Our Story
It started with a dare in 1983...
In the kitchen of the Ice House Restaurant in Burlington, Vermont. Every year Jim Lampman would buy his staff fancy chocolates as holiday gifts. One year his pastry chef confessed that those chocolates were pretty mediocre. So Jim dared him to make something better. Together they began making the most amazing, hand-rolled, creamy truffles. And the rest, as they say, is history.
A rich, Vermont heritage
Vermont is more than just our home; it’s a way of doing things. It’s a place where creativity and craftsmanship combine with fresh, local ingredients to create gourmet specialty chocolates that are truly extraordinary. Long before eating local became a trend it just made sense to us that using high-quality honey, maple syrup, and fresh dairy from our local farmers and producers would result in superior chocolates.
To bring you the best
That's the goal — it’s why we show up every day. To make premium chocolate that amazes with exquisite flavor and creates a moment of pure joy. It’s also why we’ve never added preservatives, extenders, or additives, and why we’ve worked diligently to remove GMOs from all of our chocolates and use organic and fair trade certified ingredients whenever possible. With each new product, our goal remains the same - to create something special, and to give you the best experience when buying chocolate online or browsing our company-owned chocolate stores.
Sourcing matters
Because, that’s how we create great-tasting chocolate. As a locally-owned, Vermont company that sources non-GMO ingredients from around the globe, we believe in improving the Lake Champlain Chocolates experience for everyone. From the cacao farmers and our customers, to every hardworking person and supplier along the way. That's why 100% of the chocolate we use is fair trade certified. This means that you can enjoy every bite of chocolate knowing that we are committed to making a positive impact on our local and global communities.
A Family Tradition
We are a multi-generational, family business, just like the generations of Vermont family farmers that provide us with fresh butter, cream, maple syrup, and honey. And just like the generations of cacao farmers in Guatemala — where we are proud to be a founding partner of Cacao Verapaz, the first specialty exporter of high-quality, centrally fermented Guatemalan cacao. Today, Jim’s son and daughter, Eric and Ellen, are defining the future of Lake Champlain Chocolates by developing award-winning organic products and spearheading sustainable sourcing initiatives. Along the way following the Lampman family principles: Dare to do better. Always do it with Passion. And do it your way.
In pursuit of the extraordinary
From the very first truffles and our legendary Chocolates of Vermont, to spectacular seasonal assortments, it’s always been about handcrafting great-tasting chocolate. Life in a chocolate factory is an exciting, chocolate-filled adventure, so it’s good to pause, take stock of the past, and appreciate where we are today. Most important, to realize it’s all been possible because you — our customers — who care as much about extraordinary chocolate as we do.