Van Velze's

What Van Velze's does

Van Velze's Chocolates is a privately held, founder-operated artisan chocolate producer specializing in handmade luxury bonbons and truffles. The company was founded in Amsterdam in 2009 by chocolatier Robbert van Velze and Deborah Kilroy, and in 2023 relocated its primary chocolate atelier to Ballinrobe, County Mayo, in West Ireland — the birthplace of co-founder Kilroy — while retaining a small office in Amsterdam for corporate clients. The product portfolio centers on two collections: a Signature Bonbons range sold in boxes of 5, 9, 16, 25, or 36 pieces priced at €12.50–€59.00, and a Truffles line featuring salted caramel, Irish whiskey, dark salted caramel, and Baileys variants (€11 per 8-piece box), plus a luxury West-Ireland-themed hamper bundle at €55.00.

The core production approach combines rare Criollo and Trinitario cocoa beans with locally sourced Irish ingredients — including Achill Island sea salt, Killala balsamic, Westport honey, and fresh cream from cows grazing within 15 minutes of the atelier. The signature sea-salted caramel has won awards, and all products are handcrafted at the West Ireland atelier by a team of fewer than 10 employees. The e-commerce storefront is built on Shopify and ships to eight markets: the Netherlands, Ireland, Belgium, Spain, France, Portugal, Germany, and New Zealand (with the US explicitly excluded).

Revenue is generated through three channels: (1) direct-to-consumer online retail of handmade chocolates to individuals for gifting and personal indulgence, (2) a B2B corporate gifting line with bulk ordering and address-list processing for client appreciation and employee recognition, and (3) a wholesale/stockist program for third-party retailers. Pricing is in Euros, with free shipping thresholds of €60 within Ireland and €120 elsewhere. The company is bootstrapped with no disclosed external investment and is structured as VanVelze's Chocolates Ltd in Ireland with a branch/representative office in Amsterdam.

Name

Van Velze's

Legal name

VanVelze's Chocolates Ltd

Website

https://vanvelzes.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Van Velze's Chocolates is a founder-operated artisan chocolate producer handcrafting luxury bonbons and truffles in County Mayo, Ireland, using rare Criollo and Trinitario cocoa with local Irish ingredients. It sells direct-to-consumer via Shopify across Europe and New Zealand and runs a B2B corporate gifting line.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Artisan Confectionery

NAICS

Confectionery Manufacturing from Purchased Chocolate (311352), Chocolate and Confectionery Manufacturing from Cacao Beans (311351), Confectionery and Nut Retailers (445292)

SIC

Sugar & Confectionery Products (2060)

akta.pro primary industry

Chocolate & Confectionery Patisseries (Bonbons, Truffles, Macarons) (THAFAFAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Chocolate & Confectionery Shops (THAFAGAD), Specialty Food Gift Shops & Hampers (CRAHAGAN), Patisseries & Dessert Boutiques (CRAHAGAB)

Keywords

• Artisan chocolates
• Handmade bonbons
• Luxury chocolate truffles
• Corporate chocolate gifts
• Single-origin cocoa confections

Headquarters

HQ city

Amsterdam

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Direct E-commerce Sales: Online retail sales of handmade chocolates to individual consumers through their Shopify-powered website, with products shipped to addresses across Europe and New Zealand
2. Corporate Gifting: B2B sales of luxury chocolate gift packages for corporate clients, including customizable bulk orders with address list submission and dedicated business customer support

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Van Velze's handcrafts luxury bonbons, truffles, and chocolate gift packages using rare Criollo and Trinitario cocoa combined with authentic local Irish ingredients such as Achill Island sea salt, Westport honey, and fresh Irish cream. The company sells primarily through its own Shopify-powered e-commerce store shipping across Europe and New Zealand, and offers a dedicated Corporate Gifts collection with bulk ordering and address-list delivery for business clients.

