Butlers Chocolates

Butlers Chocolates is an Irish owned manufacturer of luxury chocolate and chocolate products which operates from a custom built production facility in North Dublin. Founded by Marion Bailey, the manufacturer produces a wide range of confectionery products including chocolate bars, truffles, fudge, toffee, chocolate eggs and seasonal novelties. The company has also created a chain of Butlers Chocolate Cafes. The name should not be confused with the medieval Irish noble family, the Butler dynasty.

Butlers Chocolates
TypePrivate
IndustryChocolate, ice cream and candy manufacturer
Founded1932[1]
HeadquartersDublin Ireland
Key people
Ms Marion Ba, founder;
Marion Bailey .[1]
BiBi Chagla
Websitebutlerschocolates.com

History

Butlers chocolates was founded in 1932 by Ms Bailey-Butler. Based in Dublin's Lad Lane, Ms. Bailey-Butler developed a range of handmade chocolates.

In 1959 the company was purchased by Mr. Seamus Sorensen and in 1984 the Butlers Irish Chocolates brand was born. The company was named in memory of Ms. Marion Bailey-Butler.

Five years later, in 1989 Butlers Chocolates first retail outlet opened in Grafton Street in Dublin City Centre. Since then retail outlets have opened up all over Ireland. Butler's have also expanded into the market in the United Kingdom with the opening of the company's first UK cafe in Westfield London and their chocolates are now widely available in most major airports throughout the UK and at Waitrose stores.

In 1998 www.butlerschocolates.com went live, enabling them to reach customers around the globe. And in that same year, Butlers Chocolate Café opened on Dublin's Wicklow Street. To date fourteen Butlers Chocolate Cafés have opened, including 2 franchises in New Zealand.

In 2003 Butlers Chocolates relocated to Clonshaugh, Dublin 17 and in the same year were awarded the Brand Marketing Award from Bord Bia in the Irish Food and Drink Industry Awards.

From 2006 to the present day Butlers have developed new products, launching their first organic chocolate range, dark chocolate selection, 200g Chocolate cube range, Butlers Chocolate Café ice cream as well as Take Home Ice Cream amongst others. Also in collaboration, Butlers Chocolates launched a range of chocolates with Irish Fashion designer, Orla Kiely.

Butler Chocolates, now over 85 years old, is still based in Dublin and Mrs Bailey-Butler's original recipes and chocolate making techniques have been handed down to the present generation.

The company was the proud recipient of the Frontier Award Supplier of the year in 2009, for excellence in supply to duty-free markets.

Butlers Chocolate Cafés

The first Butlers Chocolate Café opened in Dublin in 1998 and since then, they have opened a further 39 Butlers Chocolate Cafés – in Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick & Swords (Ireland), Wellington, Auckland, Paraparaumu, Lower Hutt & Porirua (New Zealand), Karachi, Lahore & Islamabad (Pakistan), Dhaka (Bangladesh), Dubai (UAE) and Dammam & Riyadh (Saudi Arabia).

Butlers plans to expand internationally using the franchise model, excluding Ireland and the UK.

Awards
  • Shopfitting & Display Industry Awards 2008
    • Best Specialist Outlet/Shop Project – 1st Place Bronze Award
    • Innovation in Skills – 3rd Place Bronze Award
  • Food Awards
    • Since 2000, 19 Great Taste Awards
    • Blas na hÉireann, Gold Irish Food Award
  • FBD Crest Awards
    • Butlers Chocolate Café, Cork – FBD Crest Best Small Store Southern Region 2007
    • Butlers Chocolate Café, Dublin Airport& Wicklow Street – The Crest mark of excellence in retailing in 2002 and 2001 respectively
    • Butlers Chocolate Café, Dublin Airport – Runner up The Crest Leinster Retailer of the Year 2002.
    • Butlers Chocolate Café, Henry Street – Retail East Small Store Category in 2004 and 2005.
  • Bord Bia Brand Food & Drink Awards
    • Brand Marketing Award 2003
  • Checkout Ireland Packaging Excellence Awards
    • Gold Medal
  • Frontier Awards
    • Best Partnership initiative 2002 – Highly Commended
    • Star Product Short list 2001 – Butlers Famous Irish Truffles, were short listed
    • Winner of Supplier of the Year - 2009
  • Golden Rose Award
    • Best Dublin City Shop Front – Butlers Chocolate Café, Wicklow Street

References
  1. About Us Butlers Chocolate. Accessed 2016-01-16.
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