Ghirardelli Launches New Filled Premium Chocolate Bar Line

"The new Ghirardelli chocolate bars deliver high quality versions of the most loved flavors combined with our award-winning chocolate."

30/01/08 American consumers are "trading up" to enjoy little luxuries in their everyday lives, especially gourmet foods. To satisfy this rising demand for everyday indulgences, the Ghirardelli Chocolate Company is launching the first line of nationally-distributed filled premium chocolate bars, featuring the most popular flavors. The line delivers the perfect harmony of intense Ghirardelli chocolate and generous, luscious fillings with caramel, mint and raspberry, along with two premium milk and dark chocolate bars. By "gourmetizing" these favorite flavors in an affordable and convenient way, Ghirardelli offers chocolate lovers the perfect motivation to trade up to gourmet chocolate.

Ghirardelli's new chocolate bars fulfill consumers' desires for a filled bar while putting a gourmet twist on popular flavors -- Milk Chocolate with Caramel, Dark Chocolate with Mint, Dark Chocolate with Raspberry and 60% Cacao Dark Chocolate with Caramel. This bar line is further complemented with two solid bars -- 60% Cacao Dark Chocolate and Milk Chocolate. These technologically advanced bars cleanly separate into smaller segments for easier eating. The velvety smooth filling is kept inside a decadent chocolate shell, and not on your fingers, making it effortlessly possible to experience the unparalleled taste experience that these bars deliver.

The new Ghirardelli bars are currently available in stores with a suggested retail price of $2.29.

"The new Ghirardelli chocolate bars deliver high quality versions of the most loved flavors combined with our award-winning chocolate." said Fabrizio Parini, senior vice president of marketing for Ghirardelli. "Chocolate lovers can now experience the pleasure of indulging in superior quality chocolate with the comfort of familiar flavors at an affordable price."

About the new chocolate bars:

-- Milk Chocolate with Caramel -- Buttery caramel soft filling surrounded by rich milk chocolate
-- Dark Chocolate with Mint -- Tantalizingly refreshing mint filling surrounded by intense dark chocolate
-- Dark Chocolate with Raspberry -- Delectably luscious raspberry filling made with real fruit surrounded by intense dark chocolate
-- Dark Chocolate with Caramel (60% Cacao) -- Buttery caramel soft filling surrounded by intense dark chocolate
-- Solid Milk Chocolate -- Rich, slow-melting milk chocolate indulgence
-- Solid Dark Chocolate (60% Cacao) -- Pure, intense 60% cacao dark chocolate decadence