TCHO Chocolate

If you love chocolate then you need to go to the TCHO Chocolate lab | Tasting Room. They offer an amazing, informative, educational and tasty tour into how chocolate becomes chocolate. From bean to bar, they produce incredible, delicious, thoughtful and unique flavors of chocolate that are truly unique and amazing. Their staff is friendly and knowledgeable while helping you with questions on every step of the process, transforming cocoa beans to incredible flavored chocolate! A must for any chocolatier | chocolaholic!

Just got back from a tour of their factory. Super interesting and fun!! Be ready to sample a bunch of yummy chocolate. And, they offer a 25% discount if you buy from their store. They even have cooking chocolate, which I haven’t run across in stores. Some people asked where to get TCHO chocolate. Berkeley Bowl, Whole Foods, Monterey Market and Berkeley Natural Grocery all carry it. One of the cool things is that they are a B Corp, which is hard to obtain. Their employees embody the aspect of humanity and care that goes along with companies who focus on purpose not only profit. Hope people who wrote bad reviews look into TCHO’s mission and cut them some slack. They are an amazing company who make super yummy chocolate!!

I used to be a huge fan of the Mocachino and Toffee bars and I always bought them in bulk! I was very disappointed that they had become vegan bars; they lack smoothness and the robust flavor that milk chocolate offers. The new version is very dry and has a weird grainy texture. There is also a weird artificial taste that I cannot describe. Specifically, i am very disappointed in the Holy Fudge bar. It says it is a “fudgy truffle” with notes of “crisp brownie edges”, so I thought it’s supposed to have a moist gooey soft fudgy -liked center with bits of crispy brownie?!?! Turns out it’s just a piece of dry solid hard chocolate without any layers; I ended up using it as baking chocolates :(

Amazing! The toffee bar is to die for! I had no idea these were vegan until looking carefully at the empty box. My mom can’t have any milk and I just bought her one of each to try them out. My college-aged daughter found my stash and sent me a text saying she was obsessed. Her favorites are the toffee and the coffee. The chocolate is so smooth, I am surprised the last reviewer disliked them. I can’t imagine what they tasted like before, but any better and they would be dangerous.

The tour is informative, they show you a decent presentation about their company, but sadly they do not show the actual process of making chocolate. The tour on the factory takes about 15 minutes and you’re just shown the boxes ( their storage) and the machines, most of which are turned off. So, their shift is over and everything is cleaned up :( I wish I had seen the whole process of making the chocolate, at least it was my expectation. Not worth a long drive, but if you are in the area, definitely check it out UPDATE: The website doesn’t provide the information that depending on the time of your appointment you actually might NOT be able to see the production and that tours are different (meaning sometimes people actually see the process of making chocolate as advertised on the website. I assume it happens during their 11am tours, as per the owner’s response). ONLY AFTER you pay for your NON-REFUNDABLE tickets do you get an email that says “elements of production may not be running during your tour”. I wish I had seen this IMPORTANT info on the website or at time of buying tickets. Why state: we’ll take you through the chocolate making process” when it’s not true if people come for 4pm tour :(

Just discovered TCHO and have only tried the Toffee Time so far. It is perfect--creamy with crunchy toffee bits throughout! 😋 Absolutely love that it's vegan and fair trade; no cows or humans harmed for this milk chocolate and it's so much better for the planet as well! Thanks TCHO, for tantalizing my taste buds!♥️

