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Our Story
The Vision
L.A. Burdick Chocolates began with one man, one set of Swiss tools, and one singular vision – to create true artisan chocolate bonbons. In 1987, our founder and the company’s namesake Larry Burdick returned from training as a chocolatier in Bern, Switzerland bearing a chocolate pot, guitar cutter for cutting ganache, dipping forks, and one radical idea. He desired to make chocolate confections that could truly be called chocolate. At the time, what was called chocolate in America was often mass-produced, molded candy, made mostly of sugar and flavored with poor-quality cocoa. He took to the kitchen. With this vision as the foundation and with his philosophy and style of combining Swiss know-how, French gastronomic thoughtfulness, and American imagination, Burdick introduced his friends, neighbors, and the general public to true chocolate delicacies where chocolate that has been made from exceptional-quality cocoa beans is the main ingredient, not sugar. Larry Burdick is widely regarded as a pioneer of fine chocolates in America.
Swiss know-how, French gastronomical thoughtfulness, and American imagination
The Craft
For more than three decades, we have been devoted to making our chocolates the time-honored way – by hand. Every step is touched by hands. We never use molds. We cook, pipe, cut, dip, garnish, and pack our chocolates by hand. Our Signature Chocolate Mice are created individually through 12 handcrafting steps over a three-day period. Our approach is rare in today’s world, but our dedication to it has never wavered. The results are exquisite chocolate bonbons with a delicate and smooth mouthfeel and details in both flavor and presentation.
The Head Chocolatier
Michael Klug has been the head chocolatier of L.A. Burdick Chocolates for 21 years. A native of Montabaur, Germany, Klug’s 37-year career is marked by some of the highest acclaimed restaurants in the United States and Germany. His extensive culinary experience includes tenures as the pastry chef at the Michelin-starred Restaurant Schlosshotel Lerbach in Bergisch Gladbach, Germany; the New York Times four-star Lespinasse in New York; the New York Times four-star Chanterelle; and the prestigious Mark Hotel in New York. In 2002, Klug joined L.A. Burdick Chocolates as the head chocolatier. Since his arrival, his exceptional skills, creativity, and superb standards has been shaping the company’s identity. Under his culinary leadership, L.A. Burdick Chocolates has been drawing acclaim as one of the finest chocolatiers in the world and one of the rare chocolatiers that craft chocolate bonbons individually by hand without using molds. When not in the Burdick kitchen, wine and spirits connoisseur and outdoors enthusiast Klug can be found enjoying his reds from Bordeaux and Burgundy and whites from Germany and Austria or enjoying a day of hiking. He also delights in spending time with his wife Ann-Michele and their son Valentin.