Once upon a time…
The Early Years
Once upon a time, a little girl called Martine dreamed of owning a place that would serve delicious pastries, divine hot chocolate, and velvety ice creams. On the other side of Belgium, a small boy named Jean-Paul planned to make his own company that would attract people from all over. When one day they met at Jean-Paul’s horse riding school for children, it was love at first sight!
First Try… La Maison Crowin (Québec)
Newly wedded, the Crowins moved across the Atlantic to Beauce in the province of Quebec. There they bought a dairy farm, but after two years, they decided raising cattle was not their thing. In order to continue working for themselves, Jean-Paul and Martine began selling Belgian waffles from their home, creating La Maison Crowin. After two years, they returned to Belgium to regain their strength, in the hope they’d come back to their adopted country. They returned to Canada in 1986, full of ideas, energy, and this time with three daughters. The whole family was excited about creating a Belgian chocolaterie that would offer customers chocolates of the highest quality.
Like Cinderella’s Pumpkin, The Chocolate Pod Became a Carriage!
In October 1986, after six weeks of intense searching, Martine and Jean-Paul Crowin fell in love with a little house under the trees, looking up at Mont-Saint-Hilaire. As winter approached, they began making chocolate in their home kitchen. With the help of the two oldest daughters, Caroline and Candy, Jean-Paul went out in the deep, Quebec snow to deliver leaflets to residents of Otterburn Park and Mont-Saint-Hilaire. Meanwhile, Martine and the youngest family member, Coralie, created delicious pralines and awaited clients. Just before Christmas 1986, the first of many happy customers arrived. So popular was the Crowin chocolate, by spring Jean-Paul and Martine started to expand their house, giving it the look of a little chateau.
The Traditional Chocolaterie was Officially Launched!
Sales were going so well, that by the following summer, the Crowins had tripled the size of their workshop, in order to keep up with demand. That Christmas, Ozias Leduc was packed with cars on either side of the road. In the Fall of 1989, the Crowin family opened their first shop away from the production centre, at Place Bonaventure in Montreal. Within a year, La Cabosse d’Or’s divine chocolate could be found in eight stores.
The Press Year
Situated in Otterburn Park, at the foot of beautiful Mont-Saint-Hilaire, our Belgian “chocolaterie” specializes in chocolates made with the highest professional care using only the finest ingredients (strictly without preservatives) and traditional recipes. Indulge yourself with our exquisite delights! Once upon a time Throughout the course of 1990, leading magazines and newspapers learned about La Cabosse d’Or, praising its unrivalled quality for taste and service. The business is growing so fast it requires every available space in the house, forcing the Crowins to find a new residence. Even then, the company needs more room to accommodate its many clients.
The Dream Come True!
In June 1992, Martine draws plans for a stylish tea room overhanging a beautiful new gift shop. An enormous investment in order to yet again improve service, and reach her dream. A superb parking is added to the new construction for its inauguration, October 23, 1992. In April 1993, the friendly service of La Cabosse d’Or is rewarded by « Grand Prix du Tourisme de la Montérégie’93, section Accueil et Service à la clientèle ». A terrace is added during the spring, so people can enjoy chocolate delights in beautiful surroundings. But Martine is not done yet! Her next fantasy opens in July 1996: A Chocolate themed 115 000 square foot Miniature Golf.
La Cabosse d’Or’S Presence
To increase its visibility, La Cabosse d’Or is present at many festivals: « Vieux Marché », « Bières et Saveurs de Chambly » and many others… In order to answer demands, kiosks are temporarily set at « Galeries d’Anjou » and « Promenades Saint-Bruno ».
Chocolate Museum
In 2003 the tea room is transformed in a beautiful welcoming 75 places restaurant. The following year the landscape is gorgeously remodelled and a bigger room is constructed in front of the chocolate workshop in order to welcome guided tour and groups. If the past is any indication of the future, Chocolaterie La Cabosse d’Or will continuously improve its products and surroundings in order to satisfy its clientele!
