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 Venezuela, Patanemo 70% Dark

Venezuela, Patanemo 70% Dark

$14.50
NEW RELEASE! We've loved exploring the depths of Venezuelan cacao for years, and are excited to finally bring you our very first production bar from the Patanemo region! Originally founded by runaway slaves, the village of Patanemo in Venezuela is...
Quick View Ecuador, Costa Esmeraldas, 85% Dark

Ecuador, Costa Esmeraldas, 85% Dark

$14.50
Academy of Chocolate Awards Bronze, 2018 This cacao is grown in the province of Esmeraldas, an area not typically known as a cacao producing region of Ecuador. Costa Esmeraldas is a family business, entirely owned and managed by the Salazar family...
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...
Quick View Amaranth Crunch, 70% Dark

Amaranth Crunch, 70% Dark

$12.95
Our most popular flavor! Think of it as a grown up, healthier version of that certain crunch bar you grew up with. Using our award-winning Ashanti Ghana 70% Dark chocolate as the base, our Amaranth Crunch Bar features air-puffed naturally gluten-free...
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