“Virginia’s Finest Chocolates by Mary helps individuals promote what they do, whether it’s a service, a product or a special occasion,” says Mary Griffith, chief chocolatier and chocolate sommelier. Serving up sweet treats to the Hampton Roads area since 1994, Griffith continues, “We specialize in novelty chocolates, with special shapes such as hard hats or 3D tool boxes. We also create gift baskets with a variety of items and themes.”
Griffith was introduced to making chocolate as a teenager. In her original career path, Griffith was a director of marketing for a software company and would do her chocolates in the evenings as a hobby. Then in 2002, chocolate became her full-time job.
Griffith is often on the road delivering birthday and care packages to local college students, particularly at Christopher Newport University, the College of William & Mary and Old Dominion University. “My most requested items relate to birthdays, and I always enjoy putting those gifts together. I also love the delivery process, I drive the baskets to the campuses myself and love seeing the faces of the recipients,” she says.
While Virginia’s Finest Chocolates doesn’t have an official storefront, meeting customers face to face is a big part of what Griffith does. While she gets great pleasure in delivering cookie cakes and chocolate packages, she also enjoys meeting customers at private events for an opportunity to talk about chocolate.
The chief chocolatier has refined her business as the price of cocoa has increased. “As cocoa prices rise, I am getting into more chocolate education events. Known as the “chocolate sommelier,” Griffith says, “I conduct group events for corporate parties or libraries, teaching the history of chocolate and sharing with participants how to pair chocolate with wine or tea. Some of our events give guests a chance for hands-on projects, making tasty morsels out of chocolate. I currently host these events throughout the Peninsula and I am ready to travel beyond if invited. Our tagline is ‘leave a lasting and delicious impression,’ and I have always done that with our mouth-watering chocolates, but now I can do it with chocolate experiences as well.”
Looking to the future, Griffith has her eyes set on creating more educational experiences around chocolate, helping people create memories through these events. She looks forward to working with groups looking for chocolate items but may be unsure of what they are looking for, especially for employee gifts, thank you gifts or gifts “just because.”
When Griffith isn’t busy making and delivering chocolate or hosting events, she enjoys traveling and making sure to hit all of the chocolate shops where she travels. She also is active in her Rotary Club in James City County and is involved with the alumni society at Christopher Newport University, where she is also a mentor for the Luter School of Business.
TO THE POINT:
Virginia’s Finest Chocolates by Mary
Phone: 757-561-0144
Email: sales@chocolategifts.com
Website: chocolategifts.com
