Have you ever opened up a cupboard at the in-laws only to discover a curious trove of gifts, mainly the ones you've given them over the last however many years you've been ball-and-chained to one of their spawn, gathering dust in one sad place? I have, and it got me thinking, wow, either they must hate me, which is always possible, or I just suck at in-law gifting. I opted to believe the latter this time - since the former is way too aggravating to even give thought to - then I asked my non-in-law loved ones what I might should get my in-laws the next time! Foodie gifts were the most commonly given recommendations, so I took a look around my recipients' kitchen for the best possible hint. Lo and behold, my in-laws happened to have several kinds of nearly fully used Lake Champlain products lying around, good indications to me that this Burlington, Vermont-based chocolate company might be a safe bet to gift from some time in the future. Late at night, after everyone went to sleep, S.O. and I taste tested a few pieces ourselves to make sure that Lake Champlain's chocolates would make a gift our taste-buds could vouch for. CHOCOLATE BUTTER BOMBS! These dark or milk truffles are so incredibly rich and buttery in taste and texture that they sometimes actually threaten to overwhelm their own feature flavors like vanilla malt or hazelnut! Lake Champlains' are definitely not a bon bon snacker one can just kick back on the sofa over a good movie with. Then again, what is? From hot chocolate tins, seasonal sculptures, truffle boxes, wedding favors and baking gifts to ribboned snack packs, Lake Champlain has quite the exalted catalogue of artisanal sweets and all-natural treats for you to browse and to consider sending to your recipients directly from http://lakechamplainchocolates.com. You may also find limited varieties for sale at your neighborhood Whole Foods. Either way, no more last minute email certificates, no more defeatist despair! Show off your temporary gifting prowess and give your loved ones an irresistible classic they will crave and enjoy: a big box or basket of goodies from Lake Champlain. Because there is almost nothing quite as luxurious as gobbling down a gourmet bite of 100% American, pure creamery butter, chocolate truffle. read more

Lake Champlain Chocolates - Holiday Snowman, Truffles, and Hot Chocolate. - Chocolatiers & Shops Near Me - Burlington, Vermont

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Okay sure, their chocolates may not fare to the likes of See's or Ghirardelli or other famous confectioner. But I have to credit them for presentation, packaging and generosity when it comes to giving out free samples. We used to stop by at their store on Church street to get a few pieces of their specialty chocolates and to drink hot chocolate while sitting by the bar and watching staff make their next batch of caramel apples or fudge. But, since we discovered their factory store that is not far away from Church Street, we prefer to go there instead. WARNING: SPOILER ALERT! If you go on weekdays, you can catch their "factory tour" which runs by the hour and is about half an hour long. Usually, one would imagine a walking tour when it comes to visiting factories. But in this tour, visitors basically just sit in an elevated lounge, with the view of the factory interior and the workers in action. A staff member then narrates the company's history, describes their different products and explains some processes in their chocolate-making business. The prize you get for listening to this lecture for 30 minutes is an abundant sampling of their chocolates. The tour is free so nothing gets better than this. If you come on a weekend, there's no tour and the factory is not in operation but you can see what it looks like through the glass windows. No big deal. Just use your imagination. Then look for chocolate samples throughout the store. Also, they have factory seconds of some of their chocolates and they are a lot cheaper than if you had bought them at the store at Church Street. It makes for a great giveaway idea. read more

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I was leaning towards 2 stars, but they do have a little display upstairs that offers free samples, of which one could take unfair advantage if one was so inclined, so I'm tacking one on out of guilt. As others have stated, no tours on weekends, but that makes sense since everybody needs some days off. Guess they could do Mon/Tues as an alternative but I don't want to cause a rebellion among the employees who have a good deal. The fact is, this is a perfectly nice place with good chocolate, assuming you stick to acceptable additives like caramel and nuts; they do offer a selection of weird flavors like they've been watching too much Food Network. Main problem is the price. I am NOT spending 6 bucks for a little chunky bar. Perhaps if it was mindblowing, but it's not. Just good. Check their website- $50 a pound for English toffee. Whaaaaat?! Now go to the See's website for a superior product at half the price. Or better yet, call my niece who makes it herself and try to get on her Christmas mailing list. You know which one I did. read more

I am leaving another review so that folks will know that I was contacted, and my issue resolved. The person that handles PR and Communications made lightning fast work of resolving my issue. I do wish I had not had to leave a bad review for it to happen. There will be some more LCC in my near future after all. read more

