[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 6]
[Senate]
[Page 8195]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                  RECOGNIZING BLACK DINAH CHOCOLATIERS

 Ms. SNOWE. Mr. President, today I recognize Black Dinah 
Chocolatiers, a rare treasure of a company found on the tiny, remote 
Maine island of Isle au Haut in Penobscot Bay. While this small 
business may be nestled on a small island, it is no secret to the 
world. Featured in Martha Stewart Living and various other 
publications, chocolate lovers travel from near and far to take the 45-
minute ride by mail boat or ferry from the mainland to indulge in the 
rich, delightful taste of Black Dinah's specialty handcrafted 
chocolates.
  The history behind this tasty small business is a tale of adventure 
and creativity. Black Dinah Chocolatiers' founders Kate and Steve 
Shaffer fell in love with the small fishing and lobstering community of 
Isle au Haut after moving there in 2004. Not seeking employment in the 
island's traditional trades of lobstering and carpentry, Kate and Steve 
designed an alternative business plan that consisted of a product that 
could be marketed and shipped off the island year-round to compensate 
for cold Maine winters and a sparsely populated customer base on the 
island. Their solution was chocolate.
  With Kate's years of experience in the restaurant industry, Steve's 
experience in the computer repair business, and some assistance from 
one of Maine's exceptional women's business centers, the Shaffers 
launched Black Dinah Chocolatiers in July of 2007. Today, thousands of 
chocolates are shipped off the island to every State during holidays 
such as Thanksgiving, Christmas, Valentine's Day, and Mothers Day. In 
addition to an active mail order business, the Shaffers supply their 
artisan chocolates to Maine gourmet food stores, wine shops, and 
florists. They also run an organic bakery and coffeehouse from May 
through September for tourists and locals alike. This small business 
has a tremendous impact on the island's community--not only through its 
satisfying contribution of extraordinary chocolate but as a profitable 
venture that is helping to sustain its local economy through sales that 
have doubled each year since its inception.
  Black Dinah Chocolatier further assists the regional economy through 
its use of local Maine produce. Kate turns out dozens of handmade 
Venezuelan, Belgian, and rare Peruvian-style chocolates, including 
truffles and caramels, all of them flavored with natural ingredients--
organic herbs, flowers, fruits, and even cheeses cultivated by the 
region's farmers. In fact, each season's flavored chocolates are 
dictated by what is at the nearby Stonington farmers market on the 
mainland. Every chocolate features at least one ingredient from a Maine 
farmer located within 50 miles of the company's base.
  The Shaffers understand how critical it is for their business to 
establish and maintain local relationships, especially on an island the 
size of Isle au Haut. In a truly Maine example of how neighbors help 
each other to this day, Kate told Martha Stewart Living Magazine, 
``It's not as though you can go to the store when you run out of 
butter. If I run out of butter I'll go to Diana, the innkeeper. For 
cream cheese, I call Brenda, a lobsterman's wife, who makes lots of 
crab dip. And of course, if anyone needs sugar or chocolate, they come 
to me.''
  A true sweet spot in the heart of an island community as well as the 
hearts of chocolate lovers worldwide, Black Dinah Chocolatiers is a 
prime example of a Maine small business that seeks to be a profitable 
venture and a good neighbor. I commend its founders, Kate and Steve 
Shaffer, for their ingenuity in creating this thriving and viable 
business, as well as for their commitment and dedication to helping 
grow their local economy, and I wish them the sweetest success in the 
future.

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