ABOUT LA CASCADE DU CHOCOLAT

One of our passions is creating artisan chocolate bonbons, truffles, bars, and pastries at our New Hampshire chocolate shop that are as beautiful as they are delicious.
The other one is sharing them with you.

The best Chocolates

We source our ingredients from the best places around. Some are across the globe, and some are right in our backyard in New Hampshire.

great cacao from good people

We look for high quality, sustainable, and responsible farmers and chocolate makers to work with. And when we create our bean-to-bar chocolate, we source our cacao beans from the same kinds of people.

ingredients you know and love

We visit local farms and farmers markets every week, looking for the freshest ingredients of the season. These farmers and food makers are important partners in our quest to make the perfect chocolate confections.

Handcrafted artisan chocolate

We temper, enrobe, and mold our chocolates by hand as much as possible to make sure they come out exactly the way we want them. We take personal ownership of every step and every final product. 

Our Story

The La Cascade du Chocolate chocolate shop is the story of  two families.

We met when Tom became Sam’s apprentice at the New Hampshire chocolate shop where Sam was working. It wasn’t long before they were collaborating on flavors and pieces, trying new chocolates, and experimenting with ideas and techniques inspired by other chocolatiers they met from around the world.

Sam and Tom each had similar dreams: to open their own chocolate shop. Both figured it was a few years away. But as fate would have it, the universe decided to accelerate those plans. Sam and her husband’s house caught fire, and while they lost nearly everything they owned, the catastrophe gave them a wake-up call. Life was too short, and there was never going to be a perfect time to open the shop they dreamed of. So, while Sam and her husband worked to rebuild their house, Sam and Tom, together with their spouses, decided it was time to go into business.

The first year, it was all about creating exquisite chocolate for family, friends, and La Cascade du Chocolat’s growing following at farmer’s markets. When we found the location in Exeter, we knew it was the perfect spot to take the next step.

In 2023, Tom moved on to new challenges and Sam became the sole owner, making La Cascade du Chocolate a 100% woman-owned and woman-led business.

 

Our Team

We’re a small team who share a love for great food, especially good chocolate. From preparation and production, to packaging and personal service, all of the chocolate treats here are made in-house, by us.

Samantha Brown

Samantha Brown

Owner, Master Chocolatier

Sam has been obsessed with all things chocolate for as long as she can remember. As a small child, she had a chocolate scented calculator, pens, pencils, stickers, and lipstick; she wrote many reports on the history of chocolate and chocolate companies; traveled to Hershey, PA almost every summer to tour their factory. She always asked Santa first and foremost for chocolate on her Christmas list. Needless to say, she really loves chocolate and it’s been a big part of her life, well, forever!

As an adult, she began studying chocolate when she began studying to become a teacher. She took local classes in chocolatiering as well as international classes in culinary arts and gastronomy. She has pursued her passion for chocolate for 10 years, taking classes in France and Italy and studying with Ecole Chocolat in Vancouver, Canada. She also completed their Master Chocolatier Course with honours, all the while earning her Masters Degree of Education from Southern New Hampshire University.

With her background in education and her passion for chocolate, Samantha hopes to become “the Julia Child of chocolate.” She firmly believes that anyone and everyone can learn to make gourmet, beautiful chocolates and confections at home with a little practice. As Chef Gusteau says in Ratatouille, “Anyone can cook, but only the fearless can be great.”

Come on In!

Wednesday & Thursday - EXETER and Portsmouth

11:00AM - 6:00PM

Friday - EXETER AND PORTSMOUTH

11:00AM - 7:00PM

Saturday - EXETER AND PORTSMOUTH

11:00AM - 5:00PM

Sunday - EXETER AND PORTSMOUTH

12:00PM - 5:00PM

Holidays and Extended Hours

Around the holidays and on special occasions, we make sure we're here for you by extending the hours and days we're open. And if you come by, there's a good chance we're there, working on a new treat for you. Knock on the door and we'll be happy to let you in to say hi and try something new!

Contact

Phone

(603) 777-5177

Location Addresses

109 Water Street Exeter, New Hampshire 03833

214 State Street, Portsmouth, New Hampshire 03801

(across from Citizens Bank and just before you get to the synagogue on the right hand side)