Stéphane goes to Paris and all I got was an Olympics Tee Shirt

Bonjour a tous!

We have missed you and hope you all had a lovely summer?  We enjoyed some much needed down time to recharge and attend to the many things that we are too busy to do during our high season, although I still haven’t made it to the dentist.  But Stéphane did … in Paris as per usual. 

His good friend Dr Bernhard Sitbon was courteous and professional as always, going out of his way to arrange Stéphane’s appointments.  He was also very happy to receive his box of chocolates.  LeSaint Chocolates are his favorite and the guy lives in Paris, so that’s saying something!  

It was something of a maneuver to get to the dentist, however, as his appointment was around the time of the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics.  Much of the city was only accessible through a special code and security was high with gendarmes ever present, brandishing firearms.

Dr Sitbon’s office is in the 17th arrondissement, close to Parc Monceau and the Champs Elysée so instead of driving, Stéphane & his brother Fabien decided to take public transport.  Per Stéphane, the Metro prices had been increased to an exorbitant rate, taking advantage of the tourist influx, but perhaps also due to world inflation. On this occasion, inspectors entered the subway car and required them to present their tickets.  This was the first time they’d ever been asked this in all the years they’d lived in Paris, and fortunately they had not discarded their tickets as it’s a substantial fine if you cannot show proof.  Sacre vache!

While Stéphane has been tending to family, I have been holding down the fort here and also tending to family.  My mom Marilyn, our bookkeeper, is a sassy octogenarian and her mind is sharp as a tack.  Physically though, she’s feeling her age and there have been lots of doctor’s appointments, physical therapy sessions and no more driving.  She lives with us, so all is copacetic and she is a woman of indomitable spirit.  Hence my need to be home.

Overall it was time well spent with our nearest & dearest. Summer has come to an end again, which means it’s chocolate season!

I spent part of my summer doing an annual analysis of our business, as costs for ingredients and shipping materials have increased significantly.  As a result there are a few changes we want you to know about:

1. Free shipping in cool climates will now be available for a minimum purchase of $150.  Those of you who live in warm areas (or a long way from PA) will only be able to purchase Express shipping, so unfortunately this does not apply to you folks.   
2. We have increased our prices slightly, between 10-20% depending on the item.  
3. We have upgraded our milk chocolate couverture.  It is no longer 42% certified organic as it has been discontinued by our supplier.  Instead, we are now using 45% Bolivian single-origin criollo (wild) chocolate. We find it to be superior.
4. We have added a new bark:  Salted Pistachio-Orange in both milk and dark.  Stéphane melanges the chocolate with pureed Italian orange peel and the result is delish.  We hope you approve!
5. Coming soon!  A dark chocolate / espresso bonbon we are calling ‘L’Espresso.
6. Keep an eye out for our Chocolate Gift Catalog which is almost done being updated and we will share a link shortly.
7. We are reopening on Monday September 30th for Pre-Order Purchases available to ship starting Monday October 7th.  Check out some key shipping tips here at Sending Chocolate.  And if you really want to get into the details, see our full zoned shipping document here: Shipping Policy

And finally, the moment I know you’ve been waiting for:  the tee shirt from Paris!  

We look forward to hearing from all of you soon.  

If you haven’t tried our chocolate, we hope you will take a chance on this small, artisan online-only boutique that has been winning world awards for several years. 

And definitely follow us on Instagram!

Xoxo - Barbara (& Stéphane)