About Mary Schellhammer, Creator of Spice Rack Chocolates

The first question I am asked by everyone I meet is always the same…..How did you come up with these flavor combinations?  In order to answer that question, I need to start at the beginning. After spending over 15 years in a successful sales career, one day I asked myself if I could do anything, what would I do?  After much soul searching the answer was "I love to cook".  I decided to start my own personal chef business and My Extra Hands personal chef service was born in December 2005.  The personal chef business entailed preparing a week's worth of meals at a client's home and storing them in their refrigerator with heating instructions.   I also held dinner parties and small events in clients' homes.  It was during this time that my obsession with herbs and spices developed.  I was fascinated that you could grow herbs in different conditions and change the way they would taste.  In addition to my herb fascination, I had always been a lover of anything chocolate so each cooking session always ended with me preparing something chocolate.  During one of these cooking sessions, I discovered the unusual combination of rosemary and chocolate.  I would leave these little chocolate creations behind at cook dates and parties.  Soon requests started coming in for the chocolates as gifts.  Before I realized what was happening, my personal chef business had transformed into a chocolate company.  After some time in research and development, I took the chocolates public in September 2006 with just five flavors and the ugliest packaging you have ever seen! 

I never thought of myself as an artist, but I do believe I have found my creative passion.  I like to say "I am an artist…my medium is chocolate and my canvas is your tongue."

I have developed a seminar called "It's all about the chocolate".  This workshop covers all things chocolate and includes information on topics such as how chocolate is made, why we love chocolate, and how to pair chocolate with different wines.  To schedule me for a speaking engagement, seminar or other group function, please email me here

About Paul Schellhammer CFO and Co-Creator of Spice Rack Chocolates

I started cooking with my mom when I was 14, learning all I could on how to feed a hungry family of five plus my grandmother. We always had the big sit-down Sunday dinners when I was growing up and I enjoyed helping my mom in the kitchen. When I went to college, I never had trouble finding a roommate! While they were preparing Ramen noodles, I was making my mom’s spinach lasagna. For some reason, we always had plenty of visitors around dinner time…

Following college, I spent five years in the Navy and then another 12 years in the defense industry.  After those 12 years of defense work in the Washington, DC area, I too realized that I had another calling.  Mary and I both love to cook and with the chocolate business starting to take off, I thought I could take over the personal chef side of the business while she made the chocolate.  We soon realized that with the demands of the chocolate business, I would also need to concentrate on the chocolates.  Mary and I work closely together creating new flavor combinations, ensuring the chocolates maintain our high standards of quality, and making sure the business operations run as smoothly as possible.  We love our chocolates and we hope you do, too.