Santa Barbara Chocolate Company

Santa Barbara is the gem of the California coast, world famous for its scenic beauty and relaxed, health conscious attitude. With that in mind, we at Santa Barbara Chocolate Company have selected exotic cocoas from around the world to create exclusive blends of ultra-smooth pure chocolate, flavorful and rich with all the natural essences and nutritional benefits nature intended.

Our pure chocolates are specially designed to be lower in sugar, made with pure pressed cocoa butter for healthy skin and retains natural cocoa antioxidants for an active lifestyle of vigor and glowing health.

Maitre Chocolatier

Jason Vishnefske is the Maitre Chocolatier and cofounder of the original Santa Barbara Chocolate Company which was established in 1992.

His ancestors started in the Chocolate business over 100 years ago in the city of Prague, Czech Republic.

Jason's passion for fitness and love of cacao gave him the idea to combine California fresh ingredients that promote health and vigor with the highest quality, all natural, private reserve chocolate he was importing from his family in Europe. By merging the high standards of European chocolate craftsmanship with a fresh and vibrant California lifestyle approach, Jason has helped elevate chocolate from a "junk food" to a healthy delicacy.

Proclaimed "The future of chocolate" by world famous chocolatier Robert Linxe of La Maison du Chocolate, Paris, Jason's expertise has also been recognized as "innovative and fanciful" by his good friend and mentor Maitre Chocolatier Jim Graham of Chocolats Le Francais in Chicago.

Ethically Traded Santa Barbara Chocolate

In the context of our raw material sourcing in South America and West Africa we have organized a strong strategic alliance with our farmer suppliers. The cacao is exported on a free market basis in democratic societies. These forces of a free market and democracy naturally allocate all resources in an optimal fashion as compared to an economy monopolized by large corporate producers and draconian regimes.

All of our farmers are paid in British Pounds. This is the highest pay in the industry with the most secure currency in the world.

When we buy our cacao, we make sure that the individual farmer receives the highest percentage of the world market price. We have worked with many agricultural organizations along with local governments to ensure the farmers are paid and treated in the most ethical way.

By sourcing our cacao directly with the farmers in Peru and Cameroon, we have positively influenced local trading practices. Farmers have come to see that in a free market, opportunity exists to receive the highest possible pay for the highest quality. We pay particular attention to how the cacao is grown and the environmental impact.

When cacao farmers see ethical and fair wages for their crops they quickly develop an interest in their future, the environment, a free market and democratic government.

Knowing that there is a direct link to your happiness and continued use of ethically traded and ecologically grown cacao will help guarantee a successful and happy community with a positive future for all.