Sadly, an iconic San Francisco bay area institution is slated to close in the very near future. The Scharffen Berger chocolate factory, purveyor of award-winning chocolate, and in operation since 1994 has joined the ranks of businesses that has succumbed to the reality of our economy.
While it is difficult to say whether this unfortunate turn of events could have been prevented, the closure of the factory is attributable to cost-cutting measures being taken by the parent company of Scharffen Berger: Hershey Co. The plan is to consolidate production of the high-end Scharffen Berger product to the midwest. The fine artisan chocolates will still be available to us, but the novelty of touring the original production facility and getting a free education on chocolate production will be gone for the foreseeable future.
If you have never toured the factory, your only option now is a virtual tour on the website. Surely another cost-cutting measure. We were so fortunate to have not missed out on one of the great hidden gems of the bay area, and not to mention lots of free samples of some of the finest chocolates and truffles in the world! We loved the place so much, that we asked to spend a few hours there with our loved ones as a Christmas present last month. Just in the nick of time, we were able to experience the live tour before they canceled the tours altogether!
Needless to say...there's is no substitute for experiencing this place in person, but if it is any consolation, we fortunately had the foresight to archive our visit. While it is in the form of a Christmas memory, we hope it helps capture the essence of what will be missed when Scharffen Berger Chocolate Factory finally closes its doors.
We hope you enjoy this multimedia capture of our special moment spent with some very special people(Mom and Dad) last Christmas!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjD0XUJnTlA
Farewell sweet Scharffen Berger...
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