Mindo Chocolate and The Newton of Ypsilanti are hosting their first chocolate tasting and truffle-making class on Aug 21 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at The Newton of Ypsilanti’s Gathering Place. The tickets are $50 per person, and there is a limit on how many people can attend. 

Mindo Chocolate is well known for making chocolate from bean to bar. They have a chocolate-making sister store called El Quetzal de Mindo, located in Mindo, Ecuador, where they source their chocolate. Mindo Chocolate will demonstrate how their chocolate, ganache, and truffles are made during the workshop. It will also allow guests to taste the different types of chocolate Mindo offers while learning about the process that makes their chocolate special. 

The Newton of Ypsilanti will host the workshop in their Gathering Place. The Newton of Ypsilanti is full of history. It was built in 1830 and eventually was bought by Charles Newton, Henry Ford’s real estate lawyer and broker. After many other purchases, it was eventually purchased by Allision Anastasio and Charles Bultman and turned into The Newton of Ypsilanti, a historic inn. The complete history of The Newton of Ypsilanti can be found on their website.

The Newton of Ypsilanti agreed to host Mindo Chocolate workshops in their gathering place to help promote other small businesses, including Mindo Chocolate and help them get the recognition they deserve. They also want to help create a network and a community of small businesses so they can all help and learn from each other.

“I have spent energy making partnerships with other small businesses because I actually feel like we need to be a network in order to survive,” Allison Anastasio, owner of The Newton of Ypsilanti and Last Bite Chef, said. “Purchasing the house at 220 South Huron St. [The Newton of Ypsilanti] allows for various execution of different events. Of course, there’s space for overnight guests, but equally important to us is the opportunity for local businesses to come in and teach each other… What I’m [Allsion] starting the process of is a community center that will focus on food, and all things culinary that are artisanal and made with respect to the process of traditional, handmade, hand-grown, locally grown, seasonally relevant foods.”

The Newton of Ypsilanti is planning to partner with other local businesses to have tea tastings and other fun, engaging events.

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