Pancracio Chocolates facts for kids

Pancracio Chocolates is a special brand that makes delicious, handmade chocolates. It started in Cadiz, Spain, in 2003. A creative person named Pedro Alvarez, who was an economist and a graphic designer, founded the company. In 2017, a company from Valencia that works with luxury items bought Pancracio. Today, these tasty chocolates and sweets are made in Spain. You can find them in famous department stores and fancy food shops all over the world.

How Pancracio Chocolates Started

The Pancracio brand grew from Pedro Alvarez's deep love for chocolate. He wanted his chocolates to look as good as they tasted. This idea came from his background as a graphic designer.

Pedro Alvarez's Journey

Pedro trained in New York in the 1990s at places like the School of Visual Arts. During that time, coffee shops like Starbucks were becoming very popular. This inspired Pedro to start his own business, but with sweets and chocolate instead of coffee.

After studying cooking and pastry making at the International Culinary Center in New York, Pedro came back to Europe. He continued learning about chocolate at famous places like Sole Graells in Barcelona and Le Cordon Bleu in London.

Creating the Brand

Pedro was determined to create his own unique chocolate brand. He found a skilled artisan chocolatier to help make the chocolates he had designed. In 2003, the first batch of nougats and chocolates was ready. They were carefully wrapped and launched in Cadiz under the name Pancracio.

Where Pancracio Chocolates Are Sold

Soon, Pancracio products were sold in famous stores like Colette in Paris. After that, they appeared in Bergdorf Goodman in New York and Neiman Marcus across the US. You could also find them in Selfridges in London and special shops in Spain. Eventually, Pancracio opened its own store in Cadiz. The chocolates were also sold online, reaching customers all over the world.

Unique Products and Packaging

Pancracio makes many different and unusual chocolate treats. These include crunchy chocolates, truffles, dark chocolate with hazelnuts, and chocolate-covered almonds. They also make nougats, panettones, chocolate bars, and even chocolate corn. You can find spreadable chocolate creams and chocolate for fondue too. The company also creates teas, jams, and a special chocolate vodka. Some of their recipes are in the books "Modern Chocolate" (2008) and "Postmodern Chocolate" (2016).

Every Pancracio product has its own special look. They come in a clean, white box with a cotton ribbon and the product's name. The white box with black edges looks fancy and simple. It reminds people of old, elegant cafes and bakeries. Pedro Álvarez from Ideologo branding designed these packages. He worked with other famous designers like Massimo Vignelli from Vignelli Associates.

Awards and Recognitions

Pancracio Chocolates has won several awards for its products and designs.

Pancracio Original Chocolate Vodka

• "Best in Class 2008" at the International Wine & Spirit Competition.
• Bronze in the White Spirits category at the International Spirits Challenge (2008).

Pancracio Store

• 2011 Grand Prix Gourmet Award by Marie Claire magazine.

Packaging Pancracio

• Communications Arts, Design Magazine, 2006, number 344.
• Design Annual, 2007, number 47.

Chocolate Moderno Book

• Gourmand World Cookbook Award 2008.

Cookbooks

• Chocolate Moderno (2008), written by Pedro Álvarez and the Pancracio team. Published by El País Aguilar. ISBN: 9788403508408
• Chocolate Posmoderno (2016), written by Pedro Álvarez and the Pancracio team. Published by Grijalbo. ISBN: 978-8416449521

Related Links

• Marca España, the most exquisite chocolate is Spanish.
• Pancracio Website
• Ideologo Branding

See also

In Spanish: Pancracio Chocolates para niños