg, is a chocolate connoisseur, who is still excited about chocolate. If you are a chocoholic like I am, it’s great to know that world-class chocolates are very close at all times. Scharffen Berger is the first new American chocolate company to be created in fifty years, it's one of just eleven in the country to import, roast and grind its own beans, and the only one in the country not run by a large corporation. more