On this week’s episode of the Flavors of Northwest Arkansas podcast, we celebrate 10 years of business for local chocolatier Markham and Fitz in Bentonville.

But we kick off the podcast talking about a big night. We’re just over a month away from Top Chef NWA, benefitting the Rogers Public Library Foundation.  Tickets are available now. We hear from last year’s winner, Garyn Folden from Cura Culinary.

In this week’s podcast interview, we catch up with co-founder and owner of Markham and Fitz, Lauren Blanco.

They now distribute chocolate to 39 states & 6 countries and were featured in over 100 Anthropology stores around the US.

Lauren talks about the 2 principals that they were founded on: celebrating people and restoring the earth, and Markham and Fitz really puts their money where their mouth is when it comes to that. She’ll tell us how…

Also she’ll talk about one of their holiday bars, because I HAD to ask about it. It’s the Festivus bar.  This is for the Seinfeld fans.

How do they come up with new ideas and flavors? It starts with R&D…

And finally, with it basically being fall, Lauren shares her favorite hot chocolate recipe in the Mike Engleman Home Pro tip of the week. Get pen and paper ready! We’re talking chocolate this week on the Flavors of Northwest Arkansas!