When Joshua Needleman was a sixth grader, he wrote a school report on Swiss chocolates. That report turned out to be a harbinger of his future career as the owner of Chocolate Springs Café at 55 Pittsfield Rd. (Routes 7/20) in Lenox.
“I always loved chocolate and was interested in the process of working with it early on,” Needleman says
In conversation, Needleman has clearly maintained his passion for chocolate, which he said reflects many of his personal interests and inclinations. “As we grow up, the pressures of life can cause us to lose touch with what we are innately drawn to,” he says. “I believe one key to a rewarding life is to reconnect with the things that originally resonated with us when we were kids.”
Needleman makes his tasty products on-site at Chocolate Springs (413- 637-9820 or chocolatesprings.com), in a production area that is visible to customers through a large viewing window. They are primarily sold over the counter there and at some other retail outlets but are also carried online and through mail-order (except in summer, when the heat poses problems when shipping chocolate).
The business, located by the entrance to the Lenox Commons mixed-use complex, also includes a café where people can relax with their chocolates or pastries along with specialty hot chocolate or coffee drinks. Its recognition extends beyond the Berkshires. In 2006, SAVEUR magazine named Chocolate Springs one of the best 10-star chocolate makers in the United States. Its Champagne Cognac Truffles were featured in Time Magazine. It has also been written about in Travel and Leisure and The New York Times, among other reputable sources
Needleman discusses chocolate with a combination of deep knowledge and a philosophical tone. “The flavor of chocolate is amazing, and it is one of the most complex foods there is, with 500 chemical compounds,” he says. “Working with chocolate involves a combination of creativity and science. It requires precision, while its artistic applications are exciting. The number of forms it can take and the combinations of flavors you can create with it are endless.”
Needleman also believes chocolate (which he calls “the ultimate comfort food”) is beneficial, both mentally and physically. The motto of the business, which is declared on a banner by the door, is “Escape Into Chocolate.” Besides the basic pleasures associated with chocolate, he cites scientific studies showing it also contains natural antioxidant compounds that may help to reduce health problems such as vascular disease and diabetes.
The life of a small-business operator appeals to him as well. “In a business like this, you’re directly involved with every aspect,” he says. “I really enjoy those multiple roles.”
Gathering ideas and inspiration
Needleman grew up in Lebanon Springs, New York, a hamlet just over the border from central Berkshire County. It is the site of a system of natural underground mineral-water springs that gained a reputation for having healing qualities, leading to the community’s popularity as a resort and spa center in the 18th and 19th centuries. Although the spa resorts closed in the 20th century, the spring waters continue to burble up to the public through a roadside pipe and faucet under an immense sycamore tree there. “That was the inspiration for the name Chocolate Springs, and the tree that is its logo,” Needleman says.
He notes that the interior of Chocolate Springs incorporates elements of Japanese design—reflecting a lifelong interest in Japanese cuisine and culture dating to his experience working (at the age of 16) at Shuji’s Japanese restaurant in the town.
Although chocolate is not usually associated with Japan, Needleman sees a shared reverence for detail and precision. “A basic principle of both Japan and chocolate is how much energy you can infuse into a small thing,” he says.
After attending the University of Rochester, where his studies included chemistry and art, he left the university to attend the Culinary Institute of America instead, graduating in 1994.
“I realized that if I had continued on the academic track, I’d probably be spending my life conducting research and writing papers. I preferred to work with my hands and create things, so I went to the CIA.”
He initially worked in restaurant kitchens, including at the Wheatleigh Hotel in Lenox. Then he moved to France to learn French culinary traditions, eventually becoming more involved and knowledgeable in chocolate while working under the maître chocolatier Michel Chaudun. “I saw what could be done with chocolate, and that increased my interest in working with it.”
When he returned to the US, he again worked at Wheatleigh and later at Canyon Ranch and then as a pastry chef at Cranwell Resort. In 1998 he was offered a job at La Maison du Chocolat in New York City, working with Robert Linxe. He moved to the city and spent time at the legendary business’s operations in Paris. During this period, he began to formulate the idea of establishing his own chocolate business that would be a fusion of European tradition, Japanese aesthetics, and his local roots.
Pursuing his passion in the Berkshires
The experience of the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, caused him to act on that. “After that, I decided life is too short not to pursue your passions. So I moved back to Berkshire County to do this.”
He initially spent time planning the business, developing its products in his home kitchen while also looking for a suitable location, and securing funding, including a loan from his father and a financing package from Legacy Bank. Finally, in 2003, Needleman opened Chocolate Springs. And after leasing the building, Needleman purchased it in 2019.
Chocolate Springs carries dark, milk, and white chocolates. In addition to more basic varieties, the selection includes chocolate mixed with a wide range of ingredients, fillings, and flavor infusions—from traditional options like caramel and marshmallow to more novel profiles such as Passion Fruit, Lavender Honey, Candied Fiji Ginger, and Green Tea, among others. (Never a snob, Needleman also sells chocolate-dipped pretzels and Oreo cookies.)
The shop also sells cakes and cheesecakes, scones and muffins, mousse, gelato, and other desserts and confections.
