Patric Chocolate facts for kids
Patric Chocolate is a special company that makes chocolate from scratch, starting with cocoa beans. It was founded in 2006 by Alan Patrick McClure in Columbia, Missouri, in the United States. This company is known for making high-quality chocolate bars and other yummy chocolate treats.
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| Industry | Chocolate |
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| Founded | April 30, 2006 in Columbia, Missouri, United States |
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| Headquarters | , |
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Number of locations
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1 production plant |
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Area served
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United States |
| Products | Chocolate, Confections |
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Number of employees
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2 |
Contents
The Story of Patric Chocolate
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Patric Chocolate was started by Alan Patrick McClure in 2006. He sold his very first chocolate bar, the 70% Sambirano Valley bar, in July 2007. The company grew steadily over the next eight years. It even managed to keep going strong during the Great Recession, a time when many businesses struggled.
Learning More About Chocolate
In 2014, Alan McClure decided to go back to school. He wanted to learn even more about the science behind chocolate. He studied things like how flavors work and how people taste food. In September 2020, he earned his PhD in Food Science from the University of Missouri.
His research helped him understand why chocolate tastes bitter and how roasting cocoa beans changes its flavor. After finishing his studies, McClure expanded Patric Chocolate's services. He now also helps other food and drink companies develop new products. This part of the business is called Patric Food & Beverage Development.
Patric Chocolate Bars and Treats
Patric Chocolate makes its chocolate bars by hand. They start with cocoa beans that come directly from farms or special groups of farmers. Over the years, the company has made more than thirty different kinds of chocolate bars. They also make other chocolate treats, drinks, and baked goods.
Making Chocolate Sustainably
Patric Chocolate has always focused on making high-quality chocolate from bean to bar. They also care about the environment and being sustainable. This means they try to use ingredients that are certified organic. They also pay farmers more than the usual price for their cocoa beans. Plus, they focus on recycling and using renewable energy.
Awards and Special Mentions
Patric Chocolate has won many awards for its delicious chocolate. As of 2021, they had won a total of twenty-six Good Food Awards. This is more than any other company in any category! They celebrated this amazing achievement at the 10th annual Good Food Awards ceremony in 2020.
Retiring from Awards
After winning so many awards for ten years in a row, Alan McClure decided to stop entering the Good Food Awards. He wanted to focus more on working with other chocolate companies instead of competing against them. Patric Chocolate's record of wins is still very impressive.
Here are some of their Good Food Award wins:
- 2020 Winners: 67% Madagascar, 67% Piura Peru, Browned Butter Bar.
- 2019 Winners: 75% Madagascar, Triple Ginger.
- 2018 Winners: 67% Madagascar, 70% Signature Blend, The Salty Cow, Browned Butter Bar.
- 2017 Winners: Piura Dark Milk, Sweet & Sassy.
- 2016 Winners: Browned Butter Bar, Triple Ginger, Red Coconut Curry.
- 2015 Winners: 67% Madagascar, Black Licorice Bar, PBJ OMG, Red Coconut Curry.
- 2014 Winners: 70% Signature Blend, Mocha OMG, Mint CRUNCH.
- 2013 Winners: In-NIB-itable, 67% Madagascar, 75% Madagascar.
- 2012 Winner: 70% Signature Blend.
- 2011 Winner: In-NIB-itable.
Other Recognitions
In 2017, a food guide called Zagat said that Alan McClure "makes some of the best chocolate bars in the world." They also mentioned that his chocolates are "in high demand."
In December 2015, The New York Times newspaper did a taste test of chocolate bars made from scratch. Patric Chocolate's 67% Madagascar bar was chosen as the second "most impressive" out of only eight bars.
In September 2013, Patric Chocolate won two awards at the Northwest Chocolate Festival. They won a gold award for their In-NIB-itable Bar and a silver award for their 67% Madagascar bar.
In October 2013, Patric Chocolate won six prizes at the Americas arm of the International Chocolate Awards. They received two gold awards and four silver awards for their 67% Madagascar, 67% Piura, and Mocha OMG bars. Later that month, they won two more prizes at the World Finals of the International Chocolate Awards for their 67% Madagascar and 67% Piura dark chocolate bars.
Patric Chocolate was also featured in an article by Food & Wine magazine called Taste's to Try: Best New American Chocolate.
See also
