No one knows the chocolate making process better than Eldora Chocolate owner and founder Steve Prickett, who sources cacao beans from 35 countries, using them to make and sell fine chocolate at his shop.
The bean-to-bar expert looks to put New Mexico chocolate on the map with the help of Sweet Week, an inaugural city-wide celebration of local sweets. The event, collaboration between the Southwest Chocolate and Coffee Fest, Edible New Mexico and Visit Albuquerque, takes place March 29 through April 6. Sweet Week aims to support local businesses and spotlight the city’s culinary offerings ahead of the 15th annual Southwest Chocolate and Coffee Fest.
“The festival traditionally always has some sort of programming... and we just came up with a concept to take some of that programming at the festival and spread it out throughout Albuquerque,” said Dean Strober, who along with his wife, Lena Armstrong-Strober, created the event.
The week will attempt to drive traffic to businesses that want to take part in the festival but can’t, oftentimes due to staffing issues. “We ... know that people travel in from all over the country — actually all over the world — to attend the festival, and we really want them to experience so much more of Albuquerque,” he said. The festival brings in roughly 22,000 visitors annually. The couple hopes to draw festival attendees in earlier and give them more to enjoy.
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]]>"This is failed retirement," Prickett says. "I didn’t need to do this, but it was a challenge and I wanted to make really fine chocolate. I have wonderful employees. It’s a happy business."
Prickett is an evangelist for the practice of "bean to bar" production. He and his four employees purchase beans from Central America, Africa and other equatorial countries and use a trial-and-error process they developed to make truffles, a variety of bars, intense and condensed sipping chocolate and chocolate-based beauty products.
All told, he’s used beans from 35 countries and always has products from at least five origins available at his North Valley store. Eldora, located at 8114 Edith NE, won a Top 10 award this year from USA Today’s Best Reader’s Choice for chocolate shops. Last year, he won a silver and bronze from the Academy of Chocolate.
“We haven’t won a gold yet, but we’re working on it.”
Part of his success, Prickett says, is knowing who his customers are. The legacy of chocolate in the United States, he says, stems from the Hershey’s milk chocolate distributed to GIs during World War II.
Since then, the market has been mostly for what Prickett calls "industrialized" rather than "fine" chocolate, with most U.S. consumers unaccustomed to eating bars that are more dense and intensely flavored.
But Prickett’s shop is finding its audience. "When we opened, nine out of 10 people who walked through the door were milk chocolate eaters," he says. "They weren’t fine chocolate eaters. And now it’s closer to seven out of 10 fine chocolate eaters walking through the door. They’re starting to recognize what we are and what we’re doing. The goal has not been to be the biggest chocolate shop in the United States or in the world. It was always to be the best."
What’s been the most difficult thing about starting Eldora?
A few things were frustrating. One was I felt the business would develop faster. Of course, every entrepreneur is impatient that their business doesn’t grow (faster). But we were in it for the long haul. We modified our business plan as we saw what we needed to do. The second thing was making the chocolate from bean to the bar. When I was making it at home, it was still very frustrating. My first eight batches were fails. The chocolate actually tasted good, but it didn’t look good. In fact, six months into it, I hired a consultant out of Seattle who had been in the business for 35 years to help. So we were able to quickly accelerate the quality of what we were doing.
Do you have a favorite kind of chocolate?
I love dark chocolate — 75% or higher, I love it. We talk in our tasting classes about developing your chocolate personality. We coined that here. But I like all kinds, as long as it’s prepared well. And I can tell when it’s off just a little bit, whether it’s my chocolate or somebody else’s.
What’s a mistake you’ve made?
There’s lots of mistakes. There’s this fine line between bravado — do it my way, this is going to work — and it’s just not working any more. Every entrepreneur goes through that. It just depends on how far out you go on that catwalk before you pull back. One of the things we did, we had our drinking chocolate and we made it with water instead of oat milk or dairy milk. We were quite pleased. We went up to Toronto, saw they were doing it there and brought it into the marketplace here. But it was not as well-received. The community wasn’t ready for just drinking chocolate with water and so we said, 'We’ve got to switch this.'
What prompted you to start your own business when you could have retired?
I’m an entrepreneur. When I was growing up, I had a paper route and sold Christmas cards. I’ve always had an entrepreneurial spirit. When I was working for Merrill Lynch, you know it’s a big company and there’s a big bureaucracy. So to step away from that and come here, it’s a short decision for me. There is no bureaucracy here. Every employee knows, they have a problem, they come right to me and we solve it right there. There’s no, 'I’ve got to take it to a committee' and all that. It’s very invigorating to be able to do that. The essence of entrepreneurship is building something from the ground up that wasn’t here. I did that. I didn’t buy a business and step into it like a hermit crab.
