At the end of last month, Hershey announced plans to close the two Bay Area plants where both Scharffen Berger and Joseph Schmidt are produced. However, it assured customers that it would continue production of both brands and "maintain the highest quality standard for all artisan productions." A mere two weeks later — right before Valentine's Day, no less — Hershey seems to have had a change of heart: In a letter to customers, Joseph Schmidt confections tells customers that Easter will be its final season, and all remaining stock will be sold through June 30.
Based on its track record, this news doesn't surprise me. I was skeptical of the company's promise to keep the artisan brand's standards in the first place. It does sadden me, though. Do you think chocolate has taken a turn for the worse?
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Yum!!
1well i do think that with the rising costs of product that it takes to manufacture chocolate, that we're seeing a big issue with the life of products like this. i hope that as time goes on, we'll see things level out so that companies like these can still maintain their integrity and generate revenue. i hope that they are able to figure something out and maybe find another company to sign on to produce it but with the current economy no one knows.
2Well, it's pretty clear that we can't hold a company to promises that it will never change or never close. The economic world was rather different in 2005 when Hershey's said that. Certainly they didn't buy them in order to close them.
I'd much rather see Schmidt go out with its reputation intact instead of diluting it with more profitable and less tasty/less desirable ingredients & manufacturing practices. (I'm looking you Mr. Goodbar: no longer being made with milk chocolate.)
3I'm very sad to hear this. I was skeptical that Scarffen Berger would stick by the notion that selling to Hershey's was a good idea. It's so heartbreaking to see a local business gain so much popularity it is sold to Hershey's, only to be shut down a couple years later.
4OMG! I cant believe Joseph Schimdt is gone. My birthday is on Valentines day and my mother (god rest her soul) lived a block from the SF store and bought me the heart shaped box of truffels every year for my birthday and I continued the tradition with my daughter. I went to order her treat for 2010 and found out the horror of horrors. The best chocatiier ever in my mind is rolling over in his grave. His creations will be sorely missed (
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