Focus Friday: Butlers Chocolate

As one of the most prominent Irish brands on the shelves today, Butlers Chocolate is synonymous with luxury. With Valentines Day around the corner, we took a few minutes to find out about the roots of this hugely successful business, and what the future holds.

Can you tell us a little about how Butlers began?

Butlers Chocolates began life in Dublin’s Lad Lane back in 1932 after it was founded by Ms Marion Butler, who named her luxury chocolate creations Chez Nous Chocolates. In 1959, when the company was bought by Seamus Sorensen and was renamed Butlers Irish Chocolates in 1984, in memory of Marion Butler. The company is still owned and run by the Sorensen family.

Where does Butlers Chocolate come from?
We’ve always looked to international markets for trends in flavours, taste, colours and patterns, but we also source the finest quality ingredients, locally produced as much as possible, to enable our chocolatiers to create the best tasting chocolates.

Can you tell us how the chocolates are made in the factory?
Our chocolates are made by a combination of state-of-the-art machinery and the skill and craft of our chocolatiers. It’s a delicate process with many people contributing to making our delicious sweets, with huge care taken in every step – from the creation of the chocolates to the final packaging and presentation of the boxes.
Can you tell us about Butlers Chocolate Experience?
It takes place in our headquarters in Clonshaugh Industrial Estate, Dublin 17 and is fast becoming one of the top things to do in North Dublin for chocolate lovers of all ages.  It gives people a peek behind the scenes of our daily production process, tells them about our own history and the history of chocolate, and even gives them the chance to try their hand at being a chocolatier themselves by decorating and keeping a chocolate novelty. It’s hugely popular and we get young children, students and adults visiting us time and again.
You hold chocolate cookery classes, can you tell us what people can expect if they attend a course?
On arrival, you can enjoy a hot beverage of your choice and sample some chocolate treats from the chocolate fondue. You can then watch an up close demonstration of eight chocolate recipes and enjoy tastings of everything prepared during the chocolate class with a refreshing glass of Prosecco.

 To find out more about the Butlers Chocolate Experience or to buy some chocolate online, click to www.butlerschocolates.com