Lake Champlain chocolate is the best chocolate and I thoroughly enjoyed my visit there on July 10th 2020 it was so clean and it happened to be the day where there was a chocolate bar sale where the bars were $1.00 each. We bought a bunch and the woman who served us was so friendly and welcoming too. Oh and we also had the ice cream, yum! Can not wait to visit again. read more

I'm not a big fan of chocolate, but my relatives are, so when they came to visit me in Vermont I had to take them here! We took a little free tour where we got to see people making chocolate (specifically, painting the faces on chocolate snowmen for Christmas, which was VERY cool), watched a video about the chocolate-making process, then got to sample some chocolate. Our tour guide was darling and so kind, and the tour must've worked, because we ended up buying plenty of chocolate for my relatives' friends back home. My favorite thing: because it's the factory store, they sell "seconds"-- chocolate and other things that don't quite meet company standards (ie "imperfect" in any way, but still taste the same), at a discounted price! Count me in. read more

Outstanding customer service and delicious ice cream. The other products looked scrumptious and if I lived here, I would be back again and again read more

Its wonderfully handmade USA chocolates, with tours and open look on to the delectable confection floor. Sure, you can buy these wonderful chocolates at Whole Foods and other fine stores... but nothing like visiting where it all happens. I don't know if I showed up on an off day, but I couldn't give it the 5th star because of how insensitive and unwelcoming the counter staff where the "buy the pound" chocolates were. read more

Friends had told us how amazing Lake Champlain Chocolates was, and they were not joking. Not only is there so much variety to choose from, but the people who work there are so friendly and hospitable too! Renee was so welcoming and helpful, and made our experience even more enjoyable. We will definitely be back soon, for both the chocolates and the people! P.s. get the dark chocolate peanut butter cup, it will not disappoint! read more

I'm not sure what the buzz is all about. These are okay chocolates at a premier price. Of the ones I tried, I liked the dark chocolate champagne truffle the best. Sea salt caramel was good whereas the raspberry Vienna was a disappointment. The chocolates in the tasting menu were below par. Overall, not worth the shot! read more

Wonderful chocolates at premium prices. I would highly recommend purchasing a Five Star Bar. While the $4 pricetag for this small, confectionery delight made me choke a little, oh my goodness....they do not skimp at all on this little bar. read more

For sanitary reasons the lot of chocolating equipment is behind glass. Even still, you can see everything! The mixing tanks, the enrober, the molding area, and the cooling area. The tour guide we had was great but definitely turned on the sass when a group of old folks towards the back wouldn't stop chatting and drowning her out. The schpiel from the guide was about 10 minutes tops. They pass around white chocolate and three grades of milk and dark chocolate for tasting. We also were able to taste a big piece of their holiday dark chocolate with peppermint in it, yum! The store is kind of small once everyone starts shopping after the tour is over. The chocolate are pricey but so delicious. My faves? The salted milk chocolate caramel and the almond butter bark. read more

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Chocolate bliss, with free factory tour and mini-lecture on the hour at 10 am, 11 am, noon, 1 pm, and 2 pm. No reservations for the tour, but get there ten minutes early in case it's full. The dark chocolate cherry cordials were the best I've ever had, and I always look for that type. Prices rather ridiculous, though, even for quality chocolate. The cordials are FIFTY-nine dollars per pound. Tiny bags of chocolate coins can Be $13-plus. Luckily they don't weigh a lot, LOL. Four and a half stars instead of five only because of the price. Suggestion: a few comfortable chairs in the sitting/lecture area. read more

It's chocolate so duh it's delish!! In the back of the store you can sample each different kind and compare the tastes, dark, milk, white etc. It was fun! We got some hot chocolate which was to die for and of course some pumpkin truffles, drool... read more

Free Hot Chocolate Tasting and plenty great chocolate goodies - what's not to love about this store? Fun tip: they have a small bar that serves multiple Hot or Iced Chocolate featuring various sources. If you're a fan of dark chocolate, opt for the Madagascar. They also serve chocolate ice cream, as well as coffee and other light chocolate creations. Worth stopping by when you're in Burlington area! read more

Lake Champlain Chocolates - Store Interior - Chocolatiers & Shops Near Me - Burlington, Vermont

Delicious chocolates! Had a tough time finding the shop, but once I did--well--it was great! My aunt loved her mixed truffles!

