Ghirardelli Chocolate Company
Lindt & Sprüngli | |
Website | www.ghirardelli.com |
---|
The Ghirardelli Chocolate Company is an American
History
Origins
In 1817,
The move to California
In 1849, Ghirardelli received news of the
Several months later, Ghirardelli opened a second store on the corner of Broadway and Battery in San Francisco, which became, in 1850, his first establishment in that city.[2][3]
Ghirardelli had a general store in Hornitos, California, between 1856 and 1859, during a gold rush,[4] where he perfected his chocolate recipes. The remains of the store can still be seen in town.[4]
Early history in San Francisco
A fire on May 3, 1851,[5] destroyed Ghirardelli's San Francisco business, and a few days later, his Stockton store also burned down. However, in September of the same year, Ghirardelli used his remaining assets to open the Cairo Coffee House in San Francisco. This business venture proved unsuccessful, and Ghirardelli opened a new store, named Ghirardely & Girard,[6] on the corner of Washington and Kearny Streets in San Francisco. Soon afterward, Ghirardelli was making enough money to send for his family, who were still living in Peru. He changed the company's name to D. Ghirardelli & Co. and, in 1852, imported 200 lb (91 kg) of cocoa beans.[2] The company was incorporated in 1852 and has been in continuous operation since.[7]
The next year, in 1853, the business relocated to the corner of Jackson and Mason Streets. By 1855, a larger manufacturing facility was needed, and so the factory was moved to the corner of Greenwich and Powell Streets, while the office remained at the previous location. During this time, the company sold liquor, but dropped their line of alcoholic products sometime after 1871.[8] By 1866, the company was importing 1,000 lb (450 kg) of cocoa seeds a year. By that time, the company not only sold chocolate, but also coffee and spices to the United States, China, Japan, and Mexico. In 1885, the company imported 450,000 lb (200,000 kg) of cocoa seeds.[2]
In 1892, Ghirardelli retired as head of the company and was replaced by his three sons. Two years later, on January 17, 1894, Ghirardelli died at age 77 in Rapallo, Italy.[2]
1900-present
By 1900, Ghirardelli's company was selling only chocolate and mustard, having sold its coffee and spices businesses. Further expansion over the years into different buildings allowed the company to expand into new markets and grow financially. In 1965, San Francisco declared Ghirardelli Square (where many of the Ghirardelli buildings were constructed) an official city landmark. Two years later, production facilities moved to San Leandro, California (37°42′40″N 122°08′42″W / 37.711°N 122.145°W).[2]
Since the 1960s Ghirardelli has also moved to focus on a restaurant division by selling ice cream
In 1963, Ghirardelli Chocolate Company was bought by the Golden Grain Macaroni Company, maker of
Production
According to their own website, Ghirardelli is one of the few chocolate companies in the United States to control every aspect of its chocolate manufacturing process,[7][self-published source?] rejecting up to 40% of the cocoa seeds shipped in order to select what the company calls the "highest quality" seeds. The company then roasts the cocoa seeds in-house by removing the outer shell on the seed and roasting the inside of the seed, or the nibs.[11] The chocolate is then ground and refined until the particles are 19 micrometers (0.00075 in) in size.
Products
Ghirardelli produces several flavors of chocolate. The chocolate is sold in bar form or in miniature squares.
Ghirardelli also sells food service items, like chocolate beverages and flavored sauces, to other retailers.[3]
Issues found
In 2015, an independent laboratory tested 127 chocolate products for lead and cadmium, and found that 96 of them contained lead and/or cadmium above the safety threshold defined by California's Proposition 65.
Based on these results, As You Sow filed notices with over 20 companies, including Ghirardelli and Trader Joe's, for failing to provide the legally required warning to consumers that their chocolate products contain cadmium, lead, or both.[12] The suit was settled in 2018.[13]
See also
- Abuelita, brand name of Mexican-based hot chocolate
- Ibarra, brand name of Mexican-based hot chocolate
- List of bean-to-bar chocolate manufacturers
References
- ^ Woodward, A (2011). International Directory of Company Histories. St. James Press. pp. 218–222.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "The Ghirardelli Story — A Rich Heritage". ghirardelli.com. Ghirardelli Chocolate. Archived from the original on 2009-01-20. Retrieved 2008-09-09.
- ^ a b "Foodservice". ghirardelli.com. Ghirardelli Chocolate. Retrieved 2008-09-09.[permanent dead link]
- ^ a b "Hornitos California". pnwphotoblog.com. 14 January 2015.
- JSTOR 25161702.
- ^ "Ghirardelli History". Ghirardelli Chocolate Company. Retrieved 25 October 2022.
- ^ a b "About Ghirardelli". ghirardelli.com. Ghirardelli Chocolate. Retrieved 2008-09-09.
- ^ Langley, Henry G., ed. (1871). The San Francisco Directory. D. Hicks & Co. p. 19.
{{cite book}}
: Unknown parameter|agency=
ignored (help) - ^ Lumea, John (May 23, 2016). "The Emperor Norton Sundae: Vintage Ghirardelli Menus Edition". emperornortontrust.org. The Emperor Norton Trust.
- ^ Sherrod, Pamela (14 June 1986). "Quaker Oats to Purchase Golden Grain". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved 2020-06-19.
- ^ "The Ghirardelli Difference". ghirardelli.com. Ghirardelli Chocolate. Archived from the original on 2008-07-24. Retrieved 2008-09-09.
- ^ "List of toxic chocolate". asyousow.org. As You Sow.
- ^ Yu, Douglas (2018-03-08). "Mars, Hershey and others settle heavy metal chocolate lawsuit". confectionerynews.com. Retrieved 2019-10-29.
External links
- Official website
- Lindt website
- Images of the Ghirardelli factory ca. 1919, The Bancroft Library