Why choose our chocolate?

Snake & Butterfly refines a premier selection of organic, fair trade cocoa beans in small batches. Since 2007, we have hand-roasted and hand-poured a wide variety of award-winning bars and confections.

Philosophy:

At Snake & Butterfly we believe that a business should be based on passion, integrity, a strong sense of purpose, and responsible, ecologically-sound business practices.

We believe that responsible business practices include supporting the farmers who grow our raw ingredients in a sustainable, environmentally sound manner, and paying a fair price for those ingredients. Furthermore, we believe that our packaging should have a low environmental impact.

Snake & Butterfly is committed to providing the highest quality chocolate and impeccable customer service to our customers.

Who we are:

Benjamin Bulik has worked in the food industry for over ten years, most recently as a part of the Left Bank Corporation. He has extensive experience in food production, marketing, and sales. In addition, Benjamin has training in the areas of nutrition, fitness, and holistic medicine. Additionally Ben is a talented, self-taught artist who works with pastels, watercolors, and oils. He has been involved in chocolate research and development for five years.

Celeste Flores graduated cum laude from Santa Clara University, where she received her bachelor's degree in Psychology in 2005. While at university she served as the editor in chief of the Santa Clara Review, a bi-annual literary magazine established in 1869. Additionally, her background includes purchasing for retail stores and various positions in educational institutes. She has two children, Miss P (8) and 'Renzo (5), who personally test and approve every product before it becomes available to the general public! Celeste will be happy to work with you on requests (even the strangest) and favors for special events or weddings. 

Vincent "Papa Vince" Flores has had successful careers as a musician and in the fields of retail management, high tech sales, and food service. His musical career began at age 13 when he started playing the bass in local bands. In college, Vincent studied music theory and composition. He has continued to perform and, as a BMI artist, his music can be heard on radio, TV, in film, and live theater. (Please click here to hear a sample of his music or buy his CD "Silk Road.") Vincent has also worked for several years in the food industry as a waiter, bartender, and chef. His passion for great food and his artistic creativity has drawn him to become involved in the creation of high quality chocolate. Most recently, he has been developing new confections and caramels for Snake & Butterfly. 

James Hull and his wife Mara Privitt are the newest additions to the Snake & Butterfly family. They bring a fresh approach and renewed passion to the business of making chocolate.

Jim, while currently working as a surgical technician; has two years of culinary school, experience as a short order cook and a doughnut maker for Stan’s Doughnuts in Santa Clara, CA. He is a barbeque aficionado who is solely responsible for the smoked cacao nibs we refine. He also does a mean smoked pork shoulder and tri-tip. The smoked nibs are a special treat for our customers that no other American chocolate company offers.

Mara has had a life long love affair with food. Learning to cook at her mother's and grandmother’s side, she appreciates the talent of making food from scratch. Her goal is to have everything she helps make be a treat for the senses and for the soul. Mara is currently studying for a nutrition degree and is the company’s resident specialist on what’s good for us and the ins and outs of canning or jarring caramel.