Very nice and clean store. Chocolates are kind of pricey. Friendly customer service. We will come back again. :) read more

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Biked here from work to check out the informational tour. The presenter shared a lot of information with us. She explained the whole process of making these delicious treats. They are not a chocolate maker, the chocolate gets bought directly from the makers and then they cook them here for the different types of chocolate. Its awesome that we got to taste some white, milk and dark chocolate. I highly recommend it if you are around and feel like learning more! read more

Lake Champlain Chocolates - Chocolatiers & Shops Near Me - Burlington, Vermont

I haven't eaten too many different kinds of chocolates that come from Lake Champlain so I can't really comment about the other flavors other than the candy bar that I had. What I had was the Rum Caramel candy bar and thought it was wonderful! the candy bar is so rich and creamy! I can't eat more than two or three squares before having to take a break from it. I could taste the rum on the dark chocolate very in a very defining way. So many chocolates out there they say they have a flavor in them but all you really taste is chalky tasting chocolate. Not here. I recommend this one! If you don't live in Burlington and need a chocolate fix from Lake Champlain I suggest you try Whole Foods for starters. read more

For the weekend Burlington Visitors, don't expect to be able to drop in for a tour...unfortunately those are on weekends only. However, you'll still get to learn about the process from the signage kicking around, and have a sample or two by the display cases. I love their caramel filled chocolates and the gift bags are always a hit. Make sure to visit the section with "seconds" which is still perfectly good chocolate, but is off brand or mis-packaged. They won't wrap it as a gift for you, but that's okay--it won't last the car ride home anyway. When you are in the seconds area, be sure to look at what you pick up from the bins. I've found milk and dark chocolate mixed about accidentally. I assume its the visitors fault more than the staff, but it's always good to be mindful of what you purchase. read more

FREE factory tours on weekdays from 9-2, every hour on the hour! Hooray! The tour was very informative; you sit on an elevated platform overlooking the factory and the guide shows a series of images and points to portions of the factory while intermittantly providing chocolate samples. The store is great as well (cue more samples). The unique part about this store is that they sell factory seconds for reduced prices. Don't worry they taste just as good as the factory firsts. There is also a small counter in the store that sells homemade ice cream. It looked great but I was full of chocolate samples. read more

This is Hands Down, my FAVORITE Chocolatier! I always come here: Factory & Store & Café 750 Pine Street, Burlington, VT 05401 - Or - here: Chocolatier and Café Route 100, Cabot Annex, Waterbury, VT 05677 [Stop by Cabot for a bagillion free samples while you are here!] They always have full sized chocolate samples and don't give you the evil eye if you go back for seconds, or thirds... or sometimes.. fourths or fifths *peers about* Both places have a Hot Chocolate Bar and Factory Seconds AND you can go on a Factory Tour (Factory Location)! FACTORY SECONDS! You can get a box of 8 or 10 Truffles for ~$12 and the 2nd box 50% off. Considering each Truffle goes for ~$2-3, this is a STEAL! You can buy a chocolate bar for ~$1.75 instead of ~$4. AND a bags of chocolates too! Its like Heaven in there! You have both arms full in no time! And you can always find coupons around VT so if you spend ~$20 you get 2 free Truffles! (not the Factory Seconds kind). Now onto the chocolate.... bliss... true bliss. The Chocolate (Pure or Truffle) melts in your mouth. The texture is smooth, not chalky like Nestle's or Hershey's, the sweetness just right. Comparable to Cadbury (not the US version!). I love Lake Champlain Chocolates, I can't say this enough. Once I was unhappy with a Truffle from the Factory Seconds box and wrote in to let them know. 2 Days later I had Two (non Factory Seconds) boxes of Truffles shipped to my house, free of charge. You can't get better service and dedication that that! You just can't go wrong here: Milk, Dark, everything in between ~ It's all Delicious! Gosh, I can't even tell you my favorites, I love them ALL. This is why I highly suggest the factory seconds Truffle Boxes (yes, boxeS) and factory seconds bags of simple Chocolate Squares. Just go try it! read more

I would give this place an extra star because they had a free chocolate tasting with the quiz. I never realized how bad my palate is! I like how they have second chance chocolates where if there's a little defect they can still sell chocolate at a fraction of the price. Get a truffle because that is the best thing here! read more

