Discover the Exceptional Quality of Laurence Galerie de Chocolat

Laurence is known for the breadth and depth of its chocolate repertoire, over 150 different chocolate creations produced from their modern, FSSC 22000-certified workshop in Thessaloniki, combining three generations of family recipe knowledge with state-of-the-art production facilities and rigorous international food safety standards.

Produced in a family environment where passionate and devoted chocolatiers work every day to perfect the flavours and textures that have made Laurence a benchmark for Greek artisan chocolate, their range spans hand-made pralines and single-origin bars through to wrapped treats, sugar-free chocolates, and occasion chocolates for baptisms and weddings.

VIEW PRODUCTS
The Karydas Family: Three Generations Since 1922

The Karydas Family: Three Generations Since 1922

In 1922, Spyros Karydas and his three brothers opened three of the first pastry shops in central Thessaloniki. It was Spyros’s branch of the family that would go on to found Laurence. His son, Panagiotis Karydas, took the business in a new direction, moving into wholesale supply and providing pastries and confections to confectioneries across Northern Greece, expanding the family’s reach well beyond a single storefront.

Today Laurence, run by the third generation of the Karydas family, has taken that century-old foundation and turned it into an internationally exported luxury chocolate brand, including a notable presence in Switzerland, a market not exactly short on chocolate expertise of its own, where Laurence’s Thessaloniki-made luxury chocolate has found real demand. It’s a genuinely rare arc: from one family’s pastry shop in 1922 to Greek chocolate being sold into one of the world’s most chocolate-literate markets a century later.

A Premium Experience from Thessaloniki, Greece

A Premium Experience from Thessaloniki, Greece

Each Laurence creation reflects three generations of the Karydas family’s chocolate-making knowledge, their personal quality commitment to selecting every ingredient and spice by hand, and the FSSC 22000-certified production standards of a Thessaloniki workshop devoted to the highest quality and taste.

  • Founded in 1922 by Spyros Karydas, now run by the third generation of the same family
  • Over 150 distinct chocolate creations — pralines, hand-made chocolates, single-origin bars, wrapped treats, and sugar-free options
  • Every ingredient and spice personally chosen — the most direct form of quality control available in artisan chocolate production
  • FSSC 22000 Food Safety System Certification — international food safety standards applied to artisan Greek chocolate production
  • Exported internationally, including to Switzerland, one of the world’s most demanding chocolate markets
  • A complete chocolate range from everyday treats to luxury occasion gifts for baptisms, weddings, and corporate gifting

Laurence brings together over a century of Thessaloniki family chocolate tradition, a repertoire of 150+ creations, and certified production standards recognized well beyond Greece.

Laurence: Greek Artisan Chocolate of Exceptional Character

Built on the family recipes and ingredient knowledge accumulated across three generations in Thessaloniki since 1922, and expressed across a range of over 150 chocolate creations that spans single-origin bars, hand-made pralines, flavoured chocolates, and luxury occasion pieces, Laurence is designed for those who want Greek artisan chocolate with the full depth and breadth of a multi-generational family chocolatier behind it. Their FSSC 22000 certification gives the quality commitment of the family tradition the independent verification that serious chocolate production demands.

Laurence is especially valued by those who want artisan Greek chocolate from a producer whose history and commitment to quality is as real as the century that has shaped it, gift-buyers who want luxury Greek chocolate of genuine cultural depth and personal producer accountability, and chocolate enthusiasts who appreciate that the most interesting European artisan chocolate often comes from exactly the kind of long-established, independently family-owned producer that Laurence represents.

QualityDescription
100+ Years of Family CraftFounded in 1922, Laurence brings three generations of Thessaloniki family chocolate-making knowledge to every creation.
150+ Chocolate CreationsA repertoire spanning hand-made single-origin bars and pralines to sugar-free chocolates and occasion pieces.
Personal Ingredient CurationEvery ingredient and spice is personally chosen by the family.
FSSC 22000 CertifiedInternational food safety certification applied to the Laurence workshop in Thessaloniki.

The century-long family heritage, extraordinary range depth, personal ingredient curation, and certified production quality of Laurence make it ideal for those who want Greek artisan chocolate from a source they can completely trust.

How to Best Enjoy Laurence Chocolate

Laurence chocolates are best served at room temperature — removed from any refrigeration 20–30 minutes before eating to allow the full aromatic profile of the praline, ganache, or single-origin chocolate to express itself. Store in a cool, dry place away from strong aromas.
The breadth of the Laurence range makes it ideal for building personalised chocolate selections — pairing single-origin bars with pralines and wrapped treats for a complete portrait of what this extraordinary family workshop can produce.

OccasionHow to Enjoy
Luxury Chocolate GiftA Laurence selection box makes one of Greece's most distinguished and culturally meaningful chocolate gifts — a century of Thessaloniki family craft in every piece.
Chocolate Tasting SelectionPair single-origin Laurence bars with hand-made pralines for a guided exploration of the full flavour range of one of Greece's most storied family chocolatiers.
Active RecoveryInclude in a wellness plan centered on rejuvenation and daily recovery support.
Corporate GiftingLaurence's premium range and certified quality standards make it an impeccable choice for corporate chocolate gifting with genuine Greek provenance.

The family heritage, extraordinary range, and personal production integrity of Laurence make it ideal for every occasion that calls for Greek artisan chocolate of the highest order.

Laurence Kunefe dubai chocolate bar with crispy kataifi and pistachio cream, displayed on a plate.

Sustainable and Ethical Practices at Laurence

At Laurence, the commitment to quality that has defined the family’s approach since 1922 naturally extends to the ingredients and production practices that make their chocolate what it is. A family that has personally selected every ingredient for a century understands that the quality of the raw material is the quality of the finished chocolate.

They commit to the careful, personal selection of every ingredient and spice used in production, and to maintaining the family workshop environment in Thessaloniki that has been the creative home of Laurence since its founding.

Their approach

With a modern, FSSC 22000-certified workshop in Thessaloniki that combines cutting-edge production technology with the family craftsmanship and recipe knowledge developed across three generations, Laurence ensures that the quality of every chocolate creation is maintained with the consistency and rigour that only this combination of family commitment and certified production standards can guarantee. These practices result in chocolate of genuine artisan character and absolute production integrity.

By maintaining the family workshop in Thessaloniki that has been central to Laurence’s identity since 1922, and by applying the personal ingredient curation and recipe perfectionism that three generations of family chocolatiers have practised, Laurence ensures that every creation continues to deliver the quality and taste that over a century of family commitment has built. Choosing Laurence means choosing Greek artisan chocolate from a family that has answered for every piece since 1922, the kind of chocolate that makes a natural centerpiece for our gift boxes and hampers.

Learn more about Laurence Galerie de Chocolat.

VIEW PRODUCTS

Frequently Asked Questions About Laurence Galerie de Chocolat

Explore the Laurence Galerie de Chocolat Collection

VIEW ALL

JOURNAL

Know What You’re Tasting

The Journal is where we go deeper into the stories and knowledge behind the collection, so you can understand what makes a product distinctive before it ever reaches the table.

It is a place to understand the details that matter, and the reasons a product earns its place with us.

View all
PREVIOUS NEXT
0
Your Cart
Your cart is emptyReturn to Shop