Robert Steinberg (chocolate maker)
Encyclopedia
Robert Wayne Steinberg was an American
physician
who co-founded Scharffen Berger Chocolate Maker
in 1996 with John Scharffenberger, his friend and former patient
.
teacher
while his father was a clinical psychologist. Steinberg's father died of Hodgkin's disease when he was a child.
Steinberg received his bachelor's degree
in 1969 from Harvard University
. He later earned his medical degree
from the University of Connecticut
in 1974. He first moved to San Francisco as part of a medical internship. He remained in the area and ran his own family practice for approximately twenty years in San Francisco and Ukiah, California
.
, a disease which he would battle for nearly twenty years. At the time, Steinberg was given a 50% chance of succumbing to the disease within ten years of his diagnosis. He realized that his full time profession as a physician would be difficult with the necessary medical treatment. As a result of his diagnosis, Steinberg began exploring his own interests and alternative career paths.
A friend of Steinberg's introduced him to chocolate making
and gave him a 600-page book on the "science of chocolate making. Steinberg, who was a self-proclaimed foodie
, had been interested in food and cooking
since he was a child. The concept of making chocolate
caught Steinberg's attention. Following his diagnosis, Steinberg travelled to Lyon, France, in 1993, where he became an apprentice at a small family-owned chocolate maker called Bernachon for a few weeks. His new interest in chocolate would later take him to a number of cacao growing nations including Trinidad and Tobago
and Venezuela
.
Steinberg returned from Lyons to California following the end of his Bernachon internship. He soon ran into his neighbor and former patient, John Scharffenberger. Scharffenberger was in the process of selling his winery
, called Scharffenberger Cellars, at the time. Steinberg gave Scharffenberger a sample of the Bernachon French chocolates. The chocolate had been in Steinberg's pocket for a long time, but Scharffenberger described it as "tasted better than anything I'd ever had." The two soon began talking about joining forces as partners.
Steinberg and Scharffenberger set up a test kitchen in Steinberg's home kitchen to experiment with approximately thirty different varieties of chocolate and their potential recipes. The tools they used in Steinberg's kitchen to develop the future Scharffen Berger brand chocolate included a mortar and pestle
, a coffee grinder and a hair dryer, which they used to keep the chocolate's viscosity
.
In 1996, Steinberg and Scharffenberger opened a small chocolate
factory
and factory store in southern San Francisco, where they produced their first chocolate products for sale in the marketplace. The employed several antique German
chocolate machines to make their products in small batches The new small business
was called Scharffen Berger Chocolate Maker
, which took advantage of John Scharffenberger's name recognition in the San Francisco Bay Area. (Scharffenberger had previously been in the winemaker
).
Scharffen Berger Chocolate hit the San Francisco Bay Area
markets at a time when Americans were becoming interested in consuming higher quality, speciality foods such as wine
, coffee
or chocolate. Scharffen Berger chocolate bars, which were known for a bittersweet chocolate with intense fruity note
s, quickly gained a following as their products became available in supermarkets and specialty stores in the Bay Area.
Consumer demand led Scharffen Berger Chocolate Maker to relocate to a larger factory in 2001, complete with a cafe
and gift shop
, in Berkeley, California
. The company also expanded its product portfolio from chocolate bars to include ganache
, caramel
, mints, hot cocoa and chocolate-dipped fruit.
Scharffen Berger was acquired by The Hershey Company
. Hershey's began marketing and distributing Scharffen Berger Chocolate as its high end product line.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
physician
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
who co-founded Scharffen Berger Chocolate Maker
Scharffen Berger Chocolate Maker
Scharffen Berger Chocolate is a line of chocolate produced by Artisan Confections Company, a subsidiary of The Hershey Company. Acquired by Hershey in 2005, it was formerly produced by Scharffen Berger Chocolate Maker, an independent Berkeley, California-based chocolate maker, founded in 1996 by...
in 1996 with John Scharffenberger, his friend and former patient
Patient
A patient is any recipient of healthcare services. The patient is most often ill or injured and in need of treatment by a physician, advanced practice registered nurse, veterinarian, or other health care provider....
.
Early life
Robert Steinberg was born on March 4, 1947, in Boston, Massachusetts, to parents Arthur and Selma Levinson Steinberg. His mother was an elementary schoolElementary school
An elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
teacher
Teacher
A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...
while his father was a clinical psychologist. Steinberg's father died of Hodgkin's disease when he was a child.
