Letterpress Chocolate: David and Corey Menkes

Letterpress Chocolate: David and Corey Menkes

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David and Corey met in high school in Southern California. No, they didn't date, but were really close friends for years. Corey always had a passion for the environment while David has been obsessed with graphic design and traveling. They did finally start dating in 2006 and married in 2010, moving back to Los Angeles from Northern California. In 2011, they traveled to St. Lucia on vacation and happened to stop at a cocoa plantation where they got to taste the pulp from cacao pods and saw cacao fermenting for the first time. By 2013, the couple was running a bean to bar chocolate blog called Little Brown Squares which exclusively featured reviews of bean to bar chocolate bars.

By early 2014, David was thinking of getting into the agroforestry business and took a cacao bootcamp class hosted by Madre Chocolate in Oahu, Hawaii. There, David learned not only how to grow and cultivate cacao trees, but ferment cacao and run a batch of chocolate through to completion from bean to bar. Returning afterward to LA, David began purchasing small quantities of cacao beans from chocolate makers and brokers and started making his own batches soon after. During this time, David was working as an artist at DreamWorks Animation where he had founded the DreamWorks Chocolate Society. Eventually making chocolate that the Society loved, he started selling his bars to his fellow employees.

By 2016, their little apartment had become overwhelmed with equipment and the couple needed to move everything out. They found a solution in a shared kitchen just down the street, and moved their operation there. By 2017, they were able to purchase the kitchen as they continued to grow their operation. By 2018, they took over the entire space and renovated the retail area, having their grand opening in September 2018. In 2019, they began offering tours of the factory to an overwhelming response.

Quick View Ecuador, Costa Esmeraldas, 70% Dark

Ecuador, Costa Esmeraldas, 70% Dark

$14.50
2022 Academy of Chocolate Awards GOLD Winner2021 Academy of Chocolate Awards GOLD Winner 2020 Academy of Chocolate Awards GOLD Winner 2019 Academy of Chocolate Awards Silver Winner 2018 Academy of Chocolate Awards Silver Winner 2017...
Quick View Costa Rica, Hacienda Azul, 70% Dark

Costa Rica, Hacienda Azul, 70% Dark

$12.95
2021 Academy of Chocolate Awards GOLD Winner Academy of Chocolate GOLD Award, 2019 Hacienda Azul is a small farm located in the rural town of Turrialba in the province of Cartago a couple hours east of Costa Rica’s capital, San Jose. It...
Quick View Ben Tre, Vietnam, 70% Dark

Ben Tre, Vietnam, 70% Dark

$14.50
New release! Cacao was first introduced in Vietnam by the French in the late 19th century. In the provence of Ben Tre, in the Mekong Delta, the Trinitario cacao grows in the shade of coconut trees. It is in this area that the Vietnam War officially began...
Quick View Ucayali, Peru 70% Dark

Ucayali, Peru 70% Dark

$21.50
Our best-selling bar of all time. If you buy one bar from us, this is it. 2022 Academy of Chocolate Awards GOLD Winner Academy of Chocolate judging panel notes (2022): "Outstanding and flawless execution. Beautiful burst of fruit on the...
Quick View Ashanti, Ghana, 70% Dark

Ashanti, Ghana, 70% Dark

$12.95
2022 Academy of Chocolate Awards Silver Winner 2021 Academy of Chocolate Awards Silver Winner 2019 Academy of Chocolate Awards Bronze Winner 2018 Academy of Chocolate Awards Bronze Winner Ashanti is a cocoa growing region of Ghana that has been plagued...
Quick View Ashanti Ghana, 100% Dark

Ashanti Ghana, 100% Dark

$14.50
With only 1 ingredient, this is the purest form of Ashanti Ghana we’ve ever made.Ashanti is a cocoa growing region of Ghana that has been plagued with slave labor and poor prices for farmers. Thanks to the organization at COCOBOD in Ghana, we have...
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