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 Brothers is an American company that makes special, handmade chocolate. It is based in Brooklyn, New York. Brothers Rick and Michael Mast from Primghar, Iowa started the company in 2007.
Many people believe Mast Brothers helped make artisanal chocolate popular in America. They also played a big part in the "bean-to-bar" chocolate movement. This means they claimed to control every step of making chocolate, from the cocoa bean to the finished bar. However, some people questioned whether their chocolate was always made in the "bean-to-bar" style they claimed.
Contents
The Story of Mast Brothers
A Special Chocolate Journey
In May 2011, Mast Brothers did something very unique. They hired a 70-foot 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 in Red Hook, Brooklyn. This was the first time a sailing ship had brought commercial cargo to New York since 1939. Workers and chocolate makers helped unload the cocoa beans from the ship.
Chocolate Factories and Shops
Mast Brothers opened their first "bean-to-bar" chocolate factory in Los Angeles, California in May 2016. This factory was a large 6,000 square feet (560 m2) warehouse in the Arts District. Later, in 2017, the company closed this Los Angeles shop. They also closed their location in London.
The company's main building in Brooklyn was in Williamsburg. This chocolate shop was 3,000 square feet (280 m2) and was located in a building that used to be a spice factory. The Brooklyn store closed in 2019. That same year, the company opened 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 chocolate being made there and buy products. However, this London shop also closed permanently in early 2018.
Delicious Chocolate Products
From Bean to Bar
"Bean-to-bar" chocolate makers control every step of the process. This means they start with the raw cocoa bean and finish with the wrapped chocolate bar.
In 2016, Mast Brothers offered 12 different kinds of chocolate bars. These were part of their 2016 Collection, which launched during the London Design Festival.
Chocolate Bar Flavors
The 2016 Collection included six dark chocolate bars:
- Sea Salt
- Mint
- Olive Oil
- Almond Butter
- Their special Dark chocolate
It also had six milk chocolate bars:
- Goat Milk
- Sheep Milk
- Vanilla
- Maple
- Coffee
- Their special Milk chocolate
These bars came in three different sizes.
Other Chocolate Treats
Besides bars, Mast Brothers made many other chocolate treats at their Brooklyn and London locations. They offered a delicious hot chocolate made by steaming shaved chocolate with milk. They also had a brewed hot chocolate using a special siphon.
They even made a chocolate beer! This beer was brewed in-house with roasted cacao, cane sugar, and water. Then it was made fizzy with nitrogen.
Special Collaborations
Mast Brothers also worked with other groups to create unique products. They teamed up with The Paris Review and Ace Hotel, among others.
The Mast Brothers Cookbook
Rick and Michael Mast wrote a cookbook called Mast Brothers: A Family Cookbook. It was published in October 2013. The famous chef Thomas Keller wrote the introduction for the book. This cookbook 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 received attention for both their beautiful packaging and their tasty chocolate. Famous chef Thomas Keller from The French Laundry restaurant even praised their chocolate.
See also