This was interesting, but below expectations. The tour is segmented into three components: (1) sit on bleachers + listen to the tour guide talk about the company and its chocolate + watch a video, (2) go see the factory floor, though you won't actually see much of anything or learn all that much about the actual process, and (3) taste some chocolate. The first two segments are purely audio, visual, and smell. It isn't until part (3) that tactile and taste senses are brought in, unless you want to count holding a cacao pod as a tactile experience with actual chocolate. The last segment shouldn't be so isolated. Everyone knows why anyone would care to visit a chocolate tour -- they love chocolate! This tour could be amazing by spreading the tasting component over more of the tour, but instead the tour is broken into three very distinct pieces. For example, the tour could have people try a recently developed kind of chocolate at the start to get people more immersed. I'm no saying that spreading the tasting out over the tour would be without challenges, but the challenges would be relatively minor, and making these changes could dramatically improve the experience. This may seem odd, but a chocolate tour should be a like a (good) beer tour. I haven't been on any beer tours in SF yet, but TCHO may consider taking these tours to generate new ideas about how to make the TCHO tour better. If they make it to Boston, the Harpoon Brewery tour would provide many lessons, and implementing a better tour would also make people more interested in TCHO chocolate.

I went on a chocolate factory tour this Sunday and had such a blast. I learned so much about chocolate and I gained an entirely new appreciation for it. Aside from the great facts, there was also a tasting at the end of the tour where you get to sample a range of their dark chocolates and milk chocolates. They were all amazing, and it was so cool to taste the different flavor notes. I didn't realize that chocolate could taste different just based on the beans used without fruit, nuts and other ingredients being added in. Go on the tour and see for yourself!

Great factory tour! Sustainably sourced chocolate from all over the world. I didn't know cocoa has a 'terroir'. Now non-dairy but I challenge you to taste the difference. A really great company doing the right thing.

TCHO Chocolate is a premium chocolate manufacturer located in Berkeley, California. I love that TCHO is all Organic and Fair Trade, but my absolute favorite flavor is the Toffee Time, which has bits of vegan toffee, flakes of sea salt and is perfectly caramelly. I came here for an after hours event to celebrate Women's History Month. A real highlight was getting to take a chocolate factory tour, so we geared up with hairnet and robe to learn more about the chocolate-making process. The tour provided a unique opportunity to witness the production from start to finish, and to taste some of the finest chocolates available. It was such a unique experience! Going on their tour was like living out my childhood Willy Wonka Fantasy!

Best vegan chocolate ever!!!!! Seriously and tbh I can't believe it's vegan. After every bite I find myself looking at the ingredients lol. The tours are a great time too!!! There's so many random cool facts that you prob don't necessarily need to know but you'll be so happy that you do. 10/10 recommend!

TCHO recently went 100% vegan and they have a factory tour! Make sure you get reservations at least a month in advance, though! My 11-year-old vegan-from-birth son was thrilled to get to try all of the different samples. They even had an incredible seasonal eggnog white chocolate, pumpkin spice chocolate, and toffee "oat milk" chocolate. This is a rare treat for a vegan family; most tours involve some sort of animal cruelty (like come on Jelly Belly Factory- make vegan options already!). There was also a lot of discussion about transparency in practices, what Fair Trade is, and what it means to be a Certified B corporation. Shockingly my son even said his favourite sample were the cacao nibs, instead of the sugary sweet "milk" chocolates. Although the tour was not free like other tours I've been on (15$ per person), you do get a discount on chocolate at the end (you better bet I took advantage). It also comes with a new sturdy chart that my son and I did a little more study on- he's homeschooled so he read the book "The Bitter Side of Sweet" by Tara Sullivan, and we learned a lot about the ethics of chocolate. So... if you live in the Bay Area of CA, check out the TCHO chocolate factory in Berkeley!

Great, chill, informative tour and fun tasting. Amazing Berkeley gem! The chocolate is delicious and varied -- their dark chocolates highlight single and multi origins, and they have decadent (plant) milk chocolates as well. Newer standouts include the Hazel Nuts (reminds you of a more sophisticated and not overly sweet Nutella) and Perfect Matcha (a play on a strawberry matcha latte we didn't think we'd like but ended up loving). Dark Duo is a good mix of fruity and fudgy dark chocolate and a good intro to dark chocolate. They are bean to bar but, more than that, care about their farmers. They are a B Corp and made the switch to plant-based to lower allergens and lower their carbon footprint. Super awesome.

