Taza Chocolate

Taza founder and CEO Alex Whitmore took his first bite of stone ground chocolate while traveling in Oaxaca, Mexico. He was so inspired by the rustic intensity that he decided to create a chocolate factory back home in Somerville, MA. He learned to hand-carve granite mill stones to make  chocolate that is less processed, so our Direct Trade cacao can shine. In 2005, he officially launched Taza with his wife, Kathleen Fulton, who is Taza's Chief Design Officer and designed all of the packaging.

Taza is a pioneer in ethical cacao sourcing. We were the first U.S. chocolate maker to establish a third-party certified Direct Trade Cacao Certification program. We maintain direct relationships with our cacao farmers and pay a premium above the Fair Trade price for their cacao. We partner only with cacao producers who respect the rights of workers and the environment.