Needleman says his selection is a combination of staples that have proven popular over the years plus new offerings and specials. There are also seasonal specialties, such as chocolate Easter bunnies and Valentine’s Day assortments.
One hallmark of his work is the visual aspect. “The element of design is important, with many possibilities of what it can look like. In some ways, it’s like assembling a puzzle. The designs correlate with the type of chocolate and other elements.”
His chocolates are made in a variety of shapes and forms, including bars, tablets, truffles, bon bons, lollipops, and sculptures—all created one by one through various methods. Some pieces are formed in molds; others are sculpted by hand. Needleman credits Berkshire-based sculptor Andrew DeVries, a friend, with teaching him how to make silicone molds for creating custom pieces.
The surfaces also feature colorful—and often intricate—visual designs, ranging from abstract patterns to small representational artworks. Needleman uses stencils (his own and by a French maker) and other methods to give some chocolates unique embellishments.
Even making ‘simple” chocolates is an exacting process: preparing the chocolate from cocoa beans, mixing the ingredients, and producing it with the desired shape, texture, flavoring, and appearance.
Everything must be done within precise conditions, including carefully heating and cooling the chocolate (a process called tempering) to perform the various steps. The tasks must be done within a very narrow temperature range, effectively when chocolate is in a specific balance between liquid and hardened states. As such, his production area has sections fitted with four air conditioning systems to create those temperature zones.
Weathering the pandemic
Like other businesses, the last several years have been challenging for Chocolate Springs due to COVID, unpredictable economic volatility, and other national and global pressures. “It’s been the most difficult period we’ve experienced as a business. We’ve been through challenging times before. But this feels different because so many of these things are outside of our control. We’ve had to constantly adapt and be especially flexible in response.”
One challenge has been the necessity to adjust to the changing conditions of the COVID pandemic and the related health and safety requirements and practices, such as occupancy limits and masking. Nevertheless, Chocolate Springs has been able to weather the pandemic in stride.
“Because our retail business was already oriented to take-out service, we weren’t negatively affected by COVID on a basic level,” he says. “It hasn’t been easy, but we’ve been able to make the necessary changes and continue our operations. In fact, the demand has been strong. I think people have been turning to comfort food like chocolate as a respite.”
Facing new economic challenges
More significant problems have been caused by economic issues of the past several years, including supply shortages and inflation. For example, he says it has become more difficult to determine what selection of products he can make and sell because of shortages of ingredients, which he buys domestically and internationally.
Needleman also notes that most of the ingredients (including chocolate) are agricultural products., which can be impacted by weather and climate change, such as a recent crop failure in Madagascar, the primary source of vanilla beans. “Previously, I could plan on what to make with the assumption that the ingredients would be readily available,” he says. “But now I can’t be sure of that because of shortages in supplies. If you can’t get the ingredients, you can’t put them together.”
Inflation has added to this pressure. While Chocolate Springs products are admittedly a bit of a splurge, Needleman says he has always striven to be as affordable as possible. However, inflation has placed upward pressure on prices as the cost of supplies has increased. “If our retail prices rise, people see it as more expensive. But we have to recalibrate our expenses and prices when an order of an ingredient that used to cost me $100 is now $500. I assume the worst of this will pass and we’ll return to more stable conditions, but no one knows.”
He believes the present disruptions are causing a widespread reassessment of how the economy and businesses operate.”It makes us all realize how good we had it before. We took many things for granted. On one hand, I think people have gained more appreciation of how complicated and interrelated these systems are.”
On a longer-term basis, he sees this changing environment as causing people to reassess their priorities and become more selective in their spending. “Certain things are essential, such as fuel and housing. Beyond that, people will look at what’s most important to them. Those businesses that provide what people really want and need will survive.”
This is a double-edged sword for small businesses, which have been impacted most strongly by these conditions. But Needleman sees a potential upside.
“People are paying more attention to how things are made these days. To survive, small businesses have to offer something with meaning and care behind it. People respond to that.”
Needleman expresses confidence in Chocolate Springs’s prospects in this environment while acknowledging the challenges.
“We’ve made it this far, and I’m optimistic for the future. People will continue to want chocolate for their own enjoyment and as a gift to express love. But we’re not the only place to buy chocolate, so we have to work hard to ensure that we continue to give people reasons to come here.”
Planning for the future
What of his future plans? Needleman says his priority is to operate the business on a financially sustainable basis and to maintain the qualities and values that Chocolate Springs is based on and known for.
“What’s most important is to be able to do what I love, offer a quality product that people appreciate, connect with the community, and provide me and our staff with a good work-life balance,” he says.
Although growth is always a goal in any business, Needleman adds that any expansions would have to be compatible with those principles. Beyond a certain point, it is less viable to significantly scale up volumes of handmade products than it is for something that can be easily mass-produced.
“I never close the door to a new opportunity, but if I were to expand, it would have to be done very carefully. I don’t want to lose the direct personal connection with the product and our customers. The support of the community has been vital to our success. We have a great following, and that’s what keeps us in business.”
