SHOKAN – A small Ulster County chocolate factory won the worldwide topmost milk chocolate category for 2016, making their product the “best of its kind” in the entire world.
The International Chocolate Award is an independent competition recognizing
excellence in fine chocolate. Fruition Chocolate of Shokan, NY won the
grand prize, out of thousands of global competitors.
Fruition owner and chocolate maker Bryan Graham said he was surprised and humbled by the gold medal.
“They go to great lengths to judge everything blind, and go through a really rigorous process of tasting the submissions,” Graham said.
Graham and asssitant in the prep room
The finished product on display
Golden ticket went to Fruition’s Marañón Canyon Dark Milk variety, from the remote reaches of Northern Peru. Although it contains toasted whole milk, the product has 68 percent pure chocolate, giving it a rich dark taste – unlike ordinary milk chocolate.
“It really speaks to the quality of the ingredients that are available locally,” noted Ulster County Executive Michael Hein, who expressed pride that Fruition is considered the best of its kind on the planet. “Though we look to be the healthiest county in all of New York State, the reality is, a little milk chocolate every now and then is good too.”
Diane Reeder, owner of the Kingston Candy Bar, agreed.
“You don’t have to be an expert to know really good stuff that you’re eating,” Reeder said.
Fruition moves really fast in Reeder’s store, often requiring customers to make reservations just to buy some.
Graham cut his teeth in cuisine as a pastry chef at the Bear Cafe, later attending the Culinary Institute America, falling in love with chocolate confections. Today, Fruition sources and imports ethically-harvested South American cacao beans, mixing in high quality locally grown ingredients.
The finished product is not cheap – a 2.5 oz (60 gram) bar retails from $9-$12 each. “It is expensive, but I’m totally confident that it’s worth it,” Graham said. “A little piece is all you need to satisfy yourself; a chocolate bar can last you quite a while.”
Production is always increasing, Graham said, currently at about one ton per month, with four employees, plus one more at a separate retail shop in Woodstock. “We’re beginning to outgrow this location, but we’re not sure exactly where we’ll expand to; Kingston is definitely an option.”
Back in 2011 when Fruition was formed, less than two dozen craft chocolate businesses existed in North America. Now that number has grown to around 200. An upcoming fifth anniversary open house and tasting event will be held Saturday November 5 at the company’s bean-to-bar facility in Shokan.
www.tastefruition.com
