How a pair of artists created a craft chocolate business
Two artists sit in a kitchen after devouring a batch of dark chocolate almond butter cups; one artist turns to the other and asks, “I wonder where chocolate comes from?”
If this is a joke, the punchline is surely delicious: That question led to a new craft chocolate business.
By day, lifelong artists Zan Maddox and Tamara LaValla are owners and operators of Social Design House, a full-service marketing and design firm in Rock Hill. (LaValla recently announced she will be stepping down as CEO of Social Design House at the end of 2016.) You’ve likely seen their work all over the Queen City and beyond.
And by night, beginning in 2014, Maddox and LaValla started making test batches of chocolate in their kitchen. Batch Craft became official in 2015. The artists-turned-chocolatiers produce bean-to-bar chocolate in small batches, sold locally at Free Range Brewing, Main Street Bottle in Rock Hill and online. Batch 8 is for sale now, and three bars will cost you $20.
Transitioning from artists smocks to chef’s aprons didn’t always feel as seamless as it looked. It felt “thrilling and odd,” LaValla said. “We’ve been making art our whole lives but it was hard not to question the validity of whether we had any business making something edible.”
The art can’t help but shine through, in the form of the clean, soft packaging and imagery that surround Batch Craft.
“While our current releases feature cacao, don’t be surprised as you begin to see photos or paintings or prints for sale,” Batch Craft’s web site says. “Whatever form our making takes, you can find us here as insatiable and inspired as ever.”
The duo recently decided to take their quest abroad in search for perfect chocolate for the Carolinas. They returned last week from two months traveling to places such as Portugal, France, Spain, Switzerland and Italy. During a 100-mile hike on the Tour de Mont Blanc trail and beyond, they searched for inspiration – in particular, for ingredients to pair with the batch of Ecuador chocolate they had waiting back at home.
Speaking of back at home, they already have a local muse or three:
- Pure Intentions Coffee: Each release features a coffee bar. LaValla said it has been a surprise favorite “even for those who don’t like coffee!”
- Free Range Brewing: The craft brewers recently produced a beer using Batch Craft’s cacao nibs, called Hello Darkness.
- Main St Bottle Shop in Rock Hill: The craft beer shop has paired hard cider with Batch Craft’s chocolate for tastings. Since then, Batch and Main Street Bottle have worked together on two special edition, limited releases paired with micro-brewers New Holland and Duck Rabbit.
“Remember when craft coffee suddenly became the big thing?” LaValla asked while at a recent Batch Craft pop-up at Free Range. “Everyone you knew was suddenly roasting coffee? Well, the next big thing is going to be craft chocolate. It will soon be everywhere.”
Our taste buds hope she is right.
Photos: Melissa Oyler
This story was originally published October 11, 2016 at 12:10 AM with the headline "How a pair of artists created a craft chocolate business."