What do you do in your free time?
There are 58 14,000-foot peaks in Colorado. I’ve done 27 of them. I love to be outdoors. I like fishing.
What has made you successful?
I want to make lots of mistakes. Let's get through them quickly. That’s going to bring us closer to success. Giving your employees confidence that they can make mistakes allows them to be more assertive and invested in the business. I see a lot of businesses, you made a mistake and you get fined and you get written up. I want to get into your mind and say, 'What happened here? Maybe you were thinking of something great. Let’s do it again and see if we can execute it this way. Maybe we can turn a mistake into a beautiful idea.'
What are your best sellers?
The 70% Zesty Mango Piñon bar, 70% Vanilla Pink Salt bar, 70% Tart Cherry bar, 50% Dark Milk with Almonds.
Do you ever get sick of chocolate?
Never.
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]]>For Prickett making the perfect bar of chocolate starts with the beans themselves. He carefully considers the terroir associated with each variety of cacao bean that he sources. Optimal fermenting and drying processes for the beans are other primary considerations, to facilitate crafting the best possible chocolate. Prickett commits to ‘finding, real ingredients that retain healthy benefits, no matter the time or cost.’
“I start with a sample of cacao beans from a supplier and roast and conch it into chocolate,” he says. “If the flavor and texture is what I'm looking for then I request more information from the supplier like, "Do they practice organic techniques? Do they not use pesticides and herbicides?
“If I buy from a co-op or an entity that then buys from or works with a group of farmers, I ask for a transparency report to determine, among other things, if the farmer is getting paid fairly.” Read more about Fair Trade, Direct Trade and Transparent Trade.
Prickett does not dictate optimal cacao fermentation and drying processes among his suppliers. Rather, he screens this out by taking each individual sample, roasting it, conching, and making a sample chocolate. He then assesses a variety of characteristics in each resulting chocolate sample. “Typically, I'm looking for fruity notes, chocolatey, fudgy notes, complex notes, and comfortable, easy eating notes. I always have [at least] five different single origins for sale. Right now, I have nine single origins for sampling and tasting.”
The company provides a ‘best eaten by’ date for each edible item it sells and discards finished products at expiration-as well as products whose flavor profile has diminished.
“There are two different time assessments I use,” Prickett says. “One is from the day I receive the raw cacao beans from a supplier. The second is from the day I turn the raw beans into finished chocolate.
“For item one the rule of thumb is two years. However, my plant is very modern and I re-box 70 kilogram bags of beans into 20-pound sealed buckets, plus the room is temperature-controlled, between 68-72 degrees F. I've tested this and found that I can store raw beans for up to four years.
“For item two, I set a ‘best by’ date of one year from the make date of my single origin bars. For inclusion bars I set a six month best by date. [But], bottom line, we taste the bars to see if flavor is diminished.”
Prickett’s commitment to transparency extends to how his chocolate is made. Eldora Craft Chocolate opened in Albuquerque’s north valley on a half-acre lot in June 2018. “My wife, who is an interior designer, [planned] our 2,000 square foot building to have the look of a ‘modern barn,’ Prickett says. “Inside, she used color pops, shiplap, and open spaces that provide complete transparency as we work to make chocolate.It's very welcoming and my staff is friendly. We like to say we treat all customers like humans, not algorithms. And all customers are offered as many free samples of any of our bars as they wish.”
By volume, truffles are a top seller for the company. Most popular truffle flavors include olive oil blood orange, bourbon, caramel, and coconut raspberry (vegan). Seasonal truffles always sell well too.
Eldora Craft Chocolate bars run second in volume of sales, and especially raspberry, vanilla pink salt, mole mole, or 70% single origin varieties. By dollar amount, Prickett’s inclusion/flavored bars are best sellers, as are single origin bars, truffles and drinking chocolate.
Inside this multi-award-winning business’s retail space, visitors can also sample delectable treats such as brownies or Banana Coconut Bonbons. Superfood creamers, and chocolate-infused body care products are other offerings.
Tours at Eldora Craft Chocolate, paired with tastings, are also quite rewarding, says Prickett. Although the company does not operate in a retail district, Prickett says it has quickly become a destination. “This city is not really known for fine chocolate So we’re in the front end of a trend,”
For an endeavor focused on quality and doing good, it should come as no surprise that Eldora donates a percentage of company revenue to several not-for-profits. They include Kiva (for projects focused on cacao and cacao products), Heirloom Cacao Preservation Fund, and The Rainforest Project.
