One of things we love most about our kitchen, is that we get to share it with through our daily tours.
Instead of watching a video of the same process over and over, or hearing a long lecture about chocolate, our goal is to provide an interactive, dynamic experience. Currently the chocolate industry is extremely secretive about how confections are made. Charles Chocolates aims to “de-mystify the art of making chocolates¡¨ by providing a full view into our kitchen. By watching our chocolatiers make the chocolates from start to finish, visitors will gain a much deeper and richer understanding of how our chocolates are made. Much like the restaurant industry created a deeper understanding and appreciation for food when they began having open kitchens, Charles Chocolates offers an extremely special, intimate, and comprehensive view into our ¡§open chocolate factory¡¨. Every time you visit Charles Chocolates, you’ll likely see something different.
On the days we are in production, you’ll be able to watch as our chocolatiers are at work in our kitchen, observe various chocolates being made, and learn about the production processes at Charles Chocolates. The tour will end with an interactive question and answer session. Please be advised that due to production schedules, our kitchen may not be in production on a day that you visit. Tours will still be offered, but you may not see chocolates being made. To find out in advance if we will be in production on a particular day, please call us at 510-652-4412 ext. 311. Tours take place Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at 11:30 am, 1:30 pm, and 3:00 pm; on Friday, Saturday and Sunday tours take place at 11:30 am and 2:30 pm.
While you won’t be able to walk through our production floor as it is a food-safe production room, you will gain a much more comprehensive view of all the different processes that occur to make one piece of chocolate. We look forward to hosting you and answering your questions.
Make a free tour reservation online!
You can also make a reservation by emailing events@charleschocolates.com or calling 510.652.4412×311 with your name, number of people in your party, desired tour date and time (Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at 11:30 am, 1:30 pm, and 3:00 pm; on Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 11:30 am and 2:30 pm.), phone number, and email address. You will receive a confirmation of your reservation.
Please be advised that due to production schedules, our kitchen may not be in production on a day that you visit. Tours will still be offered, but you may not see chocolates being made. To find out in advance if we will be in production on a particular day, please call us at 510-652-4412 ext. 311.
We also offer a brochure which serves as a self-guided tour to our kitchen which you can follow from the Chocolate Bar, which will enable you to learn more about the art of being a chocolatier, and the varied processes behind each of our confections.
Private Tours and Events
The Charles Chocolates store and Factory is available for special events and private tours. For more information or to schedule a private event, please email events@charleschocolates.com or call Hanna at 510.652.4412×311.