We were most interested in attending this tour to see a live production of the chocolate making and was disappointed when we were told there was no production and we would be shown the machines. The host was gracious and informative, but the main point for us to come was to see chocolates being produced :( Tour = $15/person = would have been worth it to see the actual chocolates being produced.

I had an amazing time on the TCHO Chocolate factory tour! Kids loved hearing how chocolate is made and then tasting chocolate, of course. Highly encourage you to check it out.

This review is based on the incorrect website information that the Berkeley location is open. It's clearly under construction and cannot be accessed, whether for tours or the retail store. Would have been nice if their website would be updated with that information so people don't waste time trying to shop a local business.

Tasty tasty tasty I thought it was local and almost positive all plant-based I really like the 95% and I think there's a 100% period kind of hard to find but I think Dean's produce and draeger carry... yummmmmmmmmmmmm

TCHO chocolate is one of my favorites. When I learned I would be making a trip to San Francisco, this was number one on my list of must-do items (honestly, one of the few things I really insisted on). Tours are available only certain days of the week, however as of May they are on hold while the factory is revamped. Fear not, as TCHO expects to offer them again later on this year. Tickets for tours are available on their website, and must be ordered in advance as they sell out. We reserved ours three or four weeks prior and had no problem. You should expect to plan at minimum a week ahead to ensure availability. They only allow for 10 guests (this is a good thing!). The tour is $10 per person, and at the end you use the entry fee toward your purchase of chocolate, so basically it is free (don't try to kid yourself, you're going to buy chocolate). Though we walked, I noticed a few parking spots along the side of the building. We were met at a door along that same street, and brought into a large open room with artwork and photographs involving chocolate, plus a cute seating area, and the chocolate shop off to the side. You are provided with a locker to hold your belongings, along with a disposable lab coat, hair net, and beard net for the guys (Note: There were A LOT of rules about what to wear: closed toe shoes, pants, no jewelry, etc. Just make sure to read the directions prior). We started with a video and introduction to chocolate making. TCHO sources their chocolate direct from the grower, processing of the cacao is performed at the farm, then the resulting cacao liquor is sent to TCHO, and they complete the chocolate, adding inclusions to some bars, and then packaging. This allows farmers to make more money off their crop, and less waste is shipped. Win-win! Next, we toured the factory, which was very loud, and while difficult to hear our guide, it was still interesting. Last, we had the chocolate tasting which, let's be frank, is 92% the reason for doing this tour. We tried several varieties, and even those uninitiated in the joys of finer chocolate were able to taste a difference. Finally, we were released to pick out our goodies, and they have ALL of their bars out to sample in the shop (!!!!!!). Prices were about the same as they are at my local grocery stores and World Market, although they had some quantity specials. They also offer fill-your-own containers, and some special packaging for holidays. A few limited edition bars are only available through their shop or online (as if I needed another reason to stock up). The store is not open to the public, only those who do the tour. You should get one of each flavor, but if you need some direction, my personal favorites are coffee + almond, cinnamon spice, mokaccino, triple berry, coconut crisp, and dark chocolate. I already knew I liked TCHO. Learning more about their philosophy and tasting every single bar they produce made me a true fan. Do not miss out on the opportunity to experience this tour. As a bonus, it is also in a really cool part of Berkeley, and the mile or so walk from our hotel was an excellent way to get a taste of the area. Don't miss that, either.

I was given, what I was told, the last tour for awhile. It looks like they are going to undergo changes to their factory and will be putting an indefinite pause on tours. The tour is broken into 3 parts- history and background of chocolate and their processes, tour of the machines/process and then taste testing of the chocolates. The 2 workers were incredibly friendly and personable. They definitely made a great experience. There are rules for the tour that are posted when you are purchasing the tickets so keep that in mind- ie no perfume, long pants, closed toe shoes etc. The best thing about paying for the $10 tour was that this credit went towards the chocolate in the store. They also had great deals while we were there. The only downside is that this store was only open to the tour groups and not to the public so make sure to stock up if you get the chance to go! Parking - plenty of street parking around. Most of it is free but there is a parking garage for the building that is $3/hr.

