Mast Brothers facts for kids
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| Industry | Chocolate |
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| Founded | Brooklyn, New York, October, 2007. |
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Area served
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United States; United Kingdom |
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Key people
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Rick and Michael Mast |
| Products | Chocolate bars, beverages, and confections. |
| Owner | Rick and Michael Mast |
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Number of employees
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50 |
Mast is an American company that makes special, high-quality chocolate. Its main office is in Brooklyn, New York. Brothers Rick and Michael Mast from Primghar, Iowa started the company in 2007.
Many people believe Mast Brothers helped make fancy, handmade chocolate popular in America. They also played a big part in the "bean-to-bar" chocolate movement. This means they aimed to control every step of making chocolate, from the cocoa bean to the finished bar. However, the company faced some questions early on about whether all their chocolate was truly "bean-to-bar" from the very beginning.
Contents
History of Mast Brothers
A Special Delivery by Sea
In May 2011, Mast Brothers did something very unique. They rented a large sailing ship called the Black Seal. This ship sailed all the way from Cape Cod, Massachusetts to the Dominican Republic. Its mission was to pick up 20 tons of cocoa beans.
On June 14, 2011, the Black Seal arrived back in Brooklyn, New York. It docked at the Red Hook waterfront. Workers helped unload the cocoa beans from the ship. This was a special moment because it was the first time a sailing ship had brought commercial cargo to New York since 1939.
Early Challenges and Learning
In 2015, some people started asking questions about Mast Brothers. A food blogger named Scott Craig wondered if the company had always made its chocolate from scratch, "bean-to-bar," as they said. He suggested that in their very first years, they might have used pre-made chocolate from another company. This type of chocolate is called couverture.
Mast Brothers explained that they did use some couverture chocolate when they were first experimenting. They said this practice stopped in 2009. They also stated that they never claimed these early products were "bean-to-bar." This shows that even big companies have learning periods when they are just starting out.
Expanding and Changing Locations
In May 2016, Mast Brothers opened their first "bean-to-bar" chocolate factory in Los Angeles, California. This factory was a large space in the Arts District. However, in 2017, the company decided to close this Los Angeles location. They also closed their store in London around the same time.
The company's main building in Williamsburg, New York, was once a spice factory. It was a large chocolate shop. This store closed in 2019. Later that year, Mast Brothers opened a new place called Mast Market in Mount Kisco, New York.
Mast Brothers also opened London's first commercial "bean-to-bar" chocolate factory. It was on Redchurch Street in Shoreditch, a neighborhood in East London. Customers could watch the chocolate being made and buy products there. By early 2018, this London store had also closed permanently.
Delicious Products
Makers of "bean-to-bar" chocolate carefully watch every step of the process. This goes from the raw cocoa bean all the way to the wrapped chocolate bar.
Chocolate Bars and More
In 2016, Mast Brothers offered 12 different kinds of chocolate bars. Their 2016 Collection came out during the London Design Festival. It included six dark chocolate bars. These flavors were Sea Salt, Mint, Olive Oil, Almond Butter, and their special Dark chocolate. They also had six milk chocolate bars, including Goat Milk, Sheep Milk, Vanilla, Maple, Coffee, and their special Milk chocolate. The bars came in three different sizes.
Besides chocolate bars, Mast Brothers also made other chocolate treats. At their Brooklyn and London locations, they offered a special hot chocolate. This drink was made by steaming shaved chocolate with milk. They also made a brewed hot chocolate using a special siphon. For something different, they even brewed a chocolate beer in-house. It was made with roasted cacao, cane sugar, and water, then made bubbly with nitrogen.
Collaborations and Cookbooks
Mast Brothers has worked with other groups to create unique products. They teamed up with The Paris Review and Ace Hotel, among others.
In October 2013, Rick and Michael Mast wrote a cookbook called Mast Brothers: A Family Cookbook. It was published by Little, Brown & Company. This book won an award in 2014 from the IACP. It was also a finalist for a James Beard award for its photography.
Awards and Recognition
Mast Brothers has been recognized for both its beautiful packaging and the quality of its chocolate. Even famous chefs, like French Laundry chef Thomas Keller, have praised their products.
See also
