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Outside the boutique
". . .In fact, my store has been a 'home' to almost a generation of people who like to think that they have worked hard, succeeded in a big way, and deserve to be part of something rare and special. . ."

Boutique Has Old-World Charm

A small sign in the window beckoned me with the magic words "Chocolate. . . food of the gods." Being a chocoholic there was no way I could resist, so I reached for the door and opened it. As I stepped in a rich beautiful aroma poured out, tantalizing my taste buds. I stopped and stood there, looking around, feasting my eyes on luscious, melt-in-your-mouth chocolates, while my mind slowly danced with memories of Switzerland at its chocolate finest. It was just as if I entered a boutique nestled along a winding fashionable street in Zurich, Bern, Basel, or Geneva. For me it was like finding a gold mine.

This is where Toronto's "movers and shakers" come to shop… including celebrities visiting Toronto.

I savoured a truffle, like a connoisseur wine-taster overjoyed with a rare find, and for a moment I was lost in ecstasy. It was superb, fresh cream, and every bit as good as I would expect in the finest chocolatiers of the world.

The shop is decorated in an elegant European style that takes straight aim at a "beautiful people" clientele, and there is a quiet emphasis on "excellence" at every turn of the head. It is evident that the chocolateur strongly believes in the philosophy that "to be good is not enough, if one aspires to be great."

But no shop becomes great because of product alone. There must be an ambience that clicks in and permeates the shop to make chocolate buying a pleasurable experience. The shop goes all out to romanticize the products and provide personalized service.

When I walked out of the shop I felt like I just bought a taste of the best that life has to offer, and that I was pampered as one would expect to be when shopping in the best shops in Europe. It this philosophy that has for over 17 years separated Swiss-Master Chocolatier from the competition and got customers to actually line up outside the door on busy days.

click to enlarge

Let our beautiful creations reflect the warmth of your welcome
(We supply thousands of chocolate strawberries for endless social and corporate events)


Hand-painted Ski Bunny	Clowns on chocolate

Valentine’s Day warning: shop early
as the lineups often stretch to around
the corner, up to the coffee shop.

The very best for your Valentine. Scientists tell us "real" chocolate has amazing appeal as it sets off the same chemical reaction in the body as when we are falling in love — especially for females

". . .I’ve watched kids grow up in my store. I’ve even gone to their birthday parties, bar mitzvahs, and weddings, and I’ve helped in their many celebrations of the joys in their lives and shared in the sadness of their lives. Our store has been a “home” to almost a generation of people who like to think that they have worked hard, succeeded in a big way, and deserve to be part of something rare and special. . .I’m moved by the fact that we have succeeded to connect in such a beautiful way with the community we serve. Looking back it has been a relationship that comes from the heart, from both sides, the way as I remember the relationship my parents had with their customers in their business in the Swiss Alps, when I could barely see over the counter. It’s things like this that defines us as to who we really are — that is, it defines my store as well as my clientele in a “beautiful people” way. . ."

"Life's sweet memories"
are made of this

Easter Eggs with fresh-cream truffles

Some of our friendly staff

Our popular giant Santa
outside the store
(RogersTV)

Swiss-Master's greatest achievement within the chocolate market? "...It has to be the emotional attachment to the boutique by so many wonderful customers." Above is a gift of 51 long-stem roses to the staff by one happy customer the day after Valentine's Day. Another beaming customer came back to ask how it feels to know that "Swiss-Master has contributed to Toronto's baby population." It's things like this that make serving customers at the boutique a pure joy.


Our very popular 6-piece box


A seasonal "piggy" creation	Santa and a seasonal "sheep" truffle ...from editorial in Home and Decor/New Homes/Condo Guide November 2006

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Our pick
“Beautiful Person" for 2006
Jane Goodall, founder of the Jan Goodall Institute ..and a UN Messenger of Peace

..who reflected for me a serenity and kindness rarely seen.
The world for sure would be a better place
if we had more Jane Goodalls!
I was so privileged to have been in her presence.