I use to love this chocolate, the dark 85% cacao was awesome. After they were acquired by a Japanese company, they came out with some interestingly filled candy bars like the double fudge, which I kind of liked, but I wouldn't eat it all the time. Then I started to see vegan on the packaging. I thought chocolate was always vegan. Vegan has become such a marketing tool, surprised I haven't seen vegan on bottled water, I went to their website recently, packaging has had a make over and everything has a catchy name and they no longer make basic pure chocolate. Well that's what happens when you sell out to a foreign conglomerate. On the search for a new favorite. Ritual Chocolate is looking like a winner, we'll see.

This used to be one of the few decent chocolate makers in the area. Unfortunately, they took a new direction and drove straight into suck-ville. It's unlikely they will return to their former status, but here's to hoping.

I was very disappointed how the factory tour came out. #1 no one can enter under the age of 8. #2 tour was a boring 40 min lecture then looking a chocolate making machines with no chocolate in it. Just basically looking at machines. I would given it a 0 star if I could. 2 stars for refunding back my money. Not really upset about the money but my time spent here. Geez. Very disappointing.

After being closed for tours for a few years as they moved to a bigger space, TCHO Chocolate factory is open again for tours. The facility is gorgeous DVD the tour was fantastic. The guide Catherine is energetic, knowledgeable and passionate. I should also mention she is patient! We are chocolate nerds and asked so many questions . With so much great chocolate made in the Bay Area, I was giving up on TCHO but the tour converted me back to the brand. Catherine presents the info about production of chocolate (very laborious process with many steps and the need for attention to detail and taste) in an easy to follow and informative lecture. We had a blast! So happy we took the time to get over to Emeryville and see the new digs. If you are interested in chocolate, this is not to be missed.

Tcho changed their recipes this year and are now completely vegan. Admirable, but the chocolate is missing that delightful mouthfeel and the nuanced tastes before Tcho went vegan. I think they added extra cocoa butter to try to make the bars creamier, but they have only succeeded n making them tasteless. I used to love Tcho and even introduced it to friends and relatives. I had a chocolate tasting recently and snuck some of the new vegan Tcho onto the tasting plates. People just kind of got quiet and said, "What exactly is this?" No one gave it a thumbs-up. It's pretty awful now. How sad that an era has come to this end. A good substitute is "Endangered Species" chocolate however!

We had a great company offsite at TCHO. We were lucky enough to have Brad, the Chief Chocolate Maker with over nine years of experience, give us a tour of the factory. Brad took the time to walk us through the chocolate making process and meticulously walked through how TCHO was helping cacoa farmers understand how to judge the quality of their product. TCHO even sets up "flavor labs" in different countries to help farmers take a small sample of beans and turn them into chocolate for sampling. Brad mentions that different chocolate producers ask for different flavor notes, the first step for increasing the quality of the cacoa is to have the farmers understand what flavor notes their cacoa have. We then took a quick tour of the factory where we saw about 100K worth of chocolate being turned in preparation for putting it into the molds. We may have even seen some of the new flavors coming out soon... shhhh not telling. Finally, we went back to the tables and spent some time tasting chocolates from all over the world. We even tasted some of the chocolate on the line. It was interesting to note that chocolate even changes its flavor as it sits in its packaging. The ones right off the press had very fruity flavors. My favorite was the chocolate from Madagascar which had a noticeable citrus flavor to it. If you really want to learn about chocolate making from start to finish, this TCHO factory walks you through it all. Highly recommend!

OMG! This was such a great tour for our group of four. We were celebrating a 60th birthday and this was a fabulous setting for an unexpected pleasure for all. The full tour of about 20 had attendees as young as 8 and as old as 70, and all seemed to have a great time. You'll be engaged for the full 90 minutes - with about 1/3 of the time in an great educational experience about chocolate, 1/3 of the time in the factory tour (very loud with all the equipment working that day and hard to hear the tour guide, but so worth it to see the actual chocolate making process, and then the final 1/3 of the time with a tasting. The best part of the tour - the $10 cost becomes a credit to buy chocolate in the store!!!! Woohoo!

