About Us
Making Chocolate In The 1901 Lehmann Melangeur
Mike Dunn rescued this 8-foot vintage Lehmann chocolate melangeur from the Venezuelan jungle.
It was transported via 3 ships across the Atlantic, then, on it's last leg of the journey to the USA, it was caught in Hurricane Irma. Although surrounded by water, the sheer weight of the machine secured it in place until it could finally be offloaded in Miami.
Once the melangeur landed at the factory, Mike began the 11 month bold project of restoring it.
This picture is Mike making bean-to-bar couverture chocolate from roasted cacao nibs (cacao beans without their shells) in the handsomely restored 1901 Lehmann melangeur!
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"We've been privileged to serve our chocolate and confections to Grammy Award-winning artists, US Presidents, Royalty and so many people doing good things for our world and communities. We are blessed to participate in our clients' life celebrations. Our creative medium happens to be making the best craft chocolate and exceptional confections we can make - but our purpose, really, has always been to elevate the human spirit." - Mike and Rachel Dunn
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In 1984 we started our home-based chocolate business with a cottage industry license.
With our 2 year-old baby girl riding in the backpack, Rachel would pick wild blackberries and turn them into fresh chocolates and truffles. Each Monday, the car would be loaded up with truffles and baby, for delivery to local businesses. Within 2 years the delivery area spanned a 300 mile radius.
In 1987, with a platter of fresh blackberry cordials and truffles, Rachel went to Saks 5th Avenue's flagship store in San Francisco. Three weeks later, our chocolates were being sold in both the San Francisco and New York City Saks stores!
Since then, our chocolates have been provided internationally to luxury boutiques, elite clients, airlines, national businesses and local businesses just getting started.
One of our signature products, The Giant Caramel Apple, made it's debut at Nordstrom Walnut Creek in 1989 and has become a must-have annual holiday tradition nationwide.
Another much beloved signature product, Ebird's The Perfect Peppermint Chocolate Cookie, was created in 1993 by our then-eleven year-old daughter, whose passion was and still is, peppermint. Ebird's were introduced at the Specialty Coffee (SCAA) Expo in 1994, and quickly became award-winning, with more than 70 million Ebird's being made to date.
In 2016, we began offering our bean to bar chocolate to the public.
Meeting the farmers, sourcing sustainably grown cacao beans and paying fair prices for them continues to elevate the lives of everyone involved; from the Farmers to our Dunn Family Chocolates' employees to You, our Customers.
Thank you for your business and friendship. You make our life's work in chocolate a pleasure.
Exquisite Taste Comes From Great Ingredients
One of our favorite recipe twists on a classic French Confection:
Green Apple Pie and Vanilla Bean Ice Cream Pâtes de Fruits!
Made with fresh green apples and Madagascar vanilla beans, each bite is loaded with flavor and last about 2 weeks.
Our Pâtes de Fruits are highly prized for their burst of flavor from tropical fruits including Mango, Lilikoi (Passion Fruit), Lychee and Pineapple, to in-season California Blenheim Apricots, Oranges, Meyer Lemons, Raspberries and Wild Plums.
Inspiration for new flavors comes from the
truly remarkable bounty of fruits grown right here and afar. Check in with us throughout the season to see what new flavors pique your interest!
Mother's Day Chocolate Tulips!
Hand made Chocolate Tulips are just about ready to bloom!
Each colorful bouquet of 6-7 tulips is hand made in White, Milk and Dark Chocolate, stems filled with house-made silky almond praline. These annual stunners are always appreciated!
Place your pre-order for Mother's Day now - Chocolate Tulips will be available beginning May 6th, 2024 for In-Store Pickup and local East Bay Delivery.