The front of the L.A. Burdick store on Newbury Street in Boston, Massachusetts.

L.A. Burdick is a chocolatier established in the 1970s. It has six locations in the United States: two in Massachusetts, and one each in New York City, Chicago, Washington D.C., and Walpole, NH.[1]

History

In the late 1970s, Larry Burdick trained as a chocolatier in Bern, Switzerland. Upon completing his training, he returned to the United States and began offering a variety of luxury products, such as truffles, bonbons, his signature chocolate mice, and an assortment of hot chocolate powders specifically to high end restaurants.[2] He wanted to create chocolate confections that showed the quality of chocolate. He knew that the majority of chocolate in the United States was mass-produced, using low-quality cocoa and high amounts of sugar for flavor.[1] This realization motivated him to bring about a change in the chocolate industry in the United States.[1][3]

The first L.A. Burdick shop opened its doors in New York in 1987.[4] Five years later, Burdick and his family moved the business to Walpole, New Hampshire. From there, they continued to expand their reach, opening additional locations in Massachusetts and other parts of the United States.[5]

Head chocolatier

For the past 19 years, Michael Klug has held the position of head chocolatier at L.A. Burdick.[6] Originally from Montabaur in Germany, Klug has had a 35-year career, working at some well known restaurants in the United States and Germany, including one with a Michelin star.[1]

Chocolate and delicacies

L.A. Burdick's chocolate is sourced from Switzerland, France, and Venezuela, using cocoa beans from South and Central America as well as the Caribbean. They avoid using extracts or artificial flavorings.[3] They offer a variety of hot chocolates including dark, milk, and white chocolate.[5] They also have a changing monthly menu with selections from different countries.[5]

Locations and design

L.A. Burdick has six locations.[1] Each shop has the same overall theme which was designed with the help of Paula Burdick, Larry Burdick's wife, who attended the Fashion Institute of Technology and assisted in the design of shops in Paris.[3] The locations are Parisian-style and make use of brown tones to compliment wood elements. The first location in New York City was opened in 1987, and the second location in New Hampshire in 1997. The third location was in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The fourth location opened its doors in Boston on Newbury Street in 2012. The fifth location opened in 2017 and the most recent has been in Washington D.C. in 2020.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Our Story". L.A. Burdick Chocolates. Retrieved 2023-02-20.
  2. ↑ Olmsted, Larry. "Burdick's brings fabulous French food to small New England town". ABC News. Retrieved 2023-02-20.
  3. 1 2 3 Thomas, Taylor (2016-04-01). "L.A. Burdick | The Award-Winning Chocolate That's Local". New England Today. Retrieved 2023-02-20.
  4. ↑ Craddock, Kat (2022-11-07). "Over-the-Top Holiday Gifts for Chocolate Lovers". Saveur. Retrieved 2023-03-19.
  5. 1 2 3 Laban, Linda (April 16, 2017). "A small town's sweet surprises: Walpole (N.H.) is home to the deliciousness of L.A. Burdick". Boston Globe. ProQuest 1888399515.
  6. ↑ Fabricant, Florence (2021-03-09). "An Ode to Irish Classics, in Chocolate". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-04-13.
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