Larry Burdick
Larry Burdick | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1956 (age 69–70) |
| Occupation | confectioner |
| Known for | founding L.A. Burdick |
| Spouse | Paula Burdick |
Lawrence Burdick[1] (born 1956) is an American confectioner and businessman. In 1987, he and his wife established L.A. Burdick, a chocalatier, and opened their first store in New York City. As of 2026, it has seven locations in the United States.
Early life
In the late 1970s, after training as a pastry chef in New York City,[2] Burdick worked as a chocolatier in Bern, Switzerland. Upon completing his training, he returned to the United States and began offering a variety of luxury products, such as truffles, bonbons, his signature chocolate mice, and an assortment of hot chocolate powders specifically to high-end restaurants.[3] He wanted to create chocolate confections that showed the quality of chocolate. He knew that the majority of chocolate in the United States was mass-produced, using low-quality cocoa and high amounts of sugar for flavor.[4] This realization motivated him to bring about a change in the chocolate industry in the United States.[4][5]
Career
In 1987, Burdick and his wife, Paula, established began making chocolates in their New York City apartment. Shortly thereafter they opened their a store, having named it L.A. Burdick,[6] in the city's Upper East Side.[2] Five years later, he and his family moved the business to Walpole, New Hampshire, for logistic reasons: to be closer to the source of the ingredients for his products.[7] Filmmaker and fellow Walpole resident Ken Burns helped finance the Burdicks' move to larger premises in the town.[8] From there, they continued to expand their reach, opening additional locations in Massachusetts and other parts of the United States.[9] As of 2026, it has seven locations in the United States.[10]
He is a co-owner of Jouvay Chocolate, a cocoa farm in Grenada, along with his wife and Andrew Hastick. It is made at Diamond Chocolate Factory.[7]
Personal life
Burdick is married to Paula,[11] who founded the Cocoa Farming Future Initiative in 2011.[7] She also has a degree in fashion from the Fashion Institute of Technology.[8]
References
- ↑ Writer, Melanie Plenda Contributing (2016-04-05). "Burdick clears the air on rumors of Walpole chocolate company sale". The Keene Sentinel. Retrieved 2026-07-03.
- 1 2 Asimov, Eric (1990-12-23). "Style Makers; Larry Burdick, Chocolatier". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2026-07-03.
- ↑ Olmsted, Larry. "Burdick's brings fabulous French food to small New England town". ABC News. Retrieved 2023-02-20.
- 1 2 "Our Story". L.A. Burdick Chocolates. Retrieved 2023-02-20.
- ↑ Thomas, Taylor (2016-04-01). "L.A. Burdick | The Award-Winning Chocolate That's Local". New England Today. Retrieved 2023-02-20.
- ↑ Fabricant, Florence (2021-03-09). "An Ode to Irish Classics, in Chocolate". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-04-13.
- 1 2 3 "OUR TEAM". Jouvay Chocolate. Retrieved 2026-07-03.
- 1 2 Staff, New Hampshire Magazine (2009-03-01). "Burdick's Passion". New Hampshire Magazine. Retrieved 2026-07-03.
- ↑ Laban, Linda (April 16, 2017). "A small town's sweet surprises: Walpole (N.H.) is home to the deliciousness of L.A. Burdick". Boston Globe. ProQuest 1888399515.
- ↑ "Store Locations". L.A. Burdick Chocolates. Retrieved 2026-07-03.
- ↑ Laban, Linda. "These might just be the best chocolates in the world — They're certainly the cutest". The Worcester Telegram & Gazette. Retrieved 2026-07-03.