Fundraiser for Jane Goodall ..who presented her observations on primates – that suggested to me a glimpse of how humanity must have been like in its gentle innocence long long ago. Did you know that if the mother of a baby chimp dies then the baby will be adopted by a close relative .. and if none, then total strangers will adopt it as their own?

Our pick
“Beautiful People" for 2005

Some take a “dream” and make something special out of it. Randal and Elisabeth Linton took the reality of their daughter’s illness and tried to do something about the disease. Randal and Elisabeth are about as “Beautiful People” as you can get, and we were so touched with what they have done with their Sanfillippo Children’s Research Foundation.

We were proud to be a sponsor at
The Sanfilippo Children's Research Foundation Gala
It was an emotionally-driven evening where
tears came easily for everyone
Here Ingrid with Elise, who’s parents formed this foundation.
It is a remarkable story of family, faith, and self-sacrifice.
Instead of succumbing, Elisa’s parents chose
to launch the foundation, where 98% of money raised
goes to support research.

www.alifeforelisa.org

Our pick
“Beautiful People" for 2004
THOSE WHO LIVE LIFE TO ITS FULLEST . .
under difficult circumstance
It is about “young and old with difficulties” determined to live life to its fullest,
pushing beyond all boundaries. The picture says it all.
The only thing missing are tears of pride of those who look on.

click to enlarge

And if you have children do suggest to them
to volunteer for needy causes, as it's positive
things like this that shape and define a life in
a young person. What else is life about if you
cannot help those in “true” need?

"No pessimist ever discovered the secrets of the stars,
or sailed to an uncharted land, or opened a new heaven to the human spirit" . . . Helen Keller (deaf-blind . . a role model by every measure.)

Our pick

“Beautiful People" for 2003

Medical professionals around the world who put their duty to "SERVE OTHERS"
above personal concerns during the SARS outbreak

Above Leo Steven, CEO and President of Sunnybrook and Women's College Health Sciences Centre presides over SARS war room.

Medical professionals AROUND THE WORLD put their duty to "SERVE OTHERS" above personal concerns during the SARS outbreak. And this dedication of “all frontline physicians and healthcare workers” is something we have to be thankful for. Throughout the epidemic they worked around the clock in many cases, even when so many things were unknown about the disease. For the first time most faced the prospect of becoming infected themselves, and even worse faced the prospect of passing SARS on to their families. And they still performed their jobs recognizing they had a duty to their patients. And yes, some did develop SARS and some died.
SARS took on a personal course at our boutique when many hospital workers as well as relatives of patients came to shop, and we got to know much of the personal side of their stories. Moreover, Leo Steven, in above, is my brother-in-law and I saw the personal toll it took on him.
Ingrid Läderach Steven

Our pick

“Beautiful People" for 2002

We salute the volunteer-heroes at Camp Oochigeas (for children with cancer) as our “Beautiful People for 2002”

Camp Oochigeas is a summer camp for “children aged six to sixteen” who come to have a little fun in the sun. . .under some very difficult situations.

When we visited the camp (both our daughters were volunteer counselors) we were ready for some tear-jerking experiences. But what we saw was kids doing what all kids loves to do, and that's having lots of fun. In fact, it was PARTY TIME much of the time, with lots excitement and activities. . . living one day at a time. And the counselors who helped make it all happen, who gave so much of themselves, were young volunteers who just wanted to do their share to make this world a little better place for the campers, all of whom have cancer.

And yes, there were sad moments we witnessed. But when we left we had tears in our eyes not out of sadness but for pride in our daughters who helped, and pride in all the volunteer counselors — who could have spent their summer doing other things, maybe selfish things, perhaps even bitching that this country does not do enough for kids to keep them busy. And after we both wiped away our tears, we agreed that by all measures these counselors were truly Beautiful People!

To the right is a picture of our daughter, Jaclyn (with guitar), with other counselors in her group, doing their silly best to distract campers from pains and sorrows, and have them enjoy a little normal life at a campsite.

