Would you ever suspect that a chocolate factory is nestled in the upper levels of a standard midtown Manhattan building? I can assure you, such a magical thing exists: Vere Chocolate (pronounced ver-E). They’re one of the up and coming artisanal chocolatiers with very interesting and delicious products. They have an open house every Friday so you can stop by and sample their chocolates and get a peek inside their factory. Which is exactly what I found myself doing.
I found the building listed on the website with ease and made my way into the foyer to take the elevator up to the correct floor. Once inside, I found myself in a cozy little welcome area with a large table (spread with ample samples I may add) in the middle, large display cases showcasing Vere’s many products to my right, and straight back a clear wall that looked right into the factory floor. I was greeted by Erika Erskine, the head chocolatier and creative genius behind the whole operation. She happily answered all my inquiries about the unique chocolate that Vere produces, and pointed out all the different parts of the factory that were visible from the showroom floor. The opportunity to see the inner workings was so awe inspiring!
Vere has a lot to say about the chocolate they make, as they should, because they are far from ordinary. Vere strives to make the healthiest chocolate available, and they do this by controlling every step of their production process. They even make their own couverture (base chocolate) which is unusual for most chocolatiers.
How is Vere so healthy you ask? Well, first all their chocolate is 75% cacao content, minimally sweetened with natural sweeteners so they’re low glycemic (they have less sugar than an apple!), theY have both fiber and antioxidants and are vegan and gluten free. Want more reasons to think Vere chocolate is totally sweet? They’re certified organic and use single varietal sustainable growth cacao beans.
All that aside, Vere tastes good too. The chocolate is rich, creamy and complex. Vere offers several ways to get your healthy chocolate fix with a selection of bars, chocolate wafers, clusters, truffles and brownies. My favorite so far is their espresso and anise dark chocolate bar. Unique and terribly addictive.
The packaging is as clean and pure as the chocolate itself with detailed, larger than life chocolate photography against a bright white background. Smart and classy.
So keep your eyes peeled for this chocolate, you’ll be Vere glad you did!
I need a plane ticket to New York; somebody, anybody…before Friday, please! (I NEED that espresso anise dark chocolate bar…)
January 8th, 2008 at 2:43 amWow, I will sooo be there next Friday! I would love to talk with them about making their own base. And with all I’ve heard about certain manufacturers filtering out flavanols, it’s cool to know some chocolatiers still offer the health benefits of dark chocolate. Nice find!
January 8th, 2008 at 9:31 pm:o Why would they filter out flavanols?
January 8th, 2008 at 9:58 pm