When Nicole Patel made her first batch of chocolate truffles over seven years ago, she didn’t know what she was getting into. Eight months pregnant with her first child and not exactly revving to go Christmas shopping, Nicole made truffles at home as gifts for family and friends, following a recipe she saw on T.V. (with a few of her own special modifications, of course). The truffles turned out good. Really good – all her friends said so. So Nicole kept making them. For birthdays and family celebrations, Nicole would churn out her truffles, and she soon discovered that whipping up a batch in the kitchen was the perfect way to de-stress from her tough industrial engineering job.

Fast forward to Oct. 3^rd, 2008, when Delysia was founded. Nicole made her first chocolate truffle delivery to Becker Vineyards: a special batch of truffles infused with the vineyard’s own wine. Soon, other partnerships followed with finger-licking good Salt Lick BBQ and Franklin Barbeque. Delysia also became the official chocolatier of the Circuit of the Americas, the only Formula 1 racetrack in the U.S.

Since that first Becker Vineyards delivery, Delysia has grown a lot. When Nicole was laid off from her engineering job in 2009, she took it as a sign to push forward with her chocolatier dream; in May 2009, Delysia became a full-time venture. Now Nicole hand makes each Delysia chocolate creation, from the spicy ghost pepper chocolate bark to the creamy smoked salted caramel truffle, using only the finest artisan ingredients.

And Delysia is still growing – two years ago, Nicole and her team began construction on a new production kitchen and chocolate culinary center. After two years of sweat and tears all in the name of chocolate (including a major mishap with an unscrupulous general contractor), Delysia is gearing up for its grand opening ceremony! Check back on the blog in coming weeks for more details on this momentous occasion.

Today, Delysia is proud to help celebrate life’s most memorable moments. A sincere thank you to all of Delysia’s customers, partners, and supporters who make Delysia’s mission possible. Thank you for an incredible sixth anniversary. Here’s to many more years of crafting incredible chocolate for incredible people!