Ghraoui is one of the oldest luxury chocolate houses in the world. Its story began in Damascus in 1805, and encompasses centuries of cultural heritage and dedication to quality and craftsmanship amidst global change and political upheaval.
The House of Ghraoui takes its name from the prominent Middle Eastern family whose trading business, in the early 19th century, specialised in sugar, coffee, tea, and fruit. Their chocolate enterprise began in earnest in the 20th century, when Sadek Ghraoui, head of the family’s fourth generation, visited France in 1931. His experiences there inspired him to introduce luxury chocolates to the Middle East.
With great business acumen and knowledge of his customers he realised that a marketing strategy was called for to tempt the Middle Eastern market, who were used to Arabic sweets, to try a new European confection. He placed other desirable goodies, such as silver scissors and golden letter openers, within the beautifully made chocolate boxes to add to their allure.
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Ghraoui chocolates were soon well known and highly esteemed, and they became a prized luxury gift. Appreciation of Ghraoui delicacies was not confined to the Levant region, but spread into Europe too. During the 1930s and 1940s, their products were sold in fancy London emporiums such as Fortnum & Mason, Selfridges and Harrods, and In Paris, at luxury food stores Fauchon and Hediard.
The Ghraoui story is bittersweet tale of Damascene heritage and of resilience, as it moves through decades of political turmoil in Syria, and the rise and fall of the family fortunes. Despite this, the Ghhraoui’s kept their legacy alive. Sadek’s son, Bassam Ghraoui, rebuilt the business from a single remaining shop, and in 1996 he founded the Ghraoui Chocolate Company and opened a modern factory near Damascus. This was forced to close in 2012 because of the Syrian civil war, but in 2017, the brand was reborn in Hungary, with Ghraoui’s flagship store located on Budapest’s prestigious Andrássy Avenue, (a UNESCO World Heritage Site)
Ghraoui chocolates are a unique fusion of traditional Middle Eastern ingredients and modern European chocolate-making techniques. They feature fragrant Levantine flavours including orange blossom, rose, apricot, and pistachio, and Ghraoui also offer other delicacies such as dates, fruit confits, and marron glacé. The confections are hand finished and elegantly presented in a range of gorgeous boxes befitting a luxury gift.
Ghraoui products are available in Budapest, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Doha, as well as Beirut and Amman, and in London they have made a proud return to Harrods, within the magnificent Chocolate Hall.