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]]>“We as chocolate makers have to educate the public better,” Prickett said. “A chocolatier is someone making chocolate. The texture, the flavor, and the ingredients are all set and pre-made. They melt it down and turn it into pretty shapes. I’m a chocolate maker. …In the U.S., there are about 700 chocolate makers and about 17,000 chocolatiers. Why are there so few? It’s too hard to make the chocolate from scratch and tease it out.”
Read more at the www.primetimenm.com]]>If you’re looking for the next great foodie destination in the country, look no further. From classic spots you can’t miss to innovative new establishments, here’s where to eat (and drink) in Albuquerque.
There’s almost always a line at Frontier Restaurant, which sits just on the edge of the University of New Mexico, but don’t let that deter you. They move fast, serving up breakfast, burritos and a whole mess of New Mexican specialties from dawn until dusk, both to-go and in their cozy, retro diner space. Open from 5 a.m. to midnight every day, no matter what time your flight gets in, Frontier will have a warm burrito and a full salsa bar waiting.
Duran’s Central Pharmacy is a close second when it comes to New Mexican diner food, and a winning choice for those staying on the other side of the city, closer to the historic Old Town district. Just remember, elevation can be extra dehydrating, so drink plenty of water alongside your carne adovada — and go red here, as plenty of locals swear Duran’s has the best red chile in town. Plus, when you’re done with your meal, you can peruse the pharmacy and gift shop for some handmade, local souvenirs — or some actual medicine, as this place is home to a working pharmacy right alongside its diner.
A visit to the Apothecary Lounge located on the rooftop of Hotel Parq Central is a great way to figure out what “watermelon sky” means. During the best sunsets, the Sandia Mountains turn pink, which is where they earned the name, derived from the Spanish word for “watermelon.” A mineral embedded in the granite is responsible for the color, but it’s more fun to pretend the sky itself is in on the trick. The drinks are great, but it’s pairing them with one of the best mountain views in the city that makes this rooftop a favorite sunset hang for residents and visitors.
Founders Speakeasy is another option for a well-made cocktail, and frequenters of Davey Wayne’s or Break Room 86 in L.A. will be tickled that an unassuming liquor store downtown gives way to a basement speakeasy down a tucked-away dark staircase. All you’ve got to do to get in is check the bar’s Instagram bio for the current password, and use it in a sentence with the employees manning the counter. Even if there’s a 15- to 20-minute wait to get down into the basement, the vast menu and massive bar stocked with some rare and unique bottles makes this a must-visit.
Oh, and if you’re craving a drink earlier in the day, say around happy hour, shift to another hotel hotspot: Mas Tapas y Vino at Hotel Andaluz. Their tapas are so good that ordering one or two plates might just lead to an entire dinner on the spot, and a great wine list ensures perfect pairings whether you go for bacon-wrapped dates and pork ribs, or Manchego mac and cheese and scallops.
Chef Daisy Ryan's tips for visiting this gorgeous part of Central California begin with wine and end with Steinbeck
This bike-friendly town offers a mix of wilderness and city life, so peddling around is the perfect way to see both. Family-owned Routes Bicycle Tours offers highly customizable bike rentals and tours that take in everything from historic neighborhoods in the city and pedestrian-friendly local farms (complete with pop-up taco shops, of course) to landmark houses from Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul. If you’d rather chart your own course, Routes can sort you out with your choice of ride: beach cruisers, mountain bikes, tandems or even electric bikes.
Make sure to book yourself a meal at Campo, the on-site restaurant at Los Poblanos Historic Inn & Organic Farm. The beautiful, peaceful grounds are just outside the historic downtown district and offer lodging in idyllic bungalow rooms set against a backdrop of lavender fields. Even if you don’t end up bunking at this bucolic property, plan a visit to their dining room. Consistently ranked as one of the best restaurants in New Mexico by the likes of Food & Wine and Bon Appetit, even the most meticulous foodie will fall in love with the simple, farm-fresh fare served during brunch and dinner here. Pop into the Farm Shop after your meal to browse through lavender-based wares like soaps, balms, lotions and decor, and get a very early start on your Christmas and birthday shopping.