Steinberg received his bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in 1969 from Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
. He later earned his medical degree
Doctor of Medicine
Doctor of Medicine is a doctoral degree for physicians. The degree is granted by medical schools...
from the University of Connecticut
University of Connecticut
The admission rate to the University of Connecticut is about 50% and has been steadily decreasing, with about 28,000 prospective students applying for admission to the freshman class in recent years. Approximately 40,000 prospective students tour the main campus in Storrs annually...
in 1974. He first moved to San Francisco as part of a medical internship. He remained in the area and ran his own family practice for approximately twenty years in San Francisco and Ukiah, California
Ukiah, California
The average high temperature is 73.5 °F . Average low temperature is 46.1 °F . Temperatures reach 90 °F on an average of 65.6 days annually and 100 °F on an average of 14.4 days annually. Due to frequent low humidity, summer temperatures normally drop into the fifties at night. Freezing...
.
Scharffen Berger Chocolate Maker
Steinberg was diagnosed in 1989 with lymphomaLymphoma
Lymphoma is a cancer in the lymphatic cells of the immune system. Typically, lymphomas present as a solid tumor of lymphoid cells. Treatment might involve chemotherapy and in some cases radiotherapy and/or bone marrow transplantation, and can be curable depending on the histology, type, and stage...
, a disease which he would battle for nearly twenty years. At the time, Steinberg was given a 50% chance of succumbing to the disease within ten years of his diagnosis. He realized that his full time profession as a physician would be difficult with the necessary medical treatment. As a result of his diagnosis, Steinberg began exploring his own interests and alternative career paths.
A friend of Steinberg's introduced him to chocolate making
Chocolate
Chocolate is a raw or processed food produced from the seed of the tropical Theobroma cacao tree. Cacao has been cultivated for at least three millennia in Mexico, Central and South America. Its earliest documented use is around 1100 BC...
and gave him a 600-page book on the "science of chocolate making. Steinberg, who was a self-proclaimed foodie
Foodie
Foodie is an informal term for a particular class of aficionado of food and drink. The word was coined in 1981 by Paul Levy and Ann Barr, who used it in the title of their 1984 book The Official Foodie Handbook.- Distinguished from gourmet :...
, had been interested in food and cooking
Cooking
Cooking is the process of preparing food by use of heat. Cooking techniques and ingredients vary widely across the world, reflecting unique environmental, economic, and cultural traditions. Cooks themselves also vary widely in skill and training...
since he was a child. The concept of making chocolate
Chocolate
Chocolate is a raw or processed food produced from the seed of the tropical Theobroma cacao tree. Cacao has been cultivated for at least three millennia in Mexico, Central and South America. Its earliest documented use is around 1100 BC...
caught Steinberg's attention. Following his diagnosis, Steinberg travelled to Lyon, France, in 1993, where he became an apprentice at a small family-owned chocolate maker called Bernachon for a few weeks. His new interest in chocolate would later take him to a number of cacao growing nations including Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, lying just off the coast of northeastern Venezuela and south of Grenada in the Lesser Antilles...
and Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
.
Steinberg returned from Lyons to California following the end of his Bernachon internship. He soon ran into his neighbor and former patient, John Scharffenberger. Scharffenberger was in the process of selling his winery
Winery
A winery is a building or property that produces wine, or a business involved in the production of wine, such as a wine company. Some wine companies own many wineries. Besides wine making equipment, larger wineries may also feature warehouses, bottling lines, laboratories, and large expanses of...
, called Scharffenberger Cellars, at the time. Steinberg gave Scharffenberger a sample of the Bernachon French chocolates. The chocolate had been in Steinberg's pocket for a long time, but Scharffenberger described it as "tasted better than anything I'd ever had." The two soon began talking about joining forces as partners.
Steinberg and Scharffenberger set up a test kitchen in Steinberg's home kitchen to experiment with approximately thirty different varieties of chocolate and their potential recipes. The tools they used in Steinberg's kitchen to develop the future Scharffen Berger brand chocolate included a mortar and pestle
Mortar and pestle
A mortar and pestle is a tool used to crush, grind, and mix solid substances . The pestle is a heavy bat-shaped object, the end of which is used for crushing and grinding. The mortar is a bowl, typically made of hard wood, ceramic or stone...
