The Chocolate Maker

What The Chocolate Maker does

LA CHOCOLATIERE (operating as The Chocolate Maker) is a Swiss artisanal chocolate maker founded in 1970 in Epalinges (canton of Vaud), privately held and operated by Mas Fine Food Sàrl. The company manufactures and sells handcrafted pralinés, truffles, ballotins, candied-fruit chocolate specialties (Aiguillettes), marrons glacés, fruit pastes, drinking chocolates, spreadable pastes, and seasonal Easter figurines from its Epalinges workshop. It also resells premium Palais des Thés teas and infusions, giving the catalog a paired hot-beverage dimension alongside the core chocolate line of 70+ SKUs.

The business runs a direct-to-consumer e-commerce model on Shopify (shop.lachocolatiere.ch) supported by a physical boutique at the Epalinges headquarters for click-and-collect, plus a B2B corporate gifting program offering customizable branded packaging and team-building chocolate workshops. Distribution is exclusively within Switzerland through Planzer and SwissPost, with international delivery available only by special arrangement. Pricing spans roughly $15–$200 per product, gift cards are offered in CHF 10–500 denominations, and free shipping applies to Swiss orders over CHF 100. The marketing mix is limited to the Shopify storefront, email newsletter (10% first-order incentive), Facebook, and Instagram.

Sourcing partnerships are ingredient-driven rather than tech-driven: Distillerie Morand supplies kirsch for the signature Griottes au Kirsch, while regional inputs include FairSwiss milk, Piedmont hazelnuts, Valais apricots, Vully rhubarb, and Peruvian Grand Cru cocoa. The company has 11–50 employees, no disclosed funding rounds, no M&A activity, and no AI/ML capabilities — it is a heritage artisanal CPG business whose competitive position rests on craftsmanship, brand heritage, and Swiss provenance rather than technology differentiation.

Name

The Chocolate Maker

Legal name

Mas Fine Food Sàrl

Website

https://lachocolatiere.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

LA CHOCOLATIERE is a Swiss artisanal chocolate maker founded in 1970 in Epalinges, producing handcrafted pralinés, truffles, ballotins, hot chocolates, and seasonal Easter figurines, serving Swiss consumers and corporate gifting clients via Shopify e-commerce and a physical boutique.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Artisanal Confectionery

NAICS

Chocolate and Confectionery Manufacturing (31135), Confectionery Manufacturing from Purchased Chocolate (311352), Confectionery and Nut Retailers (445292)

SIC

Food And Kindred Products (2000)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialty Chocolatiers & Confectionery (CRAHAGAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Chocolate & Chocolate Confectionery (CRADABAA), Chocolate & Confectionery Patisseries (Bonbons, Truffles, Macarons) (THAFAFAL), Patisseries & Dessert Boutiques (CRAHAGAB)

Keywords

• Artisanal Swiss chocolates
• Handcrafted pralinés and truffles
• Premium chocolate confections
• Corporate chocolate gifts
• Chocolate gift boxes

Headquarters

HQ city

Lausanne

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Direct Chocolate Sales: One-time purchase of artisanal chocolates including pralinés, truffes, confectionery, hot chocolate mixes, and seasonal items. Revenue generated through e-commerce transactions at shop.lachocolatiere.ch with prices ranging from approximately $15 to $200 per product.
2. Gift Cards (Bons Cadeaux): Digital gift cards available in denominations of CHF 10, 25, 50, 100, 200, and 500. Recipients can redeem for any products in the LA CHOCOLATIERE catalog.
3. Corporate/B2B Gift Sales: Customized corporate gift packages with company branding through ribbons, stickers, and custom packaging. Also includes team building chocolate workshops for corporate clients.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

LA CHOCOLATIERE is a Swiss artisanal chocolate maker that handcrafts pralinés, truffles, ballotins, Pavés Glacés, drinking chocolates, fruit pastes, spreads, and seasonal confections at its Epalinges workshop since 1970. The company sells directly to consumers through its Shopify online store and Epalinges boutique, and to businesses through customized corporate gifts and chocolate team-building workshops. It also resells premium Palais des Thés teas to complement its hot beverage offerings.