For more fine-dining options, Farm & Table is the perfect place to get veggie-forward, seasonal dishes, and they offer a fully coursed out meal with elegant service that’s completed by a substantial bottle list. Closer to the town center, Level 5, the rooftop restaurant at Hotel Chaco, is the other best spot for mountain views as the sun goes down, helping visitors understand why this state earned the nickname “the Land of Enchantment.” Everything on the menu here is great, but since you’re in New Mexico, get some buffalo short ribs and a strong glass of red while basking in golden hour.
If you’re staying at one of the two main properties in town — Hotel Albuquerque and Hotel Chaco — then you’re perfectly positioned to go explore the city’s promising new food hall. By only allowing local vendors into the rustic, warehouse-style space, Sawmill Market manages to feel like an expertly curated tasting menu of the best the city has to offer. There’s everything from waffles and soft serve to Vietnamese snacks, a whole back corner of Mexican food, and even fresh-made pasta. Just a block or two from either hotel, this market is great for breakfast, or a quick, air-conditioned snack in the middle of the day. There’s also a great spot to grab a beer on-site, Paxton’s Taproom, as they feature a lineup of 30 local beers. Turn it into a mini bar crawl by including nearby breweries Bow & Arrow and Gravity Bound. If they have the Fruity Pebbles sour on draft at the latter, it’s a must-try.
Don’t be surprised if you see a little burger joint named Blake’s Lotaburger all over town. While local fast food isn’t always the move, it’s worth popping into one of the many locations to try the green chile cheeseburger. They claim they were the first ones to put green chile on a cheeseburger; whether or not that’s true, Blake’s still does it best. Wash that hint of heat down with a chocolate shake that rivals a Frosty at Wendy’s. Sacrilege? Maybe, but it’s kind of the perfect pairing for when the heat begins to rise in the desert. If you get too hot exploring town, duck into Slow Burn, a local coffee shop with killer cold brew, and coffee so fresh they just might be roasting it when you stop by.
Another local standout is Rumor Pizza, a fairly new joint that does just about the best takeout pizza you’ll have in town. Their New York-style pies come in one size and are available for pre-order because of how often the two-man kitchen sells out of them. Go with the white pie for smooth and salty poolside snacks, or the classic pepperoni to tide you over between meals. If you do want to try a green chile/pepperoni combo, Dion’s is your spot — order The 505, the name a shout-out to the ABQ area code. There’s even a winery in town that serves green chile wine — that’s how popular the stuff is.
On a much sweeter note, one of the most enjoyable experiences in town is a chocolate tour and tasting at Eldora Chocolate. The small shop and factory is a total labor of love, and a great activity for sober folks who like the attention to detail that brewery and vineyard culture breed, but have no interest in alcohol. The owner, Steve Prickett, takes otherworldly pride in sharing his knowledge of bean-to-bar chocolate, the difference between a chocolatier and a chocolate maker (it’s substantial), and what flavors come through in chocolate made from different regions. This tour was one of the highlights of my entire trip, so if it appeals to you at all, do not hesitate to book one. And just try to walk out without grabbing a few bars for future, uh, tastings.
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- Eldora’s 85% Ecuador Puerto Quito awarded silver
- Eldora’s 70% Ecuador Puerto Quito awarded bronze
- Eldora’s White Chocolate Chai awarded bronze
Eldora Chocolate's "Bean to Bar" craft chocolate is really getting noticed, much like the craft brewery business in New Mexico.
Eldora's Bean to Bar is filling the wide flavor gap that big industrialized chocolate can't deliver on. Many consumers have become disenchanted with big industrialized chocolate. Fortunately, the Bean to Bar movement is filling that flavor and taste gap.
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A big thank you to Ron Davis from Albuquerque Business First for stopping by Eldora and writing about our story.
For those of you that missed it, here's a snippet.
"Steve Prickett traded a suit for an apron and hairnet.
The former private wealth senior consultant at Merrill Lynch, who worked at the wealth management company for 32 years, had been a longtime dark chocolate consumer. He became fascinated with the production process of turning beans to bars during a trip to Hawaii with his wife, Andrea, years ago.He decided to try making chocolate himself with some basic kitchen equipment. After several batches that, in his words, tasted good but didn't look good, what started off as a hobby eventually turned into a business. It took him over 100 batches to get the hang of making chocolate.
Prickett launched Eldora Chocolate, a new 2,000-square-foot property with a certified kitchen, earlier this month. Production and sales are based out of the operation at 8114 Edith Blvd. NE in Albuquerque, and an Eldora online ordering system launched Tuesday.
