Picture with us, if you will, a business founded on creativity, melding the best techniques throughout history to create something both new and deliciously familiar. A standard of uncompromising excellence that never fails to inspire and delight – and satisfies that sweet tooth as well.
Curious yet? Meet Chocolate Necessities, a world-class artisan chocolate company that we’ve had the pleasure of building a close relationship with over the years here at Chuckanut Bay Foods.
Allow us to introduce you to founder Kevin Buck and show you what puts Chocolate Necessities in a league totally their own!
A History of Excellence
Though Chocolate Necessities is based in beautiful Bellingham, WA, their story actually begins in Banff, Alberta. In the early 80s, a young Kevin Buck tasted fine chocolate (from prestige chocolatier Bernard Callebaut) for the very first time while there on a trip…and he immediately fell in love.
At the time, there were only a few fine chocolatiers outside of Europe, so after his education in fine chocolate, Kevin had to make a decision: if he wanted to pursue creating (and consuming) chocolate fit for royalty, he would have to buy wholesale. And that meant one thing: starting his own business.
The year is 1986 – and Chocolate Necessities has its first retail location. They opened their doors in a small store on the Guide Meridian in Bellingham and it’s still there today. The first truffle created was Amaretto – still a fan favorite to this day!
International Meets Local – A Winning Combination
In order to create chocolate fit for a king, Kevin made the decision to source both locally and abroad, merging the best of both worlds to create something truly special. On the international end, he uses pure Tahitian vanilla for his truffles, straight from the source, and cocoa powder from Holland.
But when it comes to the little touches that make Chocolate Necessities’ treats so special, Kevin knows the best is right next door. He’s proud to utilize local vendors such as Samson Winery, Holmquist Hazelnuts, Chuckanut Bay Distillery, and locally-roasted Lotus Coffee, just to name a few.
What Real Cheesecake and Real Chocolate Have in Common 
As it turns out, Chuckanut Bay Foods and Chocolate Necessities create different products, but at the same time, we share so much! Kevin Buck and his team share our commitment to using all-natural, 100% pure ingredients – even if sometimes that means having extra hoops to jump through.
Kevin and our founders both emphasize combining creativity and precision to craft original, joy-inducing products while ensuring they’re consistent – every single time. It’s a science – but it’s also an art!
To Life-Long Friendships & Partnerships
We’re grateful for so many years of friendship with Kevin and his team. They always support our creation, encourage us to try new things, and provide an awesome local company to test out new products!
If hearing the word “chocolate” so many times hasn’t convinced you to treat yourself to North America’s best chocolatier, check out a few of these truffle flavors: Honey Roasted Almond, Mandarin Orange, Balsamic Caramel, and Strawberry Lemonade, just to name a very few.
Besides truffles, Chocolate Necessities offers a huge variety of dark, milk, white and ruby chocolate products – and their second location in Downtown Bellingham also offers world-class gelato and sorbetto when you need a little authentic Italian refreshment!
We encourage you to indulge in a fine local chocolate company – and grab a fresh, delicious cheesecake while you’re at it!
