FAQs

Yes, we oftentimes offer substantial volume and frequency discounts for corporate events, event coordinators, retreats, and more.

Send us a message to find out more.

We are available to come to your residence or vacation rental. With advance notice, we can reserve a tasting space (e.g. a cafe or conference room) in town through collaborating with one of our local partners, such as Destination Big Bear.

We typically serve the coastal and inland areas of Southern California, including Los Angeles, Ventura, Orange, San Bernardino, Riverside, and San Diego Counties.

If you are outside of these areas e.g. Central Coast or Las Vegas, we can usually accommodate your event, though service fees for travel expenses may be added.

Any added travel costs are the additional charges due to travel time & expenses to the event or class. Event and class locations will be billed accordingly:

Los Angeles, Orange, Ventura, San Bernardino, Riverside, and San Diego Counties: $100

Round trips under 70 miles from Big Bear are at no extra charge.

We can accommodate events up to 200 attendees with normal staffing. If you have more than 200 guests, get in touch & we will do our best to accommodate your group size.

If interested in a tasting class of greater than 50 attendees, or a making class of more than 18, get in touch and we’ll do our best to accommodate your request.

If you have more than 200 guests for your event, get in touch and we will do our best to accommodate your group size.

Two hours is the standard allotted time for our event booth.

If you’d like a chocolate booth for an amount of time beyond two hours, we can offer a quote specific to your event needs.

Our Dark Collection’s bars are made without dairy, nuts, gluten, and soy ingredients. However, many chocolate makers have some of these ingredients present in their factories - especially dairy and nuts - and may process dark bars using shared equipment. Therefore, there may be traces of these allergens present and we cannot guarantee the bars are entirely free of them.

Our standard Combo Collection has bars that contain milk products. Upon request, we can use alternative bars in the collection that are free of large amounts of allergens eg dairy and tree nut, but as stated above with the Dark Collection, we cannot guarantee the absence of trace amounts of allergens.

As of now, the Inclusion Collection as a whole does have an option without dairy or tree nuts.

You may cancel or postpone your class or event as long as it falls outside the cancellation window for that particular experience and location.

Classes in Big Bear can be cancelled up to 24 hours prior to the start of the scheduled class. Classes outside Big Bear require 48 hours notice prior to the scheduled class.

Events can be cancelled up to one calendar week preceding the day and time of the scheduled class.

Corporate functions can be cancelled up to one calendar week preceding the day and time of the scheduled class.

Any cancellations that fall outside the cancellation window may be subject to a full or partial charge of the total cost of the experience. Additionally, any perishable add-on features e.g. fresh cacao pods will be added to the cancellation amount.

Our making class is best for those who are looking for chocolate making education with a novel hands-on making experience within a group setting.

Our private class is best for these who would like a more comprehensive and deeper dive into the craft chocolate, which includes tasting, making, and education (farm-to-bar and processing nuances) sections. Ideal for anyone breaking into chocolate making as a hobby, thinking of starting a chocolate making business, or those who must learn as much as possible about their subject of interest.

At this time, we do not offer online classes.

However, we would refer you to Valerie Beck of Chocolate Uplift. Valerie has been involved in the craft chocolate space for just about as long as anyone has been. She has an incredible breadth and depth of knowledge of the industry, individual makers, and passion for fine chocolate, just as we do here at Ardent Oso.

For more information, please visit chocolateuplift.com/sweet-speaker

If you are looking for a place to stay in or near Big Bear, check out Destination Big Bear for an extensive selection of luxurious cabins.

Additionally, they are an excellent resource for local restaurants and things to do.