What's the big deal about Christopher Norman Chocolates?
John Down, Master Chocolatier at Christopher Norman Chocolates was the first guy in New York to use chocolate as a basis for his art. He created all types of items in chocolate and it rapidly set the Chocolate World on fire. This occurred in the early 1990's, when no one else was mastering chocolate as an item that created fine art and jewelry items.
I remember when we did a Chocolate Show in New York City back in 1993. It was a very basic show, and we brought our chocolate case filled pieces that John made. Martha Stewart was one of the first guests, and she immediately made her way to our booth. Martha was enthusiastic, and soon afterwards, we were selling our chocolates through her catalog and her online store. We were bowled over by her presentation and salesmanship of our chocolates!
Which retailers currently sell your chocolate creations?
We are currently sold by many amazing stores across Canada and the USA. All our current retailers are listed here.
Where else have you been featured?
We had a great relationship with eLuxury, the first over-the-top online luxury store, by Pierre Arnaud. It was great to see our name Christopher Norman Chocolates in their catalogue coming right after Christian Dior. But there so many products. We made private label candy bars for Kate Spade; we were on Oprah’s Christmas Gift list; one of John’s chocolate Christmas ornaments was on the cover of Better Homes & Gardens.
Were there any North American companies you worked with?
We worked with Dean & DeLuca and William-Sonoma for many years. We produced Dean & DeLuca's private chocolate label, making branded truffles for over 20 years. We created over 100 custom truffle flavors for Dean & DeLuca. Through D&D and Whole Foods, we created a line of chocolates and pastries that were served all over the East Coast. We were very lucky to have worked with them, and learned a lot in the process. They both went through several buyers, so we had to adapt for each one’s taste.
What are some of the most famous items that John Down created for Christopher Norman Chocolates?
We constructed these fabulous hand-painted eggs for Easter. Food and Wine magazine bought several dozen of these eggs and placed invitations to a dinner inside them. When a customer got the egg, they had to smash it open to reveal their invite. I am sure most of the recipients ate their invitation chocolates!! We also created very ornate chocolate Christmas decorations. John did a Martha Stewart television show, where he taught Martha how to make the ornament. The show still airs at Christmas.
What else did Christopher Norman Chocolates accomplish?
For years, we were the only American chocolate that one could buy in Japan. John Down actually toured Japan few times, and brought them his concepts of Chocolate and Art. I remember François Pralus, the Frenchman who initiated the worldwide Chocolate Shows. He remarked how all the participants at the Chocolate Show would follow the same lead and basically come up with rather similar items, except for John Down. John, he claimed, was in a chocolate world that he built separately, where John could create items that were simply out of the imagination of the other chocolatiers. Of course, this caused quite a bit of controversy at the Chocolate Show in Japan! The other chocolatiers did not understand the connection between art and chocolate that John championed. However, I have to say, the following year, the theme of the show became ‘Chocolate and Art,’ heavily influenced by what John had created while he was there. The telling moment was that he was not invited to the ‘Chocolate and Art’ shows in Japan!
Can I order your chocolate from anywhere in the World?
Yes, we do ship internationally (rates will vary based on location, weight and shipping service).
Can I use multiple discount codes at the time?
Please note that discount codes are not cumulative. Only one discount code can be used per order.
What is your warranty?
Our chocolates are all carefully hand-made and packed, which means that we have total control over the end quality and look of our products up until they leave our door. Due to the perishable nature of our goods, we cannot accept returns on online purchases. If you have any complaints or dissatisfaction with your Christopher Norman Chocolates experience, please contact us immediately and we will do our best to make you satisfied.