• Skip to main content
  • Skip to after header navigation
  • Skip to site footer
Albion Gould

Albion Gould

makes & travels

  • make
  • travel
  • stitch
  • live
  • eat
  • wear

A Sentimental Visit to Butler’s Chocolate Factory

June 12, 2019 by Albion

It would be difficult to visit Ireland and not see boxes of Butler’s chocolates. There are cafes scattered around the country and boxes of their chocolates can be found in train stations, airports, and gift shops. Our first exposure to Butler’s, though, was in New Zealand way back in 2006. A new cafe opened in our local mall that specialized in chocolates and hot drinks. The flavours were intriguing and they had the best mocha. Getting a box of Butler’s became a special treat for us and we said that if we ever visited Dublin, we would go to the factory. A box of Butler’s became my birthday present. We bought a box on Madeline’s first outing after she came home from the hospital. I would have a chocolate when I was up in the middle of the night with a screaming baby. When Scott and I were finally in Dublin together, we took a sentimental visit to Butler’s Chocolate Factory.

A Sentimental Visit to Butler's Chocolate Factory

Butler’s Chocolate Factory is located in an industrial park and isn’t near any of the standard tourist stops. You’ll need to drive or take a taxi (we took a taxi). The factory has a cafe and small gift shop in the front.

A Sentimental Visit to Butler's Chocolate Factory

A Sentimental Visit to Butler's Chocolate Factory

Our tour group had no more than ten people and our guide was friendly and kept the chocolates rolling. The tour is very kid friendly and there are kid specific worksheets and activities for them to do.

A Sentimental Visit to Butler's Chocolate Factory

A Sentimental Visit to Butler's Chocolate Factory

The tour starts with a movie that takes you through the history of Butler’s. You then go through the interactive museum where everything you’ve ever wanted to know about making chocolate is laid out for you. There’s almost an overload of information (but it’s about chocolate, so who can complain??).

A Sentimental Visit to Butler's Chocolate Factory

A Sentimental Visit to Butler's Chocolate Factory

A Sentimental Visit to Butler's Chocolate Factory

My favourite part of the tour is the actual factory tour, but unfortunately photos aren’t allowed. We were taken along an enclosed walkway above the factory floor and could see everything in action from start to finish. It blew my mind that this one factory produces every piece of Butler’s that you will see anywhere in the world. We watched expert chocolatiers make perfect truffles. I loved watching one woman package up boxes of chocolates at the speed of light. Each time I thought she would fall behind, she just didn’t. I wish I had photos to share because it’s something I would love to be able to relive.

The final part of the tour was to decorate a chocolate elephant. I’ll be honest–I was disappointed in this. I was hoping that we would get to do something with the actual Butler’s chocolates that we love. The table was laid out with the name of the person who booked your tour and each person had an already made chocolate elephant, a bowl of chocolate flakes, and some white chocolate. You could “decorate” your elephant with the white chocolate and chocolate flakes and that was the end of it. While I’m sure kids would love it, it was on the disappointing side for me.

A Sentimental Visit to Butler's Chocolate Factory

A Sentimental Visit to Butler's Chocolate Factory

Despite not being able to take photos of the actual factory portion of the tour, I would absolutely recommend visiting Butler’s Chocolate Experience. It’s a unique tour off the beaten track and you will leave stuffed with chocolate. Decorating the chocolate elephant is a bonus if you’re there with kids, but watching Butler’s chocolatiers make their magic is a memory that will stay with me.

 

Related Posts:

  • Misadventures in Egypt
    Misadventures in Egypt
  • A Day on the Dingle Peninsula
    A Day on the Dingle Peninsula
  • Chocolate Making in Brussels
    Chocolate Making in Brussels
  • A Bus Story
    A Bus Story
  • Make a Sterling Silver Ring in Dublin
    Make a Sterling Silver Ring in Dublin
  • Two Days in New Orleans
    Two Days in New Orleans
  • A Traveller’s Guide to Living in New Zealand
    A Traveller’s Guide to Living in New Zealand
  • How to Ride the Hogwarts Express
    How to Ride the Hogwarts Express
Category: travelTag: Butler's Chocolate Factory, Dublin, Ireland

About Albion

I’ve wanted to be an archaeologist, in theatre, a judge and to run a museum. I’m now in my mid-30s and have no idea what I want to be when I grow up.

Previous Post:Statue of Liberty Embroidery HoopStatue of Liberty Embroidery Hoop
Next Post:How to Update a Lampshade using Rub On TransfersHow to Update a Lampshade using Rub On Transfers

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Show more posts

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Sidebar

Welcome

about me

Follow along for crafts, culture, and travel. I’m always searching for adventure and thread. Read More…

Copyright © 2023 · Albion Gould · All Rights Reserved · Powered by Mai Theme

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.Accept Reject Read More
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT