The Theo Chocolate Factory tour in Seattle is a must-see experience for anyone visiting the city. Located in the historic Fremont neighborhood, the factory is easy to find thanks to the sweet, robust smell of chocolate that permeates the area. This comprehensive Theo Chocolate Factory Tour review will tell you everything you need to know about the experience.
What do you need to know about the Theo Chocolate Factory Tour?
To participate in the tour, be sure to sign up in advance on their website. The tour is popular and can fill up quickly, so plan ahead. It’s important to note that the tour isn’t suitable for those with dairy, nut, or gluten allergies. The cost is $14 per person and lasts about an hour. There is a bathroom inside but you can only use it after the tour starts. The tour starts at a different entrance than the factory store. It starts at the corner of Phinney Ave N & N 34th St.
Why is it called Theo Chocolate?
Theo Chocolate gets its name from the scientific name of the cocoa plant, Theobroma cacao. The “O” in Theo is a nod to the cocoa pod, the source of all chocolate.
Where does Theo Chocolate get its cacao beans from?
Theo sources cocoa beans from the Congo. There was a time when they also sourced cocoa beans from other countries. However, only using a single origin streamlines the chocolate-making process. The cacao beans from the Congo produce chocolate with earthy, fruity, and floral notes.
The Tour
During the tour, you’ll be led by a friendly and knowledgeable guide, like Andra, who will take you through the factory and explain the chocolate-making process.
Area One: The Classroom
The first area of the chocolate factory tour is a room that is reminiscent of a classroom decorated with plant leaves. In this room, the guide will give an audio-visual presentation about Theo Chocolate’s commitment to fair trade and bean-to-bar production. The company was the first to offer fair trade and organic chocolate in the United States. You’ll also learn about the company’s chocolate-making process from bean to bar.
Area Two: The Factory Floor
In the second area, you will be led to a glass room where you can observe the cocoa beans getting roasted, cooled, and crushed to separate the shells from the seeds. The factory floor is impressive, with machines that can produce up to 4,000 chocolate bars per hour. You’ll watch as the chocolate is molded, cooled, and inspected before being packaged and shipped out. And if you’re lucky, you might even catch the CEO, like I did, working alongside his employees on the factory floor.
Were there chocolate samples?
One of the highlights of the tour is the opportunity to try samples of Theo Chocolate’s products. The samples offered to tour participants vary depending on what is in season. There were 9 samples in total. In December, this might include cacao nibs, an 85% dark chocolate bar, a 70% cacao bar infused with turmeric, and a 70% peppermint crunch bar made with Theo Chocolate’s own peppermint brittle. We also tried the 55% nut and cracker brittle bar is a great option for those looking for a sweet treat but is lactose intolerant since it does not include any dairy. We only tried one milk chocolate bar, the milk and cookies chocolate bar. It was personally my favorite.
What else do they sell?
In addition to chocolate bars, Theo Chocolate also offers confections such as marshmallows and ganache. These are decorated by hand and may be sampled on the tour, such as the olive oil ganache with its smooth, savory flavor. The sesame caramel is another standout, with its smooth texture and creative use of sesame in chocolate-covered caramel. The last sample we tried was the cacao nibs toffee. It wasn’t impressive to me but the friend that came with me said it was the favorite thing they sampled.
Is the Theo Chocolate Factory Tour worth it?
After the tour, participants are eligible for a 20% discount on chocolates in the Theo Chocolate factory store. I took advantage of that and bought plenty of chocolate. Overall, the Theo Chocolate Factory tour is a delicious and informative experience that is not to be missed. I would recommend going there close to the holiday season because it was really fun and special sampling all the holiday-themed bars and confections.
Want to see all the chocolate I bought after the tour? Check out my blog post on the Theo chocolate factory store and haul.
