Not too long ago a friend told me that she thinks people who eat chocolate are happier. For the owners and operators of Hatch Family Chocolates in Salt Lake City, UT this is no exception.
My husband provided me a box of chocolates and a tour from Steve Hatch himself for a graduation present. What a treat! But first I have a confession to make. The chocolates that you see here are actually a second box that we purchased. When I came home from a long day of graduation celebrations and my husband had a box of chocolates waiting, the last thing I wanted to do was sit and take pictures of them!
The Tour
Hatch Family Chocolates is located in The Avenues neighborhood of Salt Lake. Seriously, is there anything cooler than a chocolate store next door? I don’t think so. Their current building is located right up the street from where they first started. It used to be an old grocery store, but you would never know it now.
The biggest thing that impressed me about the Hatch’s was the atmosphere of the store. Both Katie and Steve were in the cafe area when we arrived. They were mingling with the customers and appeared to know several of them by name. Then of course it was not hard to miss the 2 large pictures on the wall from the show “The Little Chocolatiers” that aired on TLC in 2010. As an amateur photographer I would love to create a picture like those. There were also a few abstract pieces done by one of Steve’s friends which are definitely worth checking out.
Downstairs at Hatch’s is where the magic happens. The chocolate itself is sourced from a local supplier and is then wonderfully blended into an array of beautiful flavors and creations. While we were there we tried some peanut butter and caramel truffles that both had salt sprinkled across them. I have never sprinkled salt on my chocolate attempts, but it is a wonderful addition.
The Chocolate
If you are in the area, do not miss a chance to stop by Hatch Family Chocolates. You will not be disappointed, I promise. Aside from the chocolate truffles pictured here they have many other choices for you to indulge yourself. They also have a surprise coming up- ice cream! We got a sneak peek & taste. I am very curious to see what they will produce for the final product, because my first taste was delightful.
All the chocolate is made by Katie. She trained as a pastry chef in Chicago and started making chocolates with Steve’s dad not long after her arrival into Salt Lake. Steve’s dad learned to dip chocolates from his mother that used to work in candy factories. The Hatch’s have 2 goals of keeping the tradition of hand dipping chocolate alive and making wonderful chocolate.
My absolute favorite of everything we tried was the chocolate truffle. Next was probably the mint truffle and then the peanut butter version. Okay, in truth I liked all of them. Anyway, the filling of the truffles was beautifully smooth, the chocolate shell broke just right (I hate when they crumble all over the place). Just perfect.
To my new friends, Katie and Steve. Thank you for the tour, and your chocolate is indeed wonderful. The biggest thing I have loved about meeting the chocolate makers is the amount of care that they put into their product. The Hatch’s are no exception and I will be back soon!
What a wonderful tour and experience. Now I want to go and vist the Hatch Family Chocolates myself. It is always such a pleasure meeting and visiting a family business seeing the passion and pleasure they have for what they do. I very much enjoyed your post. Thank you.
Hey Susan- They really are a wonderful couple, and so passionate about what they do. Thanks for coming by today.
Lovely! My 4-year-old asked me today what my favorite treat was. She listed all kinds of treats that she could think of, but it was not a difficult choice for me. The answer was chocolate, of course! Her answer surprised me. She said hers was sour gummies covered in sugar.
You are a very creative person.
Blessings, Tina
How about gummies covered in chocolate? That is one that I was not sure I would care for, but it is not bad! Thanks for coming by!
I know she gets a lot of it from her mother.
I assume you are talking about my amazingly creative mother? Yes, that statement would be correct. Thanks for comming by!
Looks like the Hatch Family is making incredible chocolates. Will have to find my way to Salt Lake City over the next year. It’s been a very long while since my last visit!
Oh my friend there is a lot more in addition to Hatch’s (they are definitely worth the stop) if you are traveling to Salt Lake.
Let me know if you want additional details. 