Hershey's, Scharffen Berger & Joseph Schmidt

[ludja]

Here's the link.

After hearing on their tour in the spring that part of their secret is to make all the chocolate in small batches on vintage chocolate machinery I wonder how things will change... Hope they can maintain the quality even as they lose their charm.

[rlibkind]

Here's Hershey's news release which notes the small batch process. I would expect Hershey will use its distribution advantages to improve SB's margins while keeping the quality up. Otherwise, why bother? Hershey is not run by dummies. They may make mistakes (like going into the macaroni business), but they're not stupid.

[WhiteTruffleGirl]

Hopefully, this will not spell the end of high quality couverture out of Scharffen Berger. Hershey may not be stupid, but they care a heck of a lot more about corporate profit than they do quality chocolate.

[CharlieG]

What I want to know is why they deliberately ruin the U.S. formula for Cadbury chocolate. Hopefully they wouldn't be doing the same to Scharffen Berger.

[docsconz]

I am not optimistic.

[Tkrup]

I   am not optimistic.

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My wife agrees (she needs a daily dose of 80% cacao to stay sane)

[artisanbaker]

surely this was S/B's intention from the get go.

brilliant if it was. congrats to them.

[ingridsf]

My friend just called to give me the bad news, which I hoped was just a rumor. No dice.

http://sanfrancisco.bizjournals.com/sanfra...25/daily13.html

What's next? Velveeta buys Cow Girl Creamery? Wonder acquires Acme Bread? Sandra Lee starts judging the Bocuse d'Or?

[docsconz]

surely this was S/B's intention from the get go.

brilliant if it was. congrats to them.

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Perhaps, although I don't believe it is a good thing for the product.

[Daniel]

Yikes!!! I am trying real hard to see something positive in it for me....

[Trishiad]

wowie! i am actually speechless.

[kitwilliams]

hopefully, hershey will buy larger quantities of the same high quality beans scharffen berger utilizes at a lower price and the quality remains the same but prices go down!

outrageously optimistic? me?

[Daniel]

What direction are they going in.. Setting up locations nation wide,

a la Godiva.. Or will they sell their bars in gourmet shops.. And whats the next place that will arise and fill up the "keeping it real" genre before they sell out..

Edited July 26, 2005 by Daniel (log)

[Bux]

Distribution of the golden eggs is rarely a major problem, but once they get their hands on the goose, that's another story.

[shelly59]

Given the crap they pass off as chocolate under their own name, plus what they sell under the Cadbury name, I have no hope whatsoever. SB is good stuff. What a pity. Edited July 26, 2005 by shelly59 (log)

[Ling]

Oh my...

[Rebecca263]

Gee, I adore Scharffen Berger, AND I indulge in a classic Hershey bar or Special Dark once in awhile, too! Maybe this will mean a NEW mini in the mini bag? heh heh... must remain positive.....

[FabulousFoodBabe]

Hope they can maintain the quality even as they lose their charm.

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If they can, and keep their BOD happy, they will. I doubt it, though, and shareholders generally don't care about the quality of the product, just how much $$ is coming back to them. I think it's time to stockpile.

[ladygoat]

Noooooo!!!!! Did I not buy two entire boxes last month? Have I not spread the gospel of Scharffen-Berger to all I meet? Was it not enough???!!

I'm bummed.

[ScorchedPalate]

Oh no! I fear the end of my beloved Nibby Bars (not to mention the little canisters of cacao nibs)

[browniebaker]

The purchase by Hershey will ruin the product for sure for those people who judge chocolate by name rather than taste. Let's keep an open mind and see whether the product changes any under Hershey.

[fiftydollars]

I met John Scharffenberger at a newsstand in San Francisco and he did not strike me as a stupid man. He sold the chocolate business, no doubt for a large sum of money, just like he sold his sparkling wine business and he will probably move on to some other interesting venture.

Of course it won't be the same once Hershey gets a hold of it. Just like with the sparkling wine, once he's gone, all that will be left is the long German name.

[eje]

One thing I have noticed on my visits to Fog City News, is how many of the European chocolate brands they carry are owned by Nestle or Kraft.

I wonder if Scharffenberger will continue to offer tours of their factory in Berkeley or if they will get pulled into the mothership in PA? I haven't been over to take the tour, and will be sad if I missed that experience entirely.

-Erik

[alacarte]

probably no implication, is my guess, except that Hershey will have fatter profit margins.

...you'd be surprised to find how many upscale/boutique brands are owned by large conglomerates.

[chiantiglace]

welll hershey owns Godiva if you didnt already know. Just my to let you know i've never cared for godiva even before I knew it was hersheys.

It is sad that scharffen-berger is no longer privately owned, because out of all chocolate companies they were probably one of the most personal ones.