One of the best American chocolate brands in our opinion. If you see this on store shelves, try one. You'll be a believer. The Mokaccino bar was produced in collaboration with Blue Bottle Coffee and a single square of this bar is so satisfying because of a really nice balance of coffee and decadent chocolate. The flavors linger on the palate long after you've savored one portion. The Toffee and Sea Salt has a lovely texture from grains of sea salt that compliment the buttery toffee and caramel taste. It is sheerly addicting. The confections are made from Fair Trade and Organic ingredients. We are fans of TCHO at first bite.

Sign up for the tours, you will not regret it!!!! Bring a friend, listen to their story, enjoy great chocolate, have a great time.

Great chocolate made by good people. I love the bar they make for Blue Bottle Coffee that has their coffee in it. They take chocolate seriously and have opened my eyes to a diverse world of chocolate flavors.

The Berkeley address is the corporate offices. Not tours, not tastings, no access. Bummer as hubby and I were looking for a special treat.

Love TCHO chocolate! Very good dark chocolate options. Tried various flavors. Better than other competitors.

Amazing company! Had the most informative tour! Our guide was awesome. You pay $10 for the tour then afterwards you get $10 back in chocolate! The chocolate is very high quality and I love how they give back to the cocoa farmers!

Take the tour. The chocolate sourcing & making process is explained by Catherine. She's energetic, patient & very knowledgeable. Then....taste & compare how different the chocolate flavors are, based on where it was sourced and how it was made. Finally...shop, so you can be sure to have some of this goodness with you wherever you go. Tcho chocolate is dark. Silky & delicious!

This chocolate is ultimate- MOKACCINO IS THE ONE!! I buy in bars for friends who love intense coffee/ dark chocolate. It's smooth, yet pops with the Blue Bottle coffee in it. Milk chocolate people hate this stuff, BTW. It's not for everyone. But for those of us who LOOOOVEE Dark roast coffee & chocolate, it's amazingly fulfilling! Don't need to eat a lot to get a supreme chocolate fix

I first discovered Tcho Chocolate bars at Taylor's Market in Sacramento, and I really love them. Their chocolate is amazing, all of it that I've tried. Soon after discovering their bars, when they were still located in S.F., I went on their Chocolate Tour, and it is deliciously fun. I enjoyed the samples they passed out during the tour! As well I thoroughly enjoyed all my chocolate treats I bought in your cafe afterwards.

Took this tour and enjoyed it. We learned about the countries where the beans are grown and also how to savor various types of chocolate. We bought this with a groupon and it was certainly worthwhile and we got to take some chocolates home.

I took the factory tour with a group of international students. It was better than I expected. We're all adults but the tour and presentation were still interesting for us. It's broken up well into periods of presentation, tour, tasting, and shopping/more tasting. For $10 it's a great activity for pretty much anyone who likes chocolate. The quality is great and it was interesting to learn how different regions have different flavors to their beans. The staff said they have to halt tours soon for a bit while they renovate so I'm glad we got in when we did. The chocolate is about the quality you'd expect for the price, plus they have some pretty unique flavors. Definitely check it out if you can, if nothing else you get to try some excellent chocolates and learn a few things about where it comes from.

Love their blue bottle chocolate. I bought more than twenty for me and my friends. Wanna try their other flavors too.

Best tasting and freshest chocolate. Have taken the tour and It's a lot of fun. The stock is available in Whole Foods or some options on amazon. Top choice for real chocolate and very good flavors. Wish it was not so expensive or they ran some promotional offers. Oh clearly it's our go to top brand for chocolate!

Deliciously decadent, smooth and melt in your mouth creamy. The best place to purchase these little numbers in San Francisco is at the TCHO kiosk in the Westfield Mall. The salesperson there is very knowledgeable about the chocolates and there is a no pressure sale...doesn't have to because the chocolates are sooo delish. Godiva who?