Fifth-generation Guittard leader Amy Guittard on heritage, flavour, and why honourable sourcing and craftsmanship remain central to the future of fine chocolate. Kiran Grewal reports.
With more than 150 years of chocolate-making heritage behind it, Guittard Chocolate occupies a rare position in the global cocoa landscape — both deeply embedded in tradition and actively shaping what comes next. As Chief Marketing Officer and a fifth-generation member of the founding family, Amy Guittard balances stewardship with innovation, from ethical sourcing and flavour-led craftsmanship to new product launches designed for today’s chefs and chocolatiers. We spoke to Amy about legacy, learning, sustainability, and the evolving role of chocolate in a changing world.
Amy, Guittard is one of America’s oldest family-owned chocolate companies. Could you share how the company’s heritage continues to shape its approach to chocolate-making today?
Amy Guittard: When my great, great grandfather, Etienne Guittard, travelled from France to San Francisco hoping to strike it rich in the gold rush in the 1860’s he also brought with him knowledge of French chocolate making techniques, and those techniques still inspire the ones we use in the factory today.
Chocolate making is an art and a science; roasting and crafting the cocoa beans in a way that brings out their flavours is crucial to making a quality end product. I call it the evolution of artistry. We see it is as our duty to celebrate the flavours of the beans that cocoa farmers have so diligently and carefully cultivated in the fermentation and drying process. We honour that artistry and make a chocolate where the whole is greater than the sum of the parts so our customers can bestow their own level of artistry – we’re left with a product that’s an exponential summation of the entire supply chain. This philosophy stems from 157 years of honourable sourcing and innovative crafting that has led to our commitment to quality.
You’ve recently hosted a trade masterclass in London — what inspired this event, and what key messages did you want attendees to take away about Guittard and its products?
AG: As the fifth generation of the family business, I have an innate passion for cocoa and chocolate and wanted to share that with professionals in the UK. We wanted to communicate our commitment to honourable sourcing, crafting the highest quality chocolate and give attendees a deep dive not only into the brand but also a better understanding of what makes our chocolate unique. Doing so in an intimate setting was also the goal. Our customers are an extension of our family so providing and opportunity for us all to learn together – not only to share a bit about our product line, techniques and inspiration, but also to hear from our customers about what gets them excited, what they’re looking for. It was all about bringing together our extended community to inspire and learn alongside each other. And also give a chance to taste a lot of chocolate.
Guittard is known for its strong connection to cacao farmers and ethical sourcing. How is the company evolving its sustainability and traceability commitments in response to the changing global cocoa landscape?
AG: Sustainability and transparency are hugely important to our business. Our Cultivate Better™ program is built on four pillars: Protecting Flavour, Supporting People & Communities, Honourable Sourcing and Preserving the Environment. Our initiatives are interconnected, one part cannot flourish without the other, creating an integrated ecosystem designed for the long-lasting sustainability of the global cocoa and chocolate community. Collaboration is so central to effective efforts which is why we focus on building programs alongside our sourcing partners as well as origin governments. This provides opportunities for comprehensive and integrated efforts that underscore our dedication to sourcing with the utmost integrity so that we contribute to a thriving cocoa-growing community for generations to come.
You recently returned from a trip abroad. Can you tell us a bit about where you went, what you experienced, and how those insights influence your perspective on the chocolate industry?
AG: Travel is such an important part of my life and feel it really provides perspective, inspiration and grounding. This last trip, I was in London and Paris, which, as a California kid I feel sounds “poshy”, if you will. There’s something about the smell of the air, the way the light hits, the sounds that gets me thinking. Of course, whenever I’m abroad, I love exploring local pastry shops, coffee shops and restaurants to see what’s being paired with what, techniques, and trends. But I also think having a pulse on the greater culture of the city you’re in, be it museums and galleries or just riding the tube gives you a sense of what people are gravitating to in their day to day. It’s very clear that chocolate and a “sweet treat” is still very much top of mind. Much like what we’re seeing in the States, there’s very much a nod to nostalgia but also just finding moments to slow down and connect; chocolate is often at the centre of those moments.
Innovation is clearly a big part of Guittard’s DNA. Could you tell us about any recent product developments or upcoming ranges — perhaps even the unreleased one showcased in London?
