Our Story
Growing up as an outdoorsy kid in the country, rainy days inside could be a challenge. Fortunately, my mother let me bake chocolate cakes for the family dessert – we were big-time dessert people breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The best part was that my brothers missed out on licking the bowl, spoon, and scraper! Dessert and chocolate were synonymous.
After graduating from college with a degree in Astronautics, I began my chocolate training as a flight test engineer. The other guys thought it was a parachute on my back; just my candy stash. Today I make chocolate planes which of course need to be taste-tested. Later as a business consultant, I learned how to get a meeting off on the right foot – with a pile of chocolates in the middle of the table. The meetings weren’t over until the candy was gone.
When it was time to retire from the corporate world, I was experienced in most industries except retail small business and residential construction. So while plotting modular home construction and flipping a house, I got to hang out with other corporate-drop-out chocolate entrepreneurs and a lifetime of training started to come together. Ultimately it was a fork-in-the-road life decision: rest & relaxation or small business retail. I did not make a rational choice.
Now I work harder than ever. Birmingham Chocolate was established in 2008 as a boutique chocolateria in Birmingham, Michigan (not Alabama or the UK), an upscale suburb of Detroit. From the beginning, we have been committed to hand-crafted, small-batch chocolate making. This is art, not automation – you can taste the difference. Our truffle flavors need to be clear and “pop” and complement the chocolates with which they are paired.
In recent years we have adjusted our chocolate making to include only all-natural ingredients wherever possible. The shop has been kosher certified almost from the start. We are experts at customizing chocolate molded novelties for business gifting, weddings, holidays, and other special occasions. We love to personalize our chocolates – this can get interesting!
Today we sell retail from our storefront and eCommerce site at birminghamchocolate.com. We are wholesaling to markets, groceries, bakeries, and retailers as we extend the Birmingham Chocolate brand nationally. Yes, life is like a box of chocolates.
- Doug Cale, Head Chocolatier
About Us
Birmingham Chocolate is an American confectionery company. The company was founded and incorporated as a Limited Liability Company (LLC) in 2007 by Douglas Cale. The Company produces chocolates in three categories: bonbons, bars, and treats. These “standard” products are available for retail purchase from this e-commerce website and online storefronts including Door Dash, Uber Eats, and Grub Hub.
We strive to provide clear flavors using high-value chocolates. We get this kind of feedback a lot:
I've been on the hunt for the best bonbon for a potential private labeling opportunity. The attached photo shows just a "few" (9) that we've been going through tasting! It was amazing how many other brands were just down the middle average. Of the brands we tasted, Birmingham Chocolate was the clear winner. - Chris B
Bonbons
Bonbons include truffles, cremes, caramels, and clusters. Signature gourmet bonbons are separately branded as Wow!Cacao. Bonbons are sold in a variety of boxed assortments and in bulk.
Bars
Bars are sold in 8 to 18-count cases. They are grouped among four families: (1) Classics – top sellers over the years, (2) Decadence – fun and delicious for the whole family, (3) KetoBars – zero glycemic effect and appropriate for restricted Keto Diets (rKD), and (4) Keto!Lite – “keto-ish” chocolate (no added sugars) and friendly for Keto, Paleo and Vegan diets.
Treats
These are chocolate-covered pretzels, nonpareils, almonds, coffee beans, orange peels, and turtles; typically packaged in pouches for grab & go and convenient enjoyment.
Retail Purchasing
Pick Up
Order online from this website. During shopping cart checkout, select “pick up” rather than shipping. Special requests may be made in the notes during shopping cart checkout. Pickup is normally the same or the next day – we will email or call to confirm.
Metro Detroit Groceries
- Holiday Market- Royal Oak and Canton
- Papa Joe’s- Birmingham and Rochester
- Woodward Corner Market (Meijer)- Royal Oak
- Market Square- Birmingham and West Bloomfield
- Vince & Joes- Shelby Township
- White Lotus Farms- Ann Arbor
- Holiday Market Select- Birmingham
- Fresh Farms Market- Grosse Pointe
Email
Send an email to handcrafting@birminghamchocolate.com with your order and note any special requests. Provide your phone number so that we can call with any questions and obtain credit card information. We will confirm the time when your purchase will be available for pickup.
Phone
Call us at 248-723-8008 with your order and payment information. We will give you the time when the order will be ready for pick up.
Ship
Order online from this website and ship nationally to any destination (not a PO box). Local shipments for orders placed by noon normally will arrive the next day. We do not ship on Fridays.
Online Storefronts – Metro Detroit
For quick delivery, select an online storefront (Door Dash, Uber Eats, or Grub Hub) near the top of each page on this website. You will be transferred to that online storefront website to complete the purchase. You will make the purchase on the storefront from our standard menu items - you may not modify the item. The time of delivery will be shown to you at checkout, normally within a couple of hours of placing the order.
Online Storefronts - Chicago and Cleveland
You may select an online storefront (Door Dash, Uber Eats, Grub Hub) in Downtown Chicago and Cleveland for delivery within an hour. Or you may pick up these orders at local Cloud Retail distribution centers where Flip Dish kiosks are also available for onsite ordering.
Co-Manufacturing & Private Label
Birmingham Chocolate partners closely with co-manufacturing and private label customers. The customers’ roles are to define the product concept, verify the market opportunity, promote and sell the product, manage retailer relationships and collect revenues. If needed, Birmingham Chocolate can facilitate graphics design, packaging, and printing. Birmingham Chocolate’s services may include product development, production, packaging, and fulfillment.
Wholesaling
Retailers may establish accounts for drop shipping. Each retailer has a private and secure portal for order entry where modest minimum order quantities apply. Products can be drop shipped nationally. The official retail website is the menu of “off the shelf” products available for private label and wholesale.
Production and Fulfillment
The Company provides a range of private label and co-manufacturing services.
Product Development
The customer’s product concept may be novel or may involve special inclusions or supplements. Birmingham Chocolate can prototype these to develop final recipes and label information such as nutrition facts, ingredient lists, and allergens.
Grinding and Conching
New chocolates can be refined from cacao liquor through grinding and conching. This includes creating sugar-free chocolate and USDA Organic chocolate; or adding supplements.
Production
Treats and hand-rolled bonbons can be enrobed with milk and dark and white chocolate. Bonbons can be shelled, filled, and color-decorated. Bars can be handcrafted or produced with an end-to-end flood line.