FOUNDED IN 1924, VALRHONA is now one of the most widespread brands in the market for high quality chocolate, and even runs an Ecole du Grand Chocolat, which is a chocolate and pastry school for chefs. A large range of filled chocolates and chocolate-based sweets is complemented by some single-origin bars, some of which are from single plantations -- VALRHONA being among the first chocolate makers to introduce such single-plantation chocolate in the nineties. VALRHONA is also one of very few chocolatiers who produce single-origin bars from particular vintages. For example, you can get a 2006 and a 2007 Palmira bar. Whether they are ahead of the game in doing this, or whether this is more a marketing ploy than anything else, remains to be seen.

Website: www.valrhona.com

Stores: VALRHONA is based in Tain l'Hermitage, France, and has a store there (see below). The VALRHONA website also has a list of dealers in Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Spain and the UK. Their chocolate can also be found in many European supermarkets and food stores.

Tain l'Hermitage: 14 avenue du President Roosevelt, 26601 Tain l'Hermitage, France, Tel. +33475079090, email: info@valrhona.fr

Availability: Being one of the most widespread brands of high-quality chocolate in the world, it can even be found in many supermarkets and food stores in Europe. It can also be ordered online directly from Valrhona, or from www.chocosphere.com (US) or www.chocolatetradingco.com (UK).