Amy Guittard: Unwrapping the Secrets of America’s Premier Chocolate Company
Amy Guittard, Chief Marketing Officer at Guittard Chocolate Company, is the great-great-granddaughter of Guittard's founder. As the fifth-generation of the family business her great-great-grandfather started in 1868, Amy has an innate passion for cocoa and chocolate. In addition to leading Guittard's marketing department and spearheading the development of the brand, Amy’s involvement at Guittard also includes sourcing and sustainability, serving on several committees for the World Cocoa Foundation, and traveling to origin to meet with farmers, buyers, and traders. She continues Guittard’s long-standing tradition of collaborating on the ground with those closest to the source. In this episode, we discuss: How and why Amy’s Great-Grandfather started the company The changes Amy’s father Gary gradually introduced into Guittard Guittard’s process of sourcing cacao beans The company’s involvement in pre- and post-harvesting processes How Guittard develops a new chocolate product The significance of chocolate percentages Guittard’s involvement in heirloom cacao preservation Sustainability and long-term company goals And much more!