Bedré Fine Chocolate is a

chocolatier A chocolatier is a person or company who makes confectionery from chocolate. Chocolatiers are distinct from chocolate makers, who create chocolate from cacao beans and other ingredients. Education and training Traditionally, chocolatiers, e ...

located in

Davis, Oklahoma Davis is a city in Garvin and Murray counties in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The population was 2,683 at the 2010 census. History Davis is named after Samuel H. Davis, who moved to Washita in what was then Indian Territory in 1887. At the time ...

. Founded in the 1980s by local businessman Pete Cantrell, the company was first housed in the former Homer Elementary School near

Ada, Oklahoma Ada is a city in and the county seat of Pontotoc County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 16,481 at the 2020 United States Census. The city was named for Ada Reed, the daughter of an early settler, and was incorporated in 1901. Ada is ...

. The name Bedré is derived from the Norwegian word for “better.”

History

The Chickasaw Nation purchased the company in 2000 and moved Bedré to a new, 26,000 square-foot factory in

Pauls Valley, Oklahoma Pauls Valley is a city in and the county seat of Garvin County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 5,992 at the 2020 census, a decline of 3.2 percent from the figure of 6,187 in 2010. It was settled by and named for Smith Paul, a North ...

, in 2003 where it remained until moving in 2013 to its current location in

.Bedré chocolate plant closes, will reopen in Davis
, ''The Oklahoman'', January 13, 2013.Bedré Chocolate Factory
TravelOK.com. Accessed October 9, 2013Turk, Randall, �
Anything tastes bedre with chocolate on it.
��, ''The Ada News'', December 12, 2005 In October 2011, Bedré broke ground on the current 34,600 square-foot chocolate factory.�
Chickasaws break ground in Davis for welcome center, factory
��, ''The Ada News'', October 19, 2011

Products, retail, and recognition

The company produces chocolates on site with free viewing by visitors. In addition to candy bars, cookies, chocolate-covered popcorn and caramel, the company creates chocolate-covered potato crisps and nut clusters under the moniker “Oklahoma cow patties.” Retailers such as

Neiman Marcus Neiman Marcus Group, Inc. is an American integrated luxury retailer headquartered in Dallas, Texas, which owns Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman, Horchow, and Last Call. Since September 2021, NMG has been owned by a group of investment compani ...

and

Bloomingdales Bloomingdale's Inc. is an American luxury department store chain; it was founded in New York City by Joseph B. and Lyman G. Bloomingdale in 1861. A third brother, Emanuel Watson Bloomingdale, was also involved in the business. It became a div ...

sell Bedré chocolates in stores across the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. Bedré creates chocolate guitars for guests at Hard Rock Hotels, and Dylan’s Candy sells it under their own private label. In the past, the convenience store

7-11 7-Eleven, Inc., stylized as 7-ELEVE, is a multinational chain of retail convenience stores, headquartered in Dallas, Texas. The chain was founded in 1927 as an ice house storefront in Dallas. It was named Tote'm Stores between 1928 and 1946. A ...

distributed the chocolate under the name Watts Farm, and

Braum's Braum's is an American chain of ice cream parlor and fast food restaurants. Based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Braum's was founded in 1968 by William Henry "Bill" Braum in Oklahoma City. The company operates over 300 restaurants in 5 states, prima ...

, a Midwestern dairy company, also sold the chocolate under its own brand name.“Oklahoma chocolatier eyes sweeter markets”, ''The Journal Record'', August 23, 2007.�
Bedré expands client list, launches new product line
��, ''Pauls Valley Democrat'', August 23, 2007. Bedré is a member of the Oklahoma Minority Supplier Development Council, and as an

Oklahoma Oklahoma (; Choctaw language, Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the nor ...

manufacturer, is also part of the Made in Oklahoma program. The company earned the internationally recognized ISO 9001 certification in 2009.“Pauls Valley company earns ISO 9001 certification”, ''The Journal Record'', June 8, 2009. The Intertribal Agriculture Council’s American Indian Foods program featured the chocolates in

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

in 2009 as part of a showcase of American Indian foods.�
Native American food coming to Australia
��, ''Food Magazine'', July 10, 2009

References

{{Reflist American chocolate companies Companies based in Oklahoma Chickasaw Nation 1980s establishments in Oklahoma