Hawecker, Chocolate shop in Châteaurenard, France
Hawecker is a chocolate shop and pastry maker in Châteaurenard, in southern France, offering handcrafted chocolates, cakes, macarons, spreads, and gift boxes. The shop displays rows of truffles, pralines, seasonal cakes, and themed collections, with Easter being a particularly rich period for special creations.
The shop opened in Châteaurenard in 2002 and built its reputation largely through the work of Frédéric Hawecker, who received the Meilleur Ouvrier de France title in pastry in 2011. Since then, the shop has grown beyond the local market and now exports some of its creations, including to Japan.
Frédéric Hawecker holds the title of Meilleur Ouvrier de France, the country's highest craft distinction, and the shop carries the Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant label awarded by the French government for keeping traditional skills alive. The packaging and decorations draw on Provençