The South Valley continues to boast some of the finest farmland that this area, once known as “The Valley of the Heart’s Delight,” has to offer. Lucky for South Valley residents, we can still partake in the fruits of the local farming community. And what better way to do that than with everyone’s favorite: chocolate. DeBrito Chocolate Factory, a family-run company out of Hollister, has made a sweet and profitable business of pairing chocolate with locally grown fruits and nuts.
Well over two decades ago, Alene and Arnold DeBrito operated a tractor repair shop at their a Hollister farm, where they grew apricots, walnuts and other fruits. The DeBritos were farmers with no plan of going into the candy-making business. But, Cathy Larson, daughter of Alene DeBrito, says her mom started out by buying dipped apricots as corporate gifts for her dad’s clients, “but they were imported and not very good quality. So in 1993 she started dipping ours.”
Alene was also making a special candy that was a mix with apricots and, as Cathy remembers, people started to order them in addition to the gifts. “They would tell her: ‘if you’re going to make those again I want three more of those this year.’” Cathy says her mom has always been adventurous and what began 24 years ago as simple chocolates offered as thank yous and annual Christmas gifts to her husband’s clients turned into a full-time business making chocolate confections within a year.
Today, Debrito Chocolate Factory has two locations: the main operation out of Hollister and one at the Gilroy Outlets. Cathy runs the Gilroy storefront along with managers Kristine Shafer and Cathy’s daughter, Grace Larson. While you won’t get the same tour as you would at the main factory, the outlet store has the same product line as the Hollister location.
The DeBritos popularized their brand by selling locally dipped fruits and nuts. “Everything is handmade from whole ingredients,” says Cathy. DeBrito confections don’t start with any mixes, but just basic ingredients, like white sugar, butter and brown sugar. Asked where they source their chocolate, Cathy said there are “just five ladies in the kitchen hand-making everything using Guittard.” Dipped apricots and other delectable morsels continue to make up the bulk of their candies.
Among the most celebrated are their candied and chocolate-dipped apples, which are so popular that DeBrito offers them year-round. Favorites include their best-selling rocky road apple and award-winning earthquake apple. “It’s very good,” says Kristine of the earthquake apple. “For me it’s a toss up between that and the chocolate-dipped marshmallows.”
The award-winning apple is similar to their truffle by the same name and is a combination of rice krispies with peanut butter, caramel and milk chocolate. The earthquake apple, part of their Outrageous Apples Collection, was also named the best in the nation by the Wall Street Journal.
“Our apples are pretty memorable,” Grace says, referring to their 80 different flavors. “On the simpler side, we have our apple pie [covered in] caramel, yogurt and cinnamon, and that one actually tastes like an apple pie. Some people say it tastes like a cheesecake and everyone loves that one because it’s gluten free [and] nut free. There’s no chocolate on it—it’s yogurt.”
Cathy DeBrito notes that one of the better selling points of their apples is their “great shelf life, and they stay crispy and fresh. So they make a great gift to share, not just an immediate snack.”
People enjoy these apples so much that DeBrito uses them as part of the fundraiser packages offered to local schools and community groups to sell directly to their supporters. A portion of the income goes to pay the cost of the treats and the rest of the proceeds go to the school or organization in need. Batches of fundraising apples can be picked up directly from the factory in Hollister, which also offers group tours between January and September.
But apples aren’t their only prized treat. The DeBrito Chocolate Factory is also well known for their buttered almond toffee, which received accolades for best toffee in the nation several years ago at the San Francisco Gourmet Show.
In addition to selling their popular chocolate-dipped apricots, DeBrito carries a large assortment of white, dark and milk chocolates covering everything from their buttered almond toffee to nuts, marshmallows and dried fruit. DeBrito also offers a wide variety of sugar-free candies in their stores.
If dipped candy is not your thing, DeBrito does carry the more conventional chocolate truffles, some with an unconventional twist, like the chipotle and ghost pepper flavored truffles.
While some of these are fun and pack a little heat, Grace says the best sellers are probably the mocha truffle or the raspberry truffle, “which is awesome! We also have some truffles that were inspired by apples. We have a Grand Marnier apple as one of our seasonal flavors and then we converted that to a truffle and that one is an awesome flavor—people love that one. It depends on if you like sweet, sour, dark, milk.”
Another plus for the gluten sensitive are that a majority of their candies are gluten free. “We keep everything separate. So as long as it doesn’t have a cracker or cookie, it’s gluten free,” says Grace, whose mother Cathy has celiac disease.
As for shelf life, bags of DeBrito candy will keep in your pantry for at least six months. They guarantee their apples for two weeks at room temperature and for a generous two months in the fridge. DeBrito’s treats are available in small packages and larger half-pound or 1-pound boxes.
With such a variety, DeBrito is sure to please every appetite and satisfy any craving for chocolate. There isn’t a one-size-fits all recommendation. “Everyone has their own thing,” Kristine Schafer says, “so we actually find out what people want before we make a recommendation.”
Grace points out that “for some reason people just love our solid chocolates because they can pick how strong they want it.” Their darkest chocolate is 91 percent; they also sell shavings straight from the cocoa bean. Other varieties, but not quite as dark are 58 percent and 72 percent. For, milk chocolate lovers, they sell a creamier milk chocolate with 38 percent cocoa.
In the mood for ice cream or another cold treat? Consider stepping into DeBrito’s and taking a peek at the selection of frozen chocolate-dipped bananas and cheesecakes in a variety of flavors, like salted caramel pecan, vanilla bean or keylime.
The family also travels year-round selling their confections at harvest festivals, tours and events in Las Vegas and throughout California. Grace has fond memories of attending shows and selling chocolates with her grandmother when she was a little girl. One of the foods she remembers most from her childhood are the chocolate-covered apricots, which are still grown at her aunt’s place in Hollister, Bertuccio’s Farm.“We try to keep it in the family,” says Grace.
May will mark the Gilroy store’s two-year anniversary. And, if you decide you want to share your sinful indulgences, DiBrito’s has a wide range of prepackaged chocolates and gift ideas for every occasion. “We have a lot of gift items. We can help them create a basket,” says Kristine. “The same thing for the end of the school year—the apples make great teacher’s gifts.” They also have a lot of options and baskets for special occasions and holidays, like Mother’s Day, Easter, and graduation.
Asked how she wants customers to feel when they leave her store, Cathy says she hopes they will “be really excited to go home and eat.”
So whether you’re a fan of dark, milk, or white chocolate; nut clusters, chews, or one of DeBrito’s outrageous apples, there is, as Grace says, “enough chocolate to satisfy every mood.”
