The GOODS from Thomas Haas

Vancouver, BC | The latest edition of the Thomas Haas lineup of handcrafted chocolate bars can truly be described as the ONE! and only. Sourced from a select parcel of wild-foraged cocoa beans from Grenada, Thomas Haas’ new 79 per cent Grand Cru cocoa ONE! Bar will be available for a short time only as part of a limited release of 1,000. It’s a perfect union of exclusivity and creativity: Haas is the only chocolatier in Canada and one of only a handful worldwide to have access to this unique and robust vintage of 65 per cent cocoa from Valrhona’s prestigious Sourcer’s Selection. To refine the bar even further, Haas has intensified the flavour profile to 79 per cent using a unique blend of 100 per cent pure cocoa — this bar truly is a one-of-a-kind indulgence for the senses. Get the sweet skinny after the jump…

“For us, attention to detail is the definition of true craftsmanship,” says Haas. “Our enjoyment in creating this line of chocolate bars lies as much in the journey as the result. From the selection of cocoa bean varietals to the art of chocolate casting, each step reveals the beauty and depth of world-class chocolate.”

Available at the two Thomas Haas cafés in North Vancouver and Kitsilano and select high-end retailers, the ONE! Bar is a limited-edition member of the “cocoa percentage” family of high-quality chocolate bars handcrafted by Haas and his team with a singular focus on cocoa origin and purity. Priced at $11.75 and arriving on store shelves by Oct. 22, 2013, each box of two 50-gram bars is adorned with a uniquely numbered stamp and emblazoned with the full colour palette that distinguishes the Thomas Haas range of chocolate and confectionery selections. This is the first in a series of ONE! Bars with two limited edition releases planned per year. Because of the varying cost of the cocoa depending on origin and yield, the price of the ONE! Bar will fluctuate by batch, likely between $11-$14.

ONE! BAR RAFFLE FOR CANUCK PLACE

In the spirit of the Thomas Haas annual charitable Easter Egg raffle, chocolate lovers will have a chance to win the very first ONE! Bar produced, bearing serial number 0001 and an interactive chocolate experience with Thomas Haas. Thomas will welcome the winner and up to seven of his or her friends to his North Vancouver chocolate kitchen for a fun and interactive evening of chocolate making and tasting.

Raffle tickets will be sold at both Thomas Haas cafés at the following rate: 3 for $5, 7 for $10, and 15 for $20 and will be randomly drawn on Dec. 3, 2013. One hundred per cent of the funds raised will be applied towards the purchase of toys for Thomas Haas’ longstanding charity of choice, the Canuck Place Children’s Hospice.

DETAILS

North Shore Store | 128-998 Harbourside Drive | North Vancouver, BC V7P 3T2
Phone: 604.924.1847 | Fax: 604.904.7479
Hours: Tuesday – Saturday: 8am – 5:30pm | Sunday & Monday: Closed

Kitsilano Store | 2539 West Broadway | Vancouver, BC V6K 2E9
Phone: 604.736.1848 | Fax: 604.736.1844
Hours: Tuesday – Saturday: 8am – 5:30pm | Sunday & Monday: Closed

Web & Social Media: www.thomashaas.com | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook

GALLERY

About Thomas Haas Chocolates & Patisserie

A fourth-generation pâtissier, Thomas Haas was first introduced to the delicate art of hand-crafting chocolates and pastries in the kitchen of the venerable Café Konditorei Haas that was opened by his great-grandfather in the Black Forest region of Aichhalden, Germany in 1918. Thomas continued his family’s long-standing tradition, apprenticing and working with top chefs in Michelin-starred restaurants across Europe en route to earning his stripes as Konditormeister, or Master Pastry Chef.

In 1995, Thomas was lured to Vancouver in the role of Executive Pastry Chef at the Four Seasons Hotel, where he met his wife Lisa and was twice named a top-three finalist in the prestigious annual North American Pastry Chef of the Year competition in New York City. Thomas took an even larger bite of the Big Apple in 1998, when he moved to New York and, as Executive Pastry Chef, helped famed restaurateur and chef Daniel Boulud launch his flagship eatery Daniel on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. During his tenure, Thomas was singled out as one of the Top Ten Pastry Chefs in America by Chocolatier and Pastry Art and Design magazines and saw his star further rise when he made several appearances on Martha Stewart Living and other international television shows.

In 2000, the wild nature and scenic beauty of Canada’s West Coast again beckoned to Thomas and Lisa, and the duo returned to Vancouver. In between working as a consultant for a number of elite Vancouver restaurants and hotels, Thomas realized a lifelong dream by methodically building his namesake company from a home-based business occupying one room in his basement into a dynamic and stylish chocolaterie, patisserie and cappuccino bar that launched in North Vancouver in 2004 and quickly became a destination spot for both locals and visitors alike. In 2009, Thomas and Lisa opened a second location to similar rave reviews on West Broadway in the Kitsilano area of Vancouver.

In keeping with family custom, Thomas eschews the notion of assembly lines and mass production, trusting instead in the deft hands of his talented team of pastry chefs and chocolatiers whose finesse and sensitivity is lovingly expressed in each and every hand-spun confection.

To this day, Thomas still carefully selects and sources only the finest, high-quality raw ingredients for his chocolate creations, ranging from B.C. wine, oak barrel-aged maple syrup from Quebec, Tahitian vanilla beans, fresh citrus zest, loose-leaf teas and organic herbs and spices. His cakes and pastries are likewise adorned with authentic accents such as Fraser Valley hazelnuts and berries and Okanagan fruits and infused with fresh-roasted coffee as well as liqueurs from Alsace and the Black Forest region where he once called home.

While Thomas is a world away from his roots in the Haas family café, the values on which he was raised remain ever true: a commitment to excellence driven by a genuine passion for both food and the people he serves.

Awards & Accolades

North American Pastry Chef of the Year competition in New York City finishing in the top three finalists in 1997 and 1998. It was his fabulous desserts and exuberance that drew the famous restaurateur Daniel Boulud to Thomas.

While living in New York (1998 – 2000), Thomas was named one of the TOP TEN Pastry Chefs in America by Chocolatier and Pastry Art and Design magazines and appeared on Martha Stewart Living several times as well as many other international television shows.

In 2001, at the Valrhona National (North America) Pastry Team Championships in Los Angeles, Thomas won FIRST Prize in all categories (Best in Chocolate, Best in Sugar, Best in Table Design and Best Overall).

In 2002, The Vancouver Sun Restaurant Awards awarded Thomas/Senses with BEST Chocolates, BEST Desserts, BEST Croissant and BEST French Pastries.

The Vancouver Magazine awarded Thomas/Diva at the Met with BEST LAST COURSE for the years 2001, 02, 03, 04, 05, and 06.

The Vancouver Magazine has awarded Thomas Haas Patisserie with BEST LAST COURSE for the year 2007 and 2009. Vancouver Magazine awarded Thomas as the PASTRY CHEF OF THE YEAR for the year 2011 and 2013.

Thomas Haas Fine Chocolates was named one of the TOP 20 Artisan Chocolatiers in Chocolatier Magazine’s 20th anniversary issue (Feb/March 2004).

The Chamber of Commerce awarded Thomas Haas Patisserie “Business Person of the Year” in 2006 and the “Service Excellence Award” in 2008.

In 2010, Thomas Haas Chocolates received the TOP 10 CHOCOLATIER IN NORTH AMERICA by Pastry Arts and Design publication.