I first visited this chocolate factory more than ten years ago when it was in a much smaller facility across the street nearer to downtown. Their operation has grown to the extent that this "factory" is just a piece of a much larger operation that is shipping chocolates nationally. This place, at one time, made my all time favorite chocolate a malted milk ball in both dark and milk chocolate. Unlike all of the other ones I have tried, they used a dry, straightforward, crunchy malted milk core and top quality thin shells of chocolate on the outside. While a simple chocolate, they did it perfectly and produced them for a few seasons but have not for the last several years. Please, please consider making them again, no one else seems to be able to do it right. This location is the actual factory store where you can gaze on as some of the chocolates are made behind a glass. They also have an ice cream shop with some excellent gourmet ice cream. Some of the chocolates are sold at a mild discount as seconds but they are still quite expensive. All of the chocolates here are premium and many are put together with the trendy single origin theme. They sell some excellent plain chocolates, truffles and boxed chocolates including my favorite, sea salt caramels. While many of the chocolates are excellent, my favorites are their chocolate bars (which can be purchased at Whole Foods) and really have a great combination of flavors. Both at this location and at the shop at the downtown mall, you can purchase their ice cream, and for colder weather, their hot chocolate. Each of these is a premium quality treat that makes use of their high quality chocolate. This is a worthwhile place to visit for anyone visiting the area who like s chocolate and although expensive, is the best way to get a taste of the variety of chocolates offered by this growing premium chocolate company. read more

Never been to the factory tour before but have recommended it to tourists for years. I decided to bring my family for my maiden voyage. I was not impressed. Maybe I was expecting something more like an actual "tour". They show a video and you look through a window from a slightly raised platform. On the plus side the " tour" is free and the chocolate is delicious. Unfortunately for the price I'd rather have a Hershey bar. read more

Lake Champlain Chocolates - Chocolate clock - Chocolatiers & Shops Near Me - Burlington, Vermont

We went in and bought pretty much one of every chocolate! They're super delicious, highly recommend this place!

The free tour is worth a visit if you are in the area, although it's not really a tour per-se since you just sit in an observation area and watch them make chocolates while a staff members tells you about the whole process. That makes it sound like it's disappointing, but it's actually really interesting, and when you see how small the production area is you will realize that there is no way they could actually take people through it! It is actually so small that I am really amazed at how they are able to make so much (delicious) chocolate in it. Afterwards there is a HUGE variety of chocolates to buy, everything from truffles to solid bars to filled bars and more. My personal favorite was a limited-edition milk chocolate with maple granola bar, but the 5 Star Bar with peanut butter was also outstanding. read more

Just went here for something free to do in Burlington this afternoon and it was perfect. Kathleen gave us an excellent tour of the chocolate factory complete with a full chocolate tasting. The workers are nice and friendly as well. We tried the hot chocolate which was actually reasonably priced compared to the price they sell a whole jar for! Absolutely delicious on this cold afternoon. Not complete without the homemade whipped cream that's for sure. You can really tell they put pride into these chocolates! Everything is local! read more

Pretty standard chocolate. We only got the chocolate bars with Carmel, so this review isn't based upon any of the fancier items. The chocolate bar was good, but pretty standard. It was a little hard and cut the roof of my mouth up pretty bad lol. But I see the stores everywhere, so it's a good tourist place to check out. read more

It is great to try samples in this store. They also sell seconds so check them out! However, I went in for one ice cream cone. There were two people behind the tiny little counter and they seemed to be involved in an order for a family of 4. Meanwhile, there was a line forming. The guy who was working behind the counter was so slow and didn't seem to realize that customer service means moving swiftly and efficiently and delivering the product in a timely way! The ice cream is very good but overpriced. I paid $4.00 for one scoop of chocolate ice cream and the service was poor. The whole ice cream bar/ hot chocolate counter scene needs to be redesigned and re-worked to be more amenable to crowds, which is, I guess, a good problem to have. Right now, it's poorly designed. Take out the movie seats and use that space!! read more

Always fun to learn about how things are made. The chocolate factory was shutting down for the day a little after 1 pm so if you want to see what happens on the factory floor show up to the noon or earlier tours. The tour is a presenter and video with some samples and hands on examples of chocolate in multiple states (fruit, nibs, etc.). Stop if you're in the area but don't make a special t read more

The prices! Oy. The chocolate is pretty good, nit overly sweet, but everything is so expensive, considering the production process. Free sample of house hot chocolate was okay but not great. Counter help very young and inexperienced. Try to go on a day when the production line is running. read more