AG: Next year we’ll be launching batons for pain au chocolat and a range of single origin couvertures for the trade. The single origins are created with special, limited quantity, hand selected cacao beans from small farms, crafted with our unwavering commitment to flavour and performance. They include a 64% Madagascar from the Akesson Bejofo Estate in the Sambriano Valley, with soft acid and notes of warm savoury spices and bourbon barrels. Bright and tart citrus fruit intermingle with under ripe berries and a dash of spice to envelope a smooth rich chocolate. Also, two couvertures made from Hawaiian beans, a 55% and a 38%. The beans for these Hawaiian chocolates are grown on the north shore of Oahu, at the Waialua Estate. Since 2005, we have worked closely with Waialua Estate on post-harvest techniques, like fermentation and drying —key elements to flavour development— so that we can cultivate fine-flavour cacao that celebrates the flavours of the islands and one that we can then bring to life in the crafting of chocolate that honours the heritage, partnership, and cultivation of this unique, rare and flavourful cacao. We’re also launching a 72% made with coconut sugar in response to growing consumer demand, it is free from all 14 major allergens with notes of dried fruits, nuts and coconut. This is a product that’s already available in the US, and we’re extremely excited to be bringing to the UK.
The chocolate industry has seen major shifts in consumer expectations — from origin transparency to flavour exploration. How is Guittard responding to these new trends while staying true to its craft?
AG: People’s appreciation of flavour and origin is certainly increasing. We source beans for their flavour and sustainability credentials, and our long-lasting relationships with growers enable a collaboration where flavour is prioritised.
Guittard has deep ties to the professional and artisan community. How important are collaborations, like the one with Paul A. Young and Lucie Bennett, in continuing to push the boundaries of chocolate craft?
AG: Our relationship with our professional community is incredibly important to us as a company and comes first from a place of friendship. Chefs and pastry chefs such as Samin Nosrat, Liz Pruitt from Tartine, Alice Medrich and Emily Luchetti and Delia Gossett from Spago are born through a love of food, chocolate, creativity and crafting. We always say our customers make us a better company – they push us to think differently about what we do and why we do it.
Paul and Lucie have long supported the brand in the UK, and at our latest event, their expertise was extremely valuable to us to communicate the usability and versatility of our couvertures through Paul, as a chocolatier and Lucie as a pastry chef.
As Chief Marketing Officer — and a fifth-generation family member — how do you balance the legacy of the Guittard name with the need to innovate and stay relevant globally?
AG: As a fifth-generation family member, I feel a deep responsibility to honour the values that have guided Guittard for over 150 years — craftsmanship, curiosity, and integrity. At the same time, those values naturally push us to innovate. My role is really about holding both: preserving what makes us who we are, while continuously asking how we can do better for our partners, for farmers, and for the planet.
The balance comes from staying close to where the world is going while staying rooted in where we’ve come from. We don’t innovate for the sake of novelty; we innovate to deepen flavour, strengthen communities, and make chocolate that has both purpose and soul. That sense of stewardship —carrying the past forward into the future— is at the heart of my job.
How do you see the role of education and masterclasses like this one in helping chefs and chocolatiers better understand and work with chocolate?
AG: Sharing our expertise to empower others to enjoy our chocolate in the best way they can is part of our craft. To that end we want to support our customers to get the very best out of the chocolate that we supply and help them to create amazing desserts and bakes.
We offer plenty of information on our website on the fundamentals of using each of our couvertures along with the best applications for each: https://www.guittard.com/professional
We also have a series of instructional videos on techniques on Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/guittardchocolate
Looking ahead to 2026 and beyond, what excites you most about the direction Guittard — and the wider chocolate industry — is heading?
AG: Oh wow; this is a big question. We always say: there’s never a dull moment in cocoa so there’s lots of exciting things. Always. I think consumers are becoming more educated about flavour, percentages, and exploring new ways of integrating chocolate into their recipes. This has pushed us to think about how we can continue to expand our offerings to consumers and chefs alike to ensure that we’re giving them the tools to take their desserts, confections and bakes to the next level. I also think an appreciation for premium chocolate is on the rise as well as a respect for all that goes into making fine chocolate – from the cacao farmer, to the crafting process. Respecting that entire supply-chain has never been more at the forefront of people’s purchase decisions than now. And it’s an exciting moment.
