Founded in 2004 in Los Angeles by chocolatier Valerie Gordon and partner Stan Weightman Jr., Valerie Confections was quickly recognized as one of the top artisan confectioners in the country. Entirely self-trained, Valerie started her namesake company with six flavors of chocolate-dipped toffee, quickly gaining an ardent fan-base for her modern interpretation of classic chocolates and confections, elegant gift packaging, and commitment to using the very best, all-natural ingredients. Since those early days, they've expanded exponentially, and now offer a popular line of petits fours, handmade preserves, cakes, wedding cakes, pastries, coffee, tea, sandwiches, and a small larder. In 2013, Valerie and Stan opened Valerie Echo Park, now a staple of the Echo Park community. Later that year, Valerie published her first cookbook, Sweet (Artisan Books), which went on to be a finalist at the James Beard Awards and is filled with her beloved recipes, helpful tricks, and recreations of classic desserts from lost Los Angeles restaurants. In 2022, they relocated to a larger production facility in Glendale, complete with a new Chocolate Shop & Bakery. Customers can find Valerie Confections at select retailers throughout the country. Valerie and Stan live in Los Angeles with their children, August and Lee.