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On the banks of the Danube River,
in Czechoslovakia, near the
picturesque Carpathian Mountain
Range, Leopold Grunhut began
studying the art of fine chocolate
making. Before long, his skills
were acclaimed and he began
creating unique chocolate confections
with delicate balances of flavor
in his small kitchen. Using
only fresh cream from the local
farmers, his small operation
soon became the talk of the
town. Within five years, he
had four stores in town selling
his confections.
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After
WWII devastated the region, the
company relocated to New York,
with young Erwin at the helm of
the family business. Under the
Astor Chocolate name, the business
flourished with Erwin’s
creativity, and unique style.
Astor Chocolates European inspired
confections soon achieved national
renown. |
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Astor’s
name in fine, quality chocolates
soon spread and their first large-scale
customer was Macy’s. Many
other department stores soon followed
and Astor’s reputation grew.
They were synonymous with European
tradition, signature distinctive
flavors, and original thinking. |
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the years, Astor became
famous for its innovations
in the chocolate market.
In the 1960’s it was
illegal to sell liqueur-filled
chocolate. Erwin thought
of a creative alternative,
a chocolate cordial cup
to be filled with liqueur.
This dark Belgian chocolate
cup soon became a best seller,
as the company aligned with
brand name liqueur brands
such as Kahlua, Nocello,
Tia Maria as well as private
label packages for other
liqueur companies. The classic
liqueur cup gift box was
prominently displayed in
the window of Bloomingdales
and a feature article was
written in the home magazine
– House Beautiful. |
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In 1965,
the Chocolate Chess Set
was designed by a famous
artist. It came complete
with solid dark and white
chocolate playing pieces
and an edible board in a
beautiful gift box. This
too became a popular item
and was featured in Neiman
Marcus, Bloomingdales and
other popular mail-order
catalogs of the day.
The chess
set was followed by Astor’s
chocolate greeting cards,
chocolate love letters and
other unique gift items. |
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Astor Chocolate was expanding rapidly.
They moved to a large new factory in
Glendale, New York. This enabled the
installation of new production equipment
to facilitate high quality production
in a very short turnaround.
In the 1970’s, Astor
introduced customized turndown chocolates
to the American hotel market. These
chocolate mints soon became the hallmark
of turndown service at many
famous hotels. Astor remains
the industry leader in chocolate amenities
for the hospitality industry. |
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Expanding
on its success with chocolate
gift-shops, Astor imported
a European concept by creating
a line of chocolate souvenirs
featuring photos and scenes
of cities across the USA.
Airport and souvenir shops
nationwide now offered sweet
memories to travelers to
take home to family and
friends. |
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As sales grew, there was
a need for a larger manufacturing
facility and the company
moved to its current headquarters
- a 120,000 square foot
modern facility in Lakewood,
New Jersey.
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In 2000, Astor broadened its vision
by acquiring Le Belge Chocolatier,
a San Francisco based chocolate
company. Founded by a Parisian
couple, Philippe and Heugette
Dumas, this boutique shop was
providing the country’s
most discerning resorts with luxurious
confections. Le Belge is renowned
for its artful blend of European
tradition, fine Belgian chocolate
and premium ingredients.
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In
2005, Le Belge moved into a newly constructed
facility in Napa Valley, California,
a perfect setting for the flavorful,
fragrant, and luscious chocolate they
are famous for. Le Belge continues to
produce small batches of artisanal chocolates,
inspired by their European founders
Astor Chocolate continues
to grow and expand its horizons in the
many markets that it serves, while upholding
the foundation of old-fashioned values
and unbridled creativity that brought
on its initial success. |
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