Dove dark chocolate began as a custom formula ice cream coating in 1956, and has only been getting better and better since. Now a part of Mars, Inc., Dove has a good assortment of dark chocolate products sold world-wide, and is known as "Galaxy" in the UK and elsewhere.
Dove began as a candy store in Chicago, founded in 1939 by a Greek immigrant, Leo Stephanos. In 1956, Leo invented the Dovebar® by slicing a block of ice cream, and hand-dipping the slices in a premium chocolate formula which he took months to perfect. Leo's son, Mike, took over the family business in 1977, and by 1984 the ice cream had gained a US-wide audience. Mars bought the company in 1986.
Dove is widely know for the Dove Promises, small chocolate squares with an inspirational message printed inside the foil wrapper. You can even order Dove promises with a customized message here.
Dove now sells many dark chocolate products, including:
All Dove chocolate is now produced in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania.
Mars is active in education and training for farmers, development of pest and disease resistant cocoa crops, and other pioneering avenues of cocoa research.
According to Mars: "The values by which we have always operated inspire us every day to seek the most responsible methods of cocoa production whereby the entire supply chain shares mutual benefit from the harvesting of this unique and fragile crop."
