Calling all Chocolot fans! 

As we gear up for this Fall's busy season, we are working on some fun new products that we can't wait to show you. One of the new products is a line of chocolate bars, each featuring a different topping.

That's where you come in: we've come up with our own ideas about some bar toppings, but we would love your feedback as well. What topping would you love to see on one of our handmade bars? Fruit and nuts? Toffee? M&M's? Cookies and cream? Chime in with your ideas below this post or on our Facebook page.

If we use your idea for one of our bars, we'll hook you up with a free one!

You spoke, and we listened!  In response to your resounding support, Chocolot will once again return to our chocolate cart at Trolley Square from February 12th through February 14th!

Please stop by and check it out--we will have some exciting new products for sale--including the perfect gifts for Valentine's Day.

Chocolot is pleased to announce the opening of our very first company retail outlet!  From Thanksgiving through Christmas Eve, we will have a kiosk at center court at Trolley Square, in between Tabula Rasa and Cabin Fever.

Our kiosk features our entire product line, as well as an exciting new addition: our delicious white chocolate cinnamon popcorn in our new "paint can" packaging.

Stop by and see us!

We entered in the chocolate competition at the Utah Chocolate Show this weekend.  We ended up winning the following categories:

-Best Dark Chocolate ("Barely Buzzed" Espresso with Lavender)
-Best Milk Chocolate (Peanut Butter)
-Best Molded Chocolate (Gianduja)
-Best Truffle (Strawberry Balsamic)
-Most Artistic

As we were setting up for the Chocolate Show Friday morning, Brandy Vega from ABC 4 came over and did a quick interview with Ruth about Chocolot and the Chocolate Show.  Click on this link and look for the video on the right corner, and Ruth's short segment starts at the two-minute mark.

RECENT RECOGNITION

Last night, we attended the awards gala for the Utah Student 25, which is designed to recognize the top 25 student-founded businesses in Utah.  Companies are nominated, then proceed through a selection process until the top 25 are picked, then ranked by revenue growth.  We were honored to make the top 25, and even more honored to find out that we came in at #8!  Governor Herbert made some remarks, as did Josh James and John Pestana of Omniture, an Orem-based company that was recently sold to Adobe for $600 million.

Three companies that placed in the top twelve are founded by Westminster College Students (including ours), so it was great to see "the little school that could" represented so well.

Here are a few links for more info:

Utah Student 25 Rankings

Westminster Press Release 

The Salt Lake Tribune, Kathy Stephenson, Wednesday, November 26, 2008

http://blogs.sltrib.com/food/2008/11/utahs-chocolate-queen.htm
 

All rise for Utah's chocolate queen: Ruth Kendrick.

The Ogden resident and her "Chocolot" line of artisan confections won 8 of the 12 categories at last week's Utah Chocolate Show competition.

Her success is no surprise in culinary circles. Kendrick has been making chocolate for more than 50 years, has written a book about candy making and has taught classes all over Utah. At last week's competition she won best milk chocolate, best dark chocolate, best truffle, best dipped or enrobed chocolate, best molded chocolate and best toffee.

Chocolot also won a special distinction for exquisite artistry and exceptional taste for chocolates like the Gianduja, pictured here, made with Italian hazelnuts toasted and ground and combined with milk chocolate ganache. (For anyone who read my post last week about being one of the judges, this is entry A-4, the one I've been craving.)

Chocolate lovers can get an idea of Kendrick's talents and buy some of her offerings at her website: sweetchocolot.com
Kendrick didn't sweep of the entired chocolate competition. Rebecca's won in the milk chocolate caramel category; Condies had the best milk chocolate fudge and Amano Artisan Chocolate won for artistic merit in packaging and judge's honors for artisanal chocolate.