He compared his business and the chocolate industry to microbreweries, with unique types of chocolate becoming more and more popular, like the explosion of interest in craft beers like India pale ales."
Read more at Albuquerque Business First.
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Here's an excerpt from the article...
"It’s a labor of love for Prickett, who says he has always loved dark chocolate and wanted to make all-natural, fair trade products with no preservatives after learning how to do so while on a trip to Hawaii.
Eldora – named for wife Andrea Prickett’s grandmother – gets beans from Guatemala, the Dominican Republic, Tanzania, Venezuela and, most recently, Mexico."
To read more about Eldora, please visit https://www.abqjournal.com/1238670/less-fruit-more-doughnuts-jeweler-carves-a-niche-online.html
]]>"The Guild fosters, distinguishes and unites tasty, authentic and responsible food crafters, offering concrete support for their businesses and amplifying the impact of their individual choices to do what’s right rather than what’s easy. A variety of benefits await the values-based businesses that join the Guild, from the chance to show at the industry-only Good Food Mercantiles three times a year to a free listings at Good Food Jobs, to discounts on everything from chic compostables to carefully sourced spices traceable to the farm level.
With nearly 500 members making everything from pickled okra to brass-extruded Khourasian wheat pasta to waste obliterating (and delicious!) whey-based popsicles, Guild Members are united in their commitment to meet or exceed the Good Food Foundation Standards for tasty, authentic and responsible food. Hailing from nearly all 50 states and D.C., they are an economic force shaping the American food culture for the better".
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Our Guatemala Polochic 70% awarded Silver. Come by the 8114 Edith NE store to sample this bar plus we have samples from Tanzania, Ecuador, Madagascar, Uganda, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Colombia, Bolivia to complete an around the world tasting experience.
]]>To Sophie Putka, and Edible Magazine, we thank you.
A big thanks to the Albuquerque Alibi for interviewing Eldora. Here's a bit of the wonderful article.
"You don’t expect to find a craft chocolaterie up in Los Ranchos de Albuquerque. The nearest commercial neighbors are Plant World Nursery and the General Mills plant—along with lots and lots of dusty open lots. The small building that houses Eldora Craft Chocolate even looks like a barn—albeit a very modern and clean barn.But once you walk inside, you realize you’ve just arrived somewhere very special. Albuquerque’s first and only bean-to-bar chocolaterie smells heavenly inside and looks even better. The wallpaper sports an intricate design of cacao trees and the many large windows fill the space with sunlight. From the counter—where you’ll see a glass display filled with foil-wrapped truffles and bars—you can see into the spacious, high-ceilinged kitchen that gleams with stainless steel. There’s a Scandinavian look to the space with its open layout and beautifully simple design."
]]>From KOB
"About four years ago, his wife signed them up for a chocolate plantation tour in Hawaii. Little did she know, it would be the end of retirement as they knew it.
"After about 50 batches I said, you know, ‘this is a hobby, but I could make a business out of this if I wanted to,’” said Prickett.
That hobby is now Eldora Chocolate. The business opened June 6th on Edith just south of Paseo Del Norte. Prickett is dedicated to making chocolate using all organic, natural and fair trade ingredients.
“We pay above market price to support the farmers,” said Prickett.
Their beans come from all over the world, and some of their spices come from New Mexico.
“We use Chimayo chile,” said Prickett.
They make energy bars, truffles, and even iced chocolate for these hot summer days. Their menu isn’t permanent. They want to hear from customers who have ideas for new flavors for them to try out.
A visit to Eldora Chocolate is an experience similar to wine tasting, and a lesson in a process similar to coffee roasting."
]]>Eldora started with the intention to create a unique experience in flavor. Chocolate that transcends the status quo and challenges the notion that chocolate is simply candy. Our founder Steve Prickett set off on a chocolate making journey that did just that. Through hard work and determination, we built our flavor profile, the menu, the brand, the building and our team. We’ve been lucky enough to be surrounded by good people to help us along the way.
If you come in to Eldora, you’ll meet our team. Everyone is eager to help, educate and serve you. Because after all what’s an amazing piece of chocolate if it doesn’t have someone to enjoy it? Since day one our mission has been to create chocolate that feeds your soul. There’s a wonderful quote by Emily Dickinson, “the soul should always stand ajar, ready to welcome the ecstatic experience.” We aim to create an ecstatic experience with our chocolate.
Eldora’s Anthony and Steve hanging our “Now Open” banner.
Eldora’s Founder and Chocolate Maker, Steve Prickett
Eldora is now open for business, check our Location page for hours and directions.
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