Product overview

LA CHOCOLATIERE is an artisanal Swiss chocolate maker based in Epalinges, Switzerland, founded in 1970, operating as a single unified product brand rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. The company offers handcrafted chocolate products including signature Ballotins de Pralinés & Truffes (available in 12-72 piece boxes), Pavés Glacés Grand Cru (frozen chocolate squares), and various confectionery items such as Aiguillettes (candied fruit coated in chocolate), fruit pastes, Marrons Glacés, and seasonal Easter figurines. The product portfolio also includes drinking chocolates (Chocolat Chaud Héritage 52%, Chocolat Chaud Intense 73%), spreadable pastes (Pâte à tartiner aux Amandes, Pâte à tartiner aux noisettes du Piémont), and resells premium teas from Palais des Thés. The company operates as an e-commerce business powered by Shopify with corporate gift programs and chocolate-making team building workshops. The core offering centers on traditional Swiss chocolate craftsmanship with a focus on pralinés, truffles, and ganaches made from regionally sourced ingredients.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Ballotins de Pralinés & Truffes Handcrafted Swiss ballotins of pralinés and truffles made by master chocolatiers in Epalinges since 1970, available in 12, 27, 45, and 72-piece boxes in dark or mix selections, for personal indulgence or gifting.
• Pavés Glacés Grand Cru

Quantifiable outcome

• Free shipping for orders over CHF 100
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration11 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Palais des ThésminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLA CHOCOLATIERE resells Palais des Thés premium teas and infusions through their online store. Products include various flavored teas (black, green, infusions) in metal boxes and muslin sachets. The partnership complements LA CHOCOLATIERE's hot beverage offerings, allowing customers to pair chocolates with specialty teas.
• ShopifycoreTechnology or IntegrationE-commerce platform powering the LA CHOCOLATIERE online store. Provides secure payment processing, order management, and website infrastructure. Site hosted at shop.lachocolatiere.ch with servers in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
• PlanzerminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPrimary shipping partner for Switzerland-wide deliveries. Provides tracking numbers directly to customers via email upon shipment. Collaborates with LA CHOCOLATIERE for order fulfillment.
• SwissPostminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSecondary shipping partner for Switzerland-wide deliveries. Offers alternative delivery options to Planzer for customer convenience.
• Distillerie MorandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSwiss kirsch producer supplying exceptional kirsch for Griottes au Kirsch products. Morand is a traditional Swiss distillery known for high-quality fruit brandies. This partnership enables LA CHOCOLATIERE's signature Griottes au Kirsch confection featuring artisanal kirsch maceration.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Neuhaus: Belgian chocolatier known for pralines and boxed chocolates, with global retail and DTC presence. Comparable premium boxed-chocolate and gift assortment business model.
• Pierre Marcolini: Belgian premium chocolatier producing handcrafted pralinés, truffles, and chocolate tablets. Comparable premium positioning and artisanal product mix with broader international reach.
• Läderach (Confiserie Läderach): Large Swiss chocolatier with global retail footprint, producing fresh artisanal chocolates and pralinés. Comparable in product category but much larger scale and broader geographic presence.

Regional players

• Beschle Chocolatier: Swiss artisan chocolatier based in Basel producing handmade truffles, pralinés, and confections. Comparable small-scale premium Swiss chocolatier with regional focus.

Direct peers

• Confiserie Sprüngli: Historic Swiss confectionery in Zurich producing premium chocolates, truffles and Luxembourgli. Comparable premium Swiss chocolate/confectionery maker with strong heritage and DTC/gift focus.
• Favarger: Swiss chocolate manufacturer founded in 1826 in Geneva, producing artisanal pralinés and chocolate specialties. Comparable as a heritage Swiss chocolatier focused on handcrafted premium chocolate products.
• Auer Chocolatier: Swiss artisan chocolatier producing handcrafted pralinés, truffles and ballotins in Switzerland. Directly comparable as a small-batch premium Swiss chocolate maker with similar product mix and price positioning.
• Max Felchlin: Swiss chocolate manufacturer specializing in couverture and premium chocolate products. Comparable Swiss-origin artisanal chocolate maker focused on quality and craftsmanship.
• Teuscher: Swiss chocolatier famous for champagne truffles and premium pralinés. Comparable as a small-batch artisanal Swiss chocolate maker selling pralinés, truffles, and specialty confections.
• Villars Maître Chocolatier: Swiss chocolate manufacturer based in Fribourg producing traditional Swiss chocolates. Comparable as a Swiss-origin artisanal chocolate maker with praliné and tablet range.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/la.chocolatiere.suisse
• Instagraminstagram.com/la.chocolatiere.suisse
• Xx.com/chocolatiere
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/la-chocolatiere-suisse

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 The Chocolate Maker