big interview
Guittard & Co: ‘A 150-year-old start-up’
Kiran Grewal sits down with Amy Guittard, CMO of Guittard & Co, who tells Kennedy’s Confection of the responsibilities of a family-owned business, its interconnected sustainability initiatives and the developing ingredient innovation that is keeping Guittard ahead of the curve.
Q: Tell us a little about Guittard’s origins and its company ethos.
Amy Guittard, CMO of Guittard & Co: Founded in San Francisco in 1868, Guittard & Co.
remains
the ldest continuously family-owned and operated chocolate-making business in the United States, but we describe ourselves as a 150-year-old start-up. Today, it’s run by 4th generation
Guittard, my father Gary, as CEO and ‘Chocolate Maker.’ I join him alongside my brother Jesse and our cousin Clark. Guittard continues to raise the bar with our passion for honourable sourcing, crafting the highest quality chocolate, providing the best service, and setting new standards for the industry, an approach that is best illustrated by our mission to Cultivate Better™.
Our heritage is built on close relationships with farmers,
suppliers and customers; our family of employees is comprised of multiple generations whose passion for crafting chocolate makes its way into the products that we offer our customers. As a family-owned company, working closely with the communities and families from whom Guittard purchase our beans is one of our top priorities. It’s about cultivating relationships and fair income generation for cocoa farmers. We focus on improving yields without compromising on flavour.
Q: Consumers are looking for healthier options in confectionery – how is there a place for chocolate in this?
AG: Lower sugar options are certainly top of mind for consumers. That said, there’s certainly a place for indulgence and chocolate; giving consumers and chefs the tools to strike that balance is certainly the goal, particularly given the vastness of dietary preferences that are out there. Our Beyond Sugar line was designed to marry the artistry of chocolate-making with evolving dietary awareness, all the while providing
6 Kennedy’s Confection October 2022
“Guittard & Co. remains the oldest continuously
family-owned and operated
chocolate-making business in the United States”
tools from which one’s palate and creativity can dictate the approach. Thinking about novel ways of integrating chocolate with naturally lower sugar content is one way that confectioners and pastry chefs can approach the lower-sugar trend. Enrobing a ganache in 100% unsweetened chocolate or even using fibre in a recipe to offset sugar in a traditional confection can all provide healthier options for clientele – with chocolate still serving as the centrepiece. The space is certainly ready for healthier options while still celebrating and appreciating the tradition of pastry and confection.
Q: How has people’s need for chocolate changed? Are they taking more time to appreciate the flavour and origin?
AG: People’s appreciation of flavour and origin is certainly increasing; however, this has always been at the fore of Guittard’s approach to crafting chocolate. We source beans from all over the growing regions for their flavour and sustainability; our long-lasting relationships with growers enable a collaboration where flavour is prioritized. Much of the cocoa we source is grown on small farms where generations of farmers have carried on the long tradition. We believe that flavour holds value and by investing in protecting that flavour profile, those premiums can be reinvested into the farming communities for long-term sustainability. We collaborate with cacao farmers to develop desired flavours in the beans, from managing the health of the delicate trees and harvesting
KennedysConfection.com
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