Growing up in a family deeply involved in the confectionery arts, Cathy Brand-Beere began working with chocolate at the age of eight. She had always loved the creative process of making fine chocolates and remembers dreaming of opening a "real chocolate shop" when she grew up so she could always do something that she truly enjoyed. Throughout high school Cathy made and sold custom designed wedding cakes as a summer job, but it was her passion for confectionery arts that led her to open the first DeBrand chocolate shop in October 1987. The first DeBrand store was located on Wells Street in Fort Wayne in Cathy's childhood home, a historic 100+ year old home unfortunately no longer in existence. The name "DeBrand" came from the French prefix "De", meaning "from", and Cathy's last name, "Brand". Today, DeBrand employs nearly 100 people with our three shops in Fort Wayne and a mail order department which ships our chocolates all over the world. But rest assured, we will never outgrow our commitment to perfection! The quality and freshness of each chocolate remains our absolute top priority. We still use only the finest ingredients, whether they are imported from other countries or found fresh locally.
USA (Fort Wayne, Indiana)
