Butlers Chocolates
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| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Chocolate, Ice Cream and candy manufacturer |
| Founded | 1932[1] |
| Headquarters | Dublin, Ireland |
Key people | Ms Marion Bailey Butler, founder; Seamus Sorensen.[1] BiBi Chagla |
| Website | butlerschocolates.com |
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Butlers Chocolates is an Irish owned manufacturer of luxury chocolate and chocolate products. Founded by Ms. Bailey-Butler in 1932, it has been owned by the Sorensen family since 1959. Butlers Chocolates is an Irish chocolate producer and operates from a custom built production facility in North Dublin. It produces a wide range of confectionery products including chocolate assortments, truffles, fudge, toffee, chocolate bars and seasonal novelties. The company has also created a chain of Butlers Chocolate Cafes.
History
Butlers chocolates was founded in 1932 by Ms Bailey-Butler. Based in Dublin's Lad Lane, Ms. Bailey-Butler developed a range of handmade chocolates.
In 1959 the company was purchased by Mr. Seamus Sorensen and in 1984 the Butlers Irish Chocolates brand was born. It was named in memory of Ms. Marion Bailey-Butler.
Five years later, in 1989 Butlers Chocolates first retail outlet opened in Grafton Street in Dublin City Centre. Since then retail outlets have opened up all over Ireland. Butler's have also expanded into the market in the United Kingdom with the opeining of the company's first UK cafe in Westfield London and their chocolates are now widely available in most major airports throughout the UK and at Waitrose stores.
In 1998 www.butlerschocolates.com went live, enabling them to reach customers around the globe. And in that same year, Butlers Chocolate Café opened on Dublin's Wicklow Street. To date fourteen Butlers Chocolate Cafés have opened, including 2 franchises in New Zealand.
In 2003 Butlers Chocolates relocated to Clonshaugh, Dublin 17 and in the same year were awarded the Brand Marketing Award from Bord Bia in the Irish Food and Drink Industry Awards.
From 2006 to the present day Butlers have developed new products, launching their first organic chocolate range, dark chocolate selection, 200g Chocolate cube range, Butlers Chocolate Café ice cream as well as Take Home Ice Cream amongst others. Also in collaboration, Butlers Chocolates launched a range of chocolates with Irish Fashion designer, Orla Kiely.
Butler Chocolates, now over 75 years old, is still based in Dublin and Mrs Bailey-Butler's original recipes and chocolate making techniques have been handed down to the present generation.
The company was the proud recipient of the Frontier Award Supplier of the year in 2009, for excellence in supply to duty-free markets.
Butlers Chocolate Cafes
Butlers opened their first café in Dublin in 1998 and since then, they have opened a further 15 Butlers Chocolate Cafés – in Dublin, Cork, Galway, New Zealand, Karachi, Lahore, Pakistan and Westfield, London. In late 2010, Butlers opened their 15th Café at their headquarters in Clonshaugh, Dublin 17.
Butler's do not plan to franchise in Ireland or the UK, however their expansion plans internationally, excluding the UK, will be by means of the franchise model.
Awards
- Shopfitting & Display Industry Awards 2008
- Best Specialist Outlet/Shop Project – 1st Place Bronze Award
- Innovation in Skills – 3rd Place Bronze Award
- Food Awards
- Since 2000, 19 Great Taste Awards
- Blas na HEireann, Gold Irish Food Award
- FBD Crest Awards
- Butlers Chocolate Café, Cork – FBD Crest Best Small Store Southern Region 2007
- Butlers Chocolate Café, Dublin Airport& Wicklow Street – The Crest mark of excellence in retailing in 2002 and 2001 respectively
- Butlers Chocolate Café, Dublin Airport – Runner up The Crest Leinster Retailer of the Year 2002.
- Butlers Chocolate Café, Henry Street – Retail East Small Store Category in 2004 and 2005.
- Bord Bia Brand Food & Drink Awards
- Brand Marketing Award 2003
- Checkout Ireland Packaging Excellence Awards
- Gold Medal
- Frontier Awards
- Best Partnership initiative 2002 – Highly Commended
- Star Product Short list 2001 – Butlers Famous Irish Truffles, were short listed
- Winner of Supplier of the Year - 2009
- Golden Rose Award
- Best Dublin City Shop Front – Butlers Chocolate Café, Wicklow Street