About us
Our Company
NOCO Chocolates, is 100% woman-owned and was founded by Sara Khoudary, Certified Professional Chocolatier. Our product line consists of all-natural, handcrafted chocolates and caramels created in a professional commercial kitchen in Longmont, CO.
Meet Our Founder
Certified Professional Chocolatier
Did you ever have a dream as a child of what you wanted to do, but life took you another direction?
I did AND I am here to tell you...
DREAMS REALLY DO COME TRUE!!
I love chocolate. I love baking. In fact as a child I loved baking cakes, pies and all the wonderful treats so much that I would play sick just so I could stay home and bake.
Now baking was easy, but deep down inside I wanted to make CHOCOLATE!! I love chocolate and caramel and all the joy and creativity that comes with it. But the path to get there was a long journey!
Chocolate may have been my dream, but reality has a way of derailing (or postponing) dreams. As I prepared for college I wanted to be a pastry chef, but I was told that was not a good career path so I did the “responsible” thing instead and went into business. But I always had the passion and dream. The vision never left me: “Some day, some day, I get to do this. If I could just have my own chocolate shop. One day I am going to be a Professional Chocolatier.”
I believe we all have a path of what we are supposed to do even if we are excelling in another area. You see I was successful, but I knew it was not the right path for me to be on any longer, but could I do it?
The vision of being a professional Chocolatier was always there. It swirled in my mind like warm, silky chocolate being tempered. The desire was so strong I could taste it. YES - that sweet dream is meant to happen.
For years I followed an international chocolate school because deep down I never lost sight of my desire and love for chocolate; traveling to Europe to learn from some of the best. And then one day during COVID through a simple conversation with a dear friend I came back to the path I knew I was always supposed to be on.
We were both wanting to do something fun and my friend asked, “If there were three things you could do, what would they be?” The first two were not possible because of COVID, BUT the third - could I? Would I? Dare I?
My friend challenged me to do it. I took a look at where I was in my life. Was I successful in business - YES! But, I wanted to do something that was creative, fun and joyful and brought others joy as well. By the end of the day I enrolled in that Professional Chocolatier program I’d been watching for years. I DID IT!
Now that is the path I get to follow - embracing that childhood dream! The vision never left and now many years later I get to have my candy and make it too!! I love what I am creating, learning and doing!
And through the inspiration of beautiful mentors, I found a way to do it that is different from your average store brand. You see I may LOVE chocolate but I cannot have some of the typical ingredients that are used in making chocolate and caramel. That is why I consciously use organic and natural ingredients that are simple, flavorful and indulgent. Bringing consciously crafted sweet, tasty treats people can enjoy!
YOU SEE DREAMS REALLY DO COME TRUE!!
P.S. Since becoming a Chocolatier I’ve even lost 50 pounds! Now that’s a story for another day!
Our Products
Simple. All-Natural. Ethically Sourced.
All of our products are consciously made using a simple and ethically sourced ingredient profile using all-natural and organic products. Our product are soy-free, corn-free, and gluten-free.
Our Chocolate - The ingredients found in our chocolate are ‡Fair Trade Certified™ by FairTradeUSA.org, gluten free, all-natural and organic including designated RNGH Free Dairy, NON GMO sugars, sunflower lecithin, and cacao from several regions including South America, Central America and West Africa dependent on the blend. These ingredients are sourced and certified as part of the Cultivate Better Cocoa initiative. This program is a premium-based program designed to "create a positive impact at the supply chain level, benefiting the farmers and communities". The Cultivate Better Cocoa program "creates innovative, comprehensive programs that drive positive change for farmers, communities, and the environment. The funds receive through this program are directly allocated to supporting farm-level productivity, quality and flavor investments, gender equality, income diversification, health, nutrition, and agroforestry initiatives."
Sweetener - ABSOLUTELY NO CORN SYRUP or GLUCOSE SYRUP - we use Certified Organic Tapioca Syrup. Our Tapioca syrup is gluten-free made from sustainably sourced certified non-GMO cassava. Our brown sugar is vegan friendly, unrefined, USDA Organic and Kosher.
Inclusions - Let's face it, there's a lot of crap out there and we work hard to monitor and maintain the best possible ingredient profile. We use all-natural and certified organic ingredients and work hard to avoid unnecessary additives and dies. Our flavoring oils, berries, spices, and nuts inclusions are sourced from reputable all-natural manufacturers and suppliers across the US.