Guittard Chocolate

Guittard Chocolate has operated out of the San Francisco Bay Area since 1868. The company is a B Corporation and sources cacao through direct-trade relationships with cooperatives in Ecuador, Ghana, and Papua New Guinea. Their 72% dark couverture is made without added emulsifiers — no soy lecithin, no sunflower lecithin — which was the primary qualification criterion for Genesee's ingredient standard.

The Guittard sourcing team traces each lot of cacao to the cooperative and harvest season. Genesee receives a lot-specific origin report with each shipment that confirms the originating cooperative, harvest month, and verified-fair-trade premium paid to farmers. These reports are available to any Genesee customer on request.

From Burlingame to the Cheyenne co-packer, couverture travels approximately 1,200 miles by temperature-controlled truck. Guittard's production facility runs on 100% renewable electricity sourced through a long-term power purchase agreement with a California wind project.