, a coffee grinder and a hair dryer, which they used to keep the chocolate's viscosity
Viscosity
Viscosity is a measure of the resistance of a fluid which is being deformed by either shear or tensile stress. In everyday terms , viscosity is "thickness" or "internal friction". Thus, water is "thin", having a lower viscosity, while honey is "thick", having a higher viscosity...
.
In 1996, Steinberg and Scharffenberger opened a small chocolate
Chocolate
Chocolate is a raw or processed food produced from the seed of the tropical Theobroma cacao tree. Cacao has been cultivated for at least three millennia in Mexico, Central and South America. Its earliest documented use is around 1100 BC...
factory
Factory
A factory or manufacturing plant is an industrial building where laborers manufacture goods or supervise machines processing one product into another. Most modern factories have large warehouses or warehouse-like facilities that contain heavy equipment used for assembly line production...
and factory store in southern San Francisco, where they produced their first chocolate products for sale in the marketplace. The employed several antique German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
chocolate machines to make their products in small batches The new small business
Small business
A small business is a business that is privately owned and operated, with a small number of employees and relatively low volume of sales. Small businesses are normally privately owned corporations, partnerships, or sole proprietorships...
was called Scharffen Berger Chocolate Maker
Scharffen Berger Chocolate Maker
Scharffen Berger Chocolate is a line of chocolate produced by Artisan Confections Company, a subsidiary of The Hershey Company. Acquired by Hershey in 2005, it was formerly produced by Scharffen Berger Chocolate Maker, an independent Berkeley, California-based chocolate maker, founded in 1996 by...
, which took advantage of John Scharffenberger's name recognition in the San Francisco Bay Area. (Scharffenberger had previously been in the winemaker
Winemaker
A winemaker or vintner is a person engaged in winemaking. They are generally employed by wineries or wine companies, where their work includes:*Cooperating with viticulturists...
).
Scharffen Berger Chocolate hit the San Francisco Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
markets at a time when Americans were becoming interested in consuming higher quality, speciality foods such as wine
Wine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
, coffee
Coffee
Coffee is a brewed beverage with a dark,init brooo acidic flavor prepared from the roasted seeds of the coffee plant, colloquially called coffee beans. The beans are found in coffee cherries, which grow on trees cultivated in over 70 countries, primarily in equatorial Latin America, Southeast Asia,...
or chocolate. Scharffen Berger chocolate bars, which were known for a bittersweet chocolate with intense fruity note
Note
In music, the term note has two primary meanings:#A sign used in musical notation to represent the relative duration and pitch of a sound;#A pitched sound itself....
s, quickly gained a following as their products became available in supermarkets and specialty stores in the Bay Area.
Consumer demand led Scharffen Berger Chocolate Maker to relocate to a larger factory in 2001, complete with a cafe
Café
A café , also spelled cafe, in most countries refers to an establishment which focuses on serving coffee, like an American coffeehouse. In the United States, it may refer to an informal restaurant, offering a range of hot meals and made-to-order sandwiches...
and gift shop
Gift shop
A gift shop is a store primarily selling souvenirs relating to a particular topic or theme. The items sold often include coffee mugs, stuffed animals, t-shirts, postcards, handmade collections and other souvenirs....
, in Berkeley, California
Berkeley, California
Berkeley is a city on the east shore of the San Francisco Bay in Northern California, United States. Its neighbors to the south are the cities of Oakland and Emeryville. To the north is the city of Albany and the unincorporated community of Kensington...
. The company also expanded its product portfolio from chocolate bars to include ganache
Ganache
Ganache is a glaze, icing, or filling for pastries made from chocolate and cream.Ganache is normally made by heating cream, then pouring it over chopped dark semi-sweet chocolate...
, caramel
Caramel
Caramel is a beige to dark-brown confection made by heating any of a variety of sugars. It is used as a flavoring in puddings and desserts, as a filling in bonbons, and as a topping for ice cream, custard and coffee....
, mints, hot cocoa and chocolate-dipped fruit.
Scharffen Berger was acquired by The Hershey Company
The Hershey Company
The Hershey Company, known until April 2005 as the Hershey Foods Corporation and commonly called Hershey's, is the largest chocolate manufacturer in North America. Its headquarters are in Hershey, Pennsylvania, which is also home to Hershey's Chocolate World. It was founded by Milton S...
. Hershey's began marketing and distributing Scharffen Berger Chocolate as its high end product line.