'Pure Belgian Chocolate' caught my eye at Whole Foods. That and the loud pronouncement of DARK Chocolate. WIth many bars to choose from, I went with the Java Truffle filled Dark, and it's worth it. Worth the Three plus bucks; worth the calories (like i'm seriously counting), and worth the richness that cannot be consumed in one sitting. Not by me, no how. In this corner, weighing in at 3.25 oz, I would look for it again. And i am a bit of a chocolate snob, so that's sayin something. But Belgian Chocolate....from Vermont? read more

Lake Champlain Chocolates are just perfect! I love coming here. Its always been. Great customer service and great product! When we are downtown for any reason we always try and make a stop here! Why do you ask? For the mind dark mint hot chocolate and a small chocolate candy fix! They deliver on all ends! The store front is located right on Church street. So its easy to get too! College students and shoppers a like tend to come here. Its very clean inside and very well kept for its age. The service here is top notch! I have never came in here and had a bad experience. They have all been good. Granted we get the same thing pretty much every time we go. They are always quick and efficient both busy and dead days! Just the other day we had gone down town on a snowy Vermont day and the place was dead. So it was a perfect day for a mint hot chocolate. And thats all we wanted. One large mint hot chocolate with two marsh mellows. After the guy made it for us rather than pour out the extra he just gave it to us! With an extra marsh mellow! And this is why we keep going back.... The mint hot chocolate and peanut butter cups are to die for! Each are a good size and great for a quick small sugar fix. Anytime we have had them made they are always consistent! The prices are even fair. For a large hot chocolate it will run you about $3.95 and its a good size. Me and the girlfriend most of the time just share one. Its mixed well and the marsh mellow is my favorite part! One peanut butter cup will run you about $1.50. It's a medium size and great for a small snack. And unlike the Reese's version I could keep eating them forever if I had a bag of them in front of me. Its a perfect blend of chocolate and peanut butter. Neither one of the flavors over power the other. This is the reason why I only get them while I'm down there...If I didn't I would be found dead for over eating! :P My ONLY complaint is that I wish they had tables inside and outside during the summer time. I mean the store front is huge! It can hold a good amount of people. So I don't think adding tables would be a bad idea. Then add some free WiFi and Starbucks could eat its heart out! Would bring in more consistent customers I bet and way more money even. Just a thought. So there you have it folks! What are you waiting for? Go get your chocolate on! They won't disappoint. Perfect 5/5! The table idea is just a minor complaint. Definitely not a deal breaker by any means. read more

Awesome place. Factory seconds available. The tour is worth it and it'll teach you what to look for in chocolate bar.

My fiance and I were on a short weekend trip to Vermont and this was one of the places I really wanted to stop. I love taking factory tours and, well, I love chocolate, so I could not have been more excited to come here and learn all about the chocolate-making process. Unfortunately, they apparently do not offer tours of the facility on the weekends, which made very little sense to me considering the amount of people who vacation on weekends. I was pretty let down by that. Having said that, they do have what looked to be beverage counter-area where you can get some chocolately delicious drinks, and they also have a small shop- I was expecting it to be larger considering it's the factory store, but hey- still had lots to choose from. I noticed the "seconds" area where there is chocolate that is not up to standard due to a possible small dent or packaging mishap etc- no issues with taste or quality. I thought this would be a great way to try their chocolate, and it was- but BOY is this stuff expensive! $22 per pound, and this is for the "non perfect" chocolates. My fiance and I took grabbed a few different flavors and it ended up being about $12. Little bit much for a few less-than-perfect pieces of chocolate. Having said that, it was truly delicious chocolate. We got the dark chocolate almond and milk chocolate peanut butter and were very happy with the flavor of both. I think while this isn't the kind of chocolate you buy whenever you feel like it due to the price, it's very tasty and would make a great gift or occasional treat! Overall, it was an quick, enjoyable stop, although I would love to see them offer at least a few tours during the weekends. read more

As a lover of most things chocolate (dark chocolate preferred), Lake Champlain is the best I have found! Their truffles are melt in your mouth goodness and their dark chocolate sea salt caramels are simply the best! read more

Belgian chocolate milkshake - enough said. Stopped in just as they were closing on a Saturday after the Vermont Beer fest. This was our first time here but when we are back in the area we'll be sure to stop in again! read more

Cool little store, a little bit too pricey if you ask me, the chocolate was good, but I don't think it justified the prices.

Amazing best chocolates I ever had. The staff was passionate and very knowledgeable. We also visited the store on church street. I loved the product so much my husband surprised me for Valentine's day. Even the way it was packaged and sent with the ice pack was perfect especially shipping to Florida. We will see you again over the summer read more