The Story of Whetstone • Whetstone Chocolates • St. Augustine, Florida

The Story of Whetstone

In 1898, Henry Muller moved to St. Augustine, Florida, to work as a Master Chef. Trained in his native Switzerland, his reputation for excellence as a chef was such that visiting President Teddy Roosevelt asked for him by name.

Henry Muller Whetstone, Henry Muller’s grandson, and his wife Esther, began making and selling hand-dipped chocolates in 1967. Their first small candy and ice cream shop quickly outgrew the original location and led to the establishment of a factory to meet the growing demand for Whetstone’s recipes.

Today, that tradition of excellence and old world quality continues into the fourth generation. Upon graduation from Vanderbilt University, both of the Whetstone children, Virginia and Hank, joined the family business.

Hank Whetstone, Jr. graduated in 1979 and started a worldwide equipment manufacturing company specializing in chocolate production. He sold the company in late 1987 and began working in the chocolate company in 1989. He is Chairman and oversees private label contracts, production, capital improvements, equipment design and new product design.

Virginia Whetstone has been managing the company since graduation in 1983. She is President and oversees the administration, personnel, retail stores, formula development, purchasing and quality control.

Parents Henry and Esther are still active in the growth and expansion plans of the company.

Today, Whetstone Chocolate is an advanced manufacturing facility with production capabilities of 25,000 pounds of finished goods per eight-hour shift. The Molding Line portion of production is capable of 500 – 1,800 pieces of candy per minute, while the Coating Line produces 40 pieces per minute or 100 pounds per hour.

The factory is open for free, self-guided tours, Monday through Saturday, from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. Group and Bus tours are welcome. Special arrangements for groups of 15 or more are available. For reservations, call (904) 825-1700, ext. 24.