In Boulder, the art of crafting chocolate is alive and well.

Inside Chocolove’s Boulder factory, master chocolatier Patrick Peeters spends his days perfecting the balance of flavors in chocolate bars. From returning favorites to new creations, every Chocolove product is subject to his discerning palate.

For Peeters, who brings his background as a pastry chef to his meticulous work at Chocolove, what sets Chocolove apart from the competition is the taste of its chocolate. Coming from Peeters, who was born and raised in Belgium, that’s high praise.

“It’s all about taste, for us,” Peeters said. “We always ensure that everything is up to par.”

This year, Chocolove celebrates three decades of creating unique bars and bites that bring smiles to people’s faces. The chocolate company that started in Boulder in 1995 has grown into a brand sold around the world.

Taste is important to Chocolove founder and chief executive officer Timothy Moley, as well. Delicious chocolate brings joy, and Moley wanted to encourage people to treat themselves to that joy more often.“The intent is to provide someone a brief moment of respite,” Moley said. “Consuming chocolate erases the peripheral. Like, ‘I’m taking a break, I’m going to just be present and enjoy.’”

Chocolove specializes in premium chocolate, which Moley said has more cocoa than sugar and is strong without tasting bitter. The cold, dry air of Colorado is also “essential” for making good chocolate, Moley explained. The company uses cocoa beans that are traceable to the farmer, according to the Chocolove website.

When Moley started Chocolove 30 years ago, Boulder was a destination for natural foods companies. That community of like-minded entrepreneurs inspired Moley to move forward with his dream of making premium chocolate.

Boulder was also the “first focus group” for Chocolove, Moley said, recalling the first group of people who stepped up to sample his early flavors.

“Ideas are a dime a dozen,” Moley said.

“If you get something patented, that’s great, but you still have a lot of work to do. So, for me to have a vision and to have the community support that was fantastic.”

Over the years, Chocolove bars have been filled with everything from pistachios to pretzels to peanut butter. According to Moley, the most popular flavor is dark chocolate with almonds and sea salt.

Public domain poems are also found inside the wrapper of every large bar, supporting the concept that receiving a Chocolove product is a bit like getting a love letter. Moley said roughly 300 different poems have been printed on the 500 million bars that Chocolove has made in the last 30 years.

“It proved to be very rewarding for me to know that I made a contribution to the happiness and the contentedness of so many people’s lives over the years,” Moley said. “It warms my heart.”

Inside the Chocolove factory, Amanda Timpano works alongside Peeters in the kitchen. As the apprentice of a master chocolatier, Timpano said it “feels great” to see Chocolove hit 30 years.

“I love Chocolove,” she said. “I love our mission and our standards.”

Whenever Timpano walks into a Boulder store or coffee shop, it’s not unusual for her to spot a Chocolove display.

“It’s just pervasive,” Timpano said of Chocolove’s local presence. “I feel the support.”