Product overview

Van Velze's is a luxury handmade chocolate company operated by chocolatier Robbert van Velze and Deborah Kilroy. The product portfolio consists of two main collections: the Signature Collection of bonbons (available in boxes of 5, 9, 16, 25, or 36 pieces) and the Chocolate Truffles collection (featuring salted caramel, Irish whiskey, dark chocolate salted caramel, and Irish Cream/Baileys varieties). The company also offers a Corporate Gifts line for business clients and a premium Chocolate Hamper package combining multiple products. All chocolates are handmade in County Mayo, West Ireland using Criollo and Trinitario cocoa combined with local Irish ingredients including Achill Island sea salt and fresh Irish cream.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Signature Bonbons Collection Handmade assorted bonbon gift boxes from the Signature collection, available in boxes of 5, 9, 16, 25, or 36 pieces, featuring flavors including Gianduja, Baileys, salted caramel, Mad About Mayo, Port & Cranberry, and Tonka bean. Targeted at individual consumers and gift purchasers.
• Sea Salted Caramel Truffles Award-winning salted caramel truffles made with hand-harvested Achill Island sea salt, encased in soft milk chocolate. Sold in boxes of 8 truffles. Targeted at individual consumers and gift buyers.
• Irish Whiskey Truffles Handcrafted truffles made with rich and refined Irish whiskey flavor. Sold in boxes of 8 truffles. Targeted at individual consumers and gift buyers.
• Dark Sea Salted Caramel Truffles Dark chocolate variant of the award-winning salted caramel truffles. Sold in boxes of 8 truffles. Targeted at individual consumers and gift buyers.
• Irish Cream Liqueur Truffles (Baileys) Festive handcrafted truffles made with original Baileys Irish Cream liqueur. Sold in boxes of 8 truffles. Targeted at individual consumers and gift buyers.
• West-Ireland Chocolate Hamper Premium gift package (Luxe Chocolade Cadeau Pakket) combining the Signature 9-bonbon box, salted caramel truffles, Fruit & Nut Criollo milk chocolate bar, and almond clusters. Targeted at premium gift purchasers.
• Corporate Gifts Collection Dedicated B2B line of luxury chocolate gifts for corporate clients, offering bulk ordering with address-list submission for mass shipping, personalized delivery options, and dedicated business customer support. Used for client appreciation, employee recognition, and business relationship building.

Quantifiable outcome

• Their salted caramel made with Achill Island sea salt has won awards

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration11 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Achill Island Sea Salt ProducerscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Local supplier partnership for Achill Island hand-harvested sea salt used in their award-winning salted caramel truffles and other products. This local ingredient partnership is a key differentiator for their West Ireland-based production.
• Fresh Irish Cream Suppliers (Local Mayo)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupply partnership for fresh Irish cream from cows grazing within 15 minutes of the chocolatier, known worldwide for its rich, velvety taste. Essential ingredient for their truffles and chocolate products.
• Baileys Irish CreamminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBrand partnership for using original Baileys Irish Cream in their Irish Cream Liqueur Truffles
• ShopifycoreTechnology or IntegrationE-commerce platform provider hosting their online store and enabling multi-country sales and payment processing

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Neuhaus: Belgian luxury chocolatier specializing in handcrafted filled bonbons and pralines sold via DTC e-commerce, retail boutiques, and corporate gifting — the closest direct analogue to Van Velze's bonbon-led premium positioning.
• Pierre Marcolini: Belgian chocolatier focused on single-origin grand cru chocolates, handcrafted bonbons, and macarons sold DTC and through boutiques — directly comparable on bean-to-bar ingredient sourcing and gift-box merchandising.
• Hotel Chocolat: UK-based premium chocolate brand built on bean-to-bar sourcing, gift boxes, and a subscription gifting model — directly comparable DTC-first premium positioning with multi-country European delivery.
• Amedei: Italian artisanal chocolatier focused on single-origin, award-winning chocolates sold DTC and through specialty retail — closely comparable on rare-cacao sourcing, gift-box format, and craft positioning.
• Läderach: Swiss premium chocolatier selling fresh handcrafted chocolates and gift boxes through DTC, retail, and corporate gifting channels — highly comparable assortment, pricing band, and multi-country European footprint.

Emerging players

• Compartés: LA-based premium chocolatier combining craft bean-to-bar production with DTC e-commerce and corporate gifting — comparable premium gift-box assortment and direct-to-consumer positioning.
• Vosges Haut-Chocolat: US premium chocolate brand with exotic ingredient combinations (salt, spice, floral) and DTC + retail distribution — comparable premium gifting positioning with storytelling-led brand.
• Mast Brothers: US bean-to-bar craft chocolatier selling directly online and through select retail — comparable artisanal narrative, single-origin sourcing, and DTC-first distribution model.

Broad incumbents

• Godiva: Global premium chocolate incumbent with extensive retail, gifting, and DTC operations — overlaps with Van Velze's on bonbons, truffles, and corporate gifting, but at vastly greater scale and brand recognition.
• Lindt: Swiss global chocolate manufacturer with premium Master Chocolatier lines, gifting assortments, and DTC — comparable product overlap but competes in the premium mainstream rather than ultra-artisanal niche.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/vanvelzes
• Instagraminstagram.com/vanvelzes.nl
• Xx.com/vanvelzes

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Van Velze's