If you have children do suggest to them to volunteer for needy causes, as it's positive things like this that shape and define a life in a young person.

The camp volunteers also join in activities throughout the year, including visiting their campers at hospitals.The camp website is: www.ooch.org
Ingrid Läderach Steven

Our pick

"Beautiful People" for 2001

At a time when true heroes were in short supply
they gave the world lots of heroes to look up to.

NEW YORK FIREFIGHTERS
Who would have guessed that under that brassy
New York shell there is a heart of gold?
. . . our spirits have been elevated because of these heroes.

``. . .On September 11, as the World Trade Centre tragedy unfolded, the store sat empty all morning until Läderach-Steven decided to close. Just then, the customers descended. They said: `We had to come. We had to get out and have a fix.` It`s almost like this place is a sanctuary.` `` ......Jennifer Bain, Food Editor, Toronto Star, February 13, 2002.

Our pick

Canada's "Most Beautiful Person" for 2000
Dr. Euclid J. Herie, CM, MSW, LLD
President and CEO of the Canadian National Institute
for the Blind (CNIB) 1983 - 2001:

Here is a person who cannot see, yet he knows the name of every truffle in our showcase. And he will tell you on his next visit any mistake you made on his choice of truffles during his last visit.

He is a happy and beautiful person. I tell him: "You may not see but you have more vision than most people." He also has an unbelievable sharp humour, and has a very active life - such as going on a horse-back riding in the B.C. mountains and canoeing.

Dr. Herie brings cheer and sunshine every single time he enters our boutique. He sets an example to all of us to "LIVE LIFE TO ITS FULLEST!"

Dr. Herie's is a true champion of the world's visually impaired. He is especially admired for his passion to instil “independence and respect” for the blind. His leadership led the CNIB to win the inaugural SAP/Stevie Wonder Award for Role Model Organization of the Year in 1998. In 1996 Dr. Herie was also elected president of the World Blind Union for a four-year term. In this capacity, he represented more than 150 million people who are blind, visually impaired, and deaf-blind, from 160 countries.

Dr. Euclid J. Herie back at CNIB in 2005 to launch his book “Journey to Independence: Blindness– The Canadian Story”

In a world of so many “Give me!” people around us, especially those blessed with youth and health who insist on seeing their cup-of-life as “half empty” and who nauseatingly demand their right to handouts and media attention, it is refreshing to find someone who gives so much of himself to help others – and under so difficult circumstances at that.

Dr. Herie, you are truly a "Beautiful Person," and a Canadian treasure, and a powerful example for the world!

Ingrid Läderach Steven

Here is a link to "VoicePrint Broadcasting for the visually impairment," that we suggest you visit: http://www.voiceprint.ca

The real beautiful people
You can't see with your eyes.
You have to learn how to
Look with your heart.

The perception of beauty is an act of understanding something fully. To a mature mind everything is beautiful

"Beautiful People" are all around. They are everywhere you look. And they can be in the mirror looking back at you.

Beautiful People: those who have fallen to pieces. . . those who have known grief . . . picked themselves up. . . and are better for it when they come out the other side. (Our biggest enemy as individuals and families is, all too often, simply "self-destruction.")

"Ugliness can be as much a factor of how we see ourselves as it is of how others see us"… quote from the website of the UGLY PEOPLE'S CLUB, Italy

"QUICKEST WAY TO IMPROVE YOUR LOOKS?.....a smile!

" . . .I appreciate your kind and thoughtfully gesture. Please accept my best wishes to you and yours for good health and much happiness. . ." Aline Chrétien.... 24 Sussex, Ottawa July 4, 2002

Some of our friendly staff

We offer old-fashioned service, even after Halloween

SOME VIEWS ON "BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE"

"Beautiful People" is more than a skin deep description
The most "beautiful people" I have known are those who
have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss
and have found their way out of the depths.
These people have an appreciation, a sensitivity, and an understanding of life
that fills them with compassion, gentleness, and a deep loving concern.
"BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE" DO NOT JUST HAPPEN
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