The Story of Our
Bitter-free Dark Chocolates

Keen to expand his knowledge, Jim undertook an internship at Manoa Chocolates in Kailua, Hawaii, to learn the business side of chocolate production. In Brooklyn, he honed his skills in chocolate design under the guidance of Chef Luis Amado, all the while preparing for his upcoming "retirement."

Jim officially retired from lobbying. It marked a sweet commencement, as Jim founded Seabreeze Craft Chocolates, the only chocolate factory and retail store in San Diego County where customers can witness the chocolate creation process, from roasting and grinding the beans to the making of bars, truffles, bonbons, and other treats.

At Seabreeze, cacao is primarily sourced from selected farms across the Western Hemisphere, including Pisa, Haiti; Oko Caribe, Dominican Republic; the Maya Mountains, Belize; Cahabon, Guatemala; Cacao Miskito, Honduras; Sierra Nevada, Columbia; Wild Itenez, Bolivia; San Jose, Ecuador; and the Cusco Valley, Peru. The beans are roasted, cracked, winnowed (separate the husks from the nibs) and ground into chocolate over a seven to ten day period to achieve a smooth texture. Simultaneously, the chocolate undergoes conching, a process that integrates oxygen to bring out the chocolate's full rich flavor. Seabreeze specializes in producing dark, bitter-free chocolates.

Jim Lantry wasn't always a chocolatier. In 2020, as the pandemic swept the globe, Jim, a Californian lobbyist advocating for children with autism, found himself with an abundance of unexpected free time. Instead of resorting to typical hobbies, he decided to explore the delicate craft of chocolatiering. As others immersed themselves in baking sourdough, Jim embarked on creating exquisite pieces of sweet, culinary art.

Before long, friends and family were the lucky recipients of his efforts. But it was only when Jim mastered the art of creating his own chocolate that things truly began to flourish. Having studied the nuances of chocolate making, he acquired his first melanger, sourced some high-quality cocoa beans, and initiated his debut chocolate batch using cacao from the Maya Mountains in Belize. The moment he tasted his creation, he was irrevocably hooked. What began as a distraction transformed into a calling.

Seabreeze Craft Chocolates is a proud participant in the thriving craft chocolate movement, which advocates for direct partnerships with cacao farmers to produce superior quality chocolates. Jim takes pride in the fact that only one intermediary links him to the farmer, ensuring transparency and fair compensation for the farmers and their workers. As a result, the farmers and collectives can take the time and effort to sustainably produce and properly process the cacao. This provides Seabreeze with the finest cacao in the world. Only the finest cacao can make the finest chocolate.

As part of his process, and in contrast to most other chocolate makers, Seabreeze refrains from adding soy lecithin or any other emulsifier or additive. Instead, unlike most “Bean-to-Bar” craft chocolate makers, Jim, a “Bean-to-Bon” chocolate maker, artfully crafts single-origin chocolate bars, vibrant truffles, bonbons, and a range of other delectable confections, much to the delight of his patrons.