Gail Ambrosius Chocolatier • About Gail • Single Origin Fine Dark Chocolates, Madison, WI

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All my chocolates are handmade under my personal supervision. Gail Ambrosius Chocolatier, Madison, WI Yes, My Name Really Is Gail Ambrosius.

I didn't make it up; the name came straight from Ray and Lucille Ambrosius of Seymour, Wisconsin. My mother introduced to me to the magic of chocolate when she appointed me her Chocolate Pudding Apprentice. I fell in love with cooking and eventually became one of the designated chefs for our family of ten children.

It was on a high school trip to Paris that I fell in love with the exotic indulgence of premium dark chocolate. I witnessed the pride and care that went into artisan chocolate creations, and dreamed of someday becoming a Chocolatier with my own small shop.

Life had other plans for me. I moved to Madison, had a son in 1988, became a cartographer, and took a "safe" job with the State of Wisconsin. The cubicle job supported my family, but I never forgot my first love: creating dark chocolate truffles.

Thanks to the not-so-gentle nudge of state budget cuts and lay- offs, I found myself unemployed and a single mom at age of 44. With the encouragement of friends and family, I seized the opportunity to follow my passion for chocolate making.

I returned to France, where I studied with the renowned Valrhona and Cluizel families of chocolatiers. Between classes, I visited neighborhood shops, unabashedly sampled lots of world-class chocolates and learned all I could about the world of chocolate- making.

Here's some of what I learned:

Carefully selecting single-origin cacao, based on terroir
Maintaining a high percentage of cacoa for the most complex flavor
Avoiding preservatives and waxy stabilizers (they just taste wrong)
Experimenting with new and unexpected flavor combinations
Always taking personal responsibility for the quality of the chocolate

Gail Ambrosius studied in France with the Valrhona Chocolate Maker and the Cluizel family of Chocolatiers. Gail Ambrosius Gourmet Chocolates, Madiosn, WI

After studying chocolate-making in France, I returned to Madison and poured my energy into classes at the University of Wisconsin Small Business Development Center. It was in 2004, business plan and personal recipes in hand, that I launched Gail Ambrosius Chocolatier.

Coridform - I collect antique maps. I love to travel the world looking for the best chocolate. Gail Ambrosius Chocolatier, Madison, WI Gail Ambrosius-Chocolatier has grown into a thriving business, serving major restaurant and catering customers, web customers, and local fans that visit for "just one" dark chocolate truffle.

All my chocolates are made by hand, one at a time, in our kitchen on Atwood Avenue in Madison's colorful East Side. You can find me here most days, stirring, rolling, dipping, experimenting with flavor combinations, and sharing my passion for dark chocolate with customers (many of whom are friends and neighbors). Stop by and say "hello" the next time you're in town.

Meanwhile, may you live all your dreams and love all your chocolates...

Gail

questions

If you have any questions about ordering chocolates, check out my ordering page.

If you have any questions about the chocolates, or would like to talk to Gail, please visit gail's contact page.

If you have any other problems, or have any technical questions about this site, please email the webmaster.

credits

GailAmbrosius.com is maintained by Stick People Productions, an internet consulting and digital photography company in Madison.

Product photography by Tim Mullholland, Stick People Productions, & Tadsen Photography

This web site is owned, in its entirety, by Gail Ambrosius, and is copyright © 2008.

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