Georgian Chocolate Co. handcrafts delicious locally made, sustainably sourced chocolate in Severn township. This adventure began for owners Jenna and Sean around four years ago. The two had always wanted to start a business and had many ideas, but they both could never get behind one until they heard about the original founder of Georgian Chocolate Co selling her business through the Henry Bernick Entrepreneurship Centre. Both having more than 10 years of experience working in the hospitality industry and having a love for food, they agreed to buy the business.
In post-secondary, Jenna did a general year of Art Design and then went on to do an Event Planning degree and Sean took a business program. Prior to owning Georgian Chocolate Co, they both worked in the hotel business for many years.
What really attracted Jenna to the business when considering buying was the artwork displayed on each of the boxes, which was an idea they continued from the original owner. Jenna loved the creativity and the local aspect, especially since she had a background in art herself. Georgian Chocolate Co believes in connecting people through the conversation of chocolate and art, and partners with emerging local artists to design their packaging to bring inspired talents of artists to the community.
Immediately Jenna and Sean had a lot of ideas of how they would grow the business. Sean does most of the chocolate crafting in the back of their shop, while Jenna mostly focuses on the business outreach side. In the beginning years of their business, they have stuck to their signature chocolate bars that you can buy all year round, but more recently they have been experimenting with some new products that will be unveiled soon.
Handcrafting chocolate is a tedious process to ensure the quality and taste of the chocolate itself. They receive their chocolate callets from a company in Europe that works with single-origin chocolate from a variety of places like Mexico and Ecuador. What attracted them to this company is the different flavor profiles they could work with. Their milk chocolate is slightly sweet with a strong taste of cocoa and milk. The company in France where they get their callets use a new method of fermentation called Q-fermentation for this chocolate. Their dark chocolate has a powerful cocoa flavor with hints of floral and fruit notes. It’s important to note that all chocolate is different in some way, whether it’s the flavor profile or how it’s best used.
When they receive the callets, they then mix in any inclusions which create the different flavored bars you will find at the store. Jenna and Sean try to work with local producers as much as possible when crafting. They have a collaboration with Muskoka cranberries, and a local coffee maker in Orillia to name a couple. Once they have added in their inclusions the chocolate will begin the tempering phase. The tempering phase is how you get the nice “snap” of a chocolate bar, smooth consistency, and it gives it that shine you notice. Once the tempering is done it will go into the mold of the bar you receive to set. After the chocolate is set, they will wrap the bar in a gold foil and put it in its correct box.
Prior to Covid, Georgian Chocolate Co. would do chocolate tastings and really enjoyed walking people through the different flavor profiles. Dark chocolate is especially interesting to taste because you will get a variety of flavor characteristics along with the bitterness of dark chocolate like banana or orange. Chocolate and wine are a common taste pairing, but Jenna recommends tasting chocolate with tea the next time you want to enjoy a flavorful bar. The hot tea warms up your mouth so when you taste the chocolate it melts it ever so slightly bringing out the flavor notes.
Georgian Chocolate Co., unfortunately, had to close during the lockdowns but is grateful for the continuous support from their local community who are huge supporters of shopping local. They were lucky enough to receive the R3 grant, which allowed them to install plexiglass at the register and upgrade their website for a more seamless purchasing process. Jenna believes that it’s important to educate people why shopping local is so important and let people know how they can support the local business community whether that be by engaging with their posts, sharing their story, or sharing their business by word of mouth. All these things play a huge role in the further success of their business and other local businesses in their community and beyond.
Jenna is a big fan of their signature Hazelnut Praline bar while Sean loves the Mexican Spicy, both of which are top sellers at their store. Another top seller is the Toffee and Sea Salt which is a collaboration with the local toffee maker in Orillia and a sea salt company based out of Newfoundland. The artwork showcased on the box is done by a local artist in Orillia.
Jenna looks forward to getting back to a more normal business operation and being able to invite more people back into the store for tastings and artist nights where local artists can showcase their art for people to see while also enjoying some Georgian Chocolate. For those looking to purchase chocolate from Georgian Chocolate Co, you can visit them in-store or purchase online through their website.
Christmas is Jenna’s favorite chocolate season, and they will be soon releasing seasonal treats like advent calendars, hot chocolate bombs, chocolate lollipops as well as some seasonal flavors. These are a perfect idea for stocking stuffers, additions to gift baskets, and hostess gifts for those hosting Christmas parties or gatherings.
Georgian Chocolate Co is an amazing and unique business located in Severn township just outside of Orillia on highway 11. They boast a variety of different flavors so there’s sure to be something for everyone’s taste buds.
-The BDAR Team