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.
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
Owner, Master Chocolatier
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.”
Thomas Nash
Owner, Chocolatier
Tom is a co-owner, chocolatier, and a native of Brooklyn, NY. He’s the chocolate hunter of the bunch, always tasting different chocolates from around the country and around the world, always searching for the best tasting chocolate to use in his confections, bonbons, and bars.
Tom started his chocolate journey as a kid. His favorite treats growing up included chocolate covered jelly rings, and he’d never turn down a giant chocolate sundae. As a young man, his tastes for finer chocolate grew and he began keeping a notebook of all of the wonderful chocolate tastes and experiences.
Tom has been studying the arts of bonbons and confections for years, creating truly unique and delicious combinations of flavors. His ganaches are often sold out before they are even made, if the word gets out, and yet, with all that, he still loves to dress as Willy Wonka for Halloween and go out with his beautiful wife and their two daughters, Sofie and Rachel (who, by the way, also LOVE chocolate).
Come on In!
Wednesday & Thursday - EXETER ONLY
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)