Bean to Bar Chocolate Maker Location: Willits, California
Website: Starchild Chocolate
Date Established: 2013
Ingredients Used: 3 - Cacao, Cacao Butter, Coconut Blossom Sugar
Allergy Information: Chocolate bars are free from dairy, soy, gluten and nuts. Made in a facility that uses tree nuts
Located in Northern California, Starchild Chocolate is Mendocino County's first and only artisan small-batch chocolate company. Chocolate makers Ash and Brittany Maki work with some of the world’s finest cacao, from regions across the globe, to provide an array of chocolate unlike any other. With high ethical sourcing standards and the use of only healthy unrefined sugars, the couple produce chocolate that are a true indulgence for the senses.
With gentle care and a desire to bring out each bean's full potential, Ash handcrafts the beans in micro-batches using traditional methods of stone grinding. He single-handedly roasts, cracks, winnows, and refines all the chocolate and hopes that chocolate lovers enjoy eating the bars as much as he enjoys making them.
Having developed a fascination for the art of chocolate making and the amazing variation that can be found from bean to bean, region to region, and even maker to maker, Ash and Brittany found something that truly ignites their passion. With backgrounds in holistic nutrition, coupled with a desire to create healthy, good-tasting chocolate, they work diligently to do just that. By combining the wonderful cacao bean with some of nature's finest organic ingredients, they were able to create not just a chocolate bar but a work of art.
Having the desire to share their passion with the world, they were able to bring their dreams to fruition in early 2013. They were officially the first people in their town to succeed in starting a licensed cottage food operation. They spent a few years as a small family-run operation creating what they considered to be some of the very best organic, artisan chocolate available with infusions of nature's finest gifts from the comfort of their certified home kitchen.
At that point however they outgrew the confines of their small kitchen and were very excited about the location that Starchild Chocolate now calls home. They have always put the utmost care into the creation of their products and the cleanliness of their working environment. Ash and Brittany strongly believe in the healing powers of food and feel fortunate to have the opportunity to share their amazing passion with the world. They are dedicated to supporting small-scale organic farmers and communities in fair trade practices and establishing lasting and healthy business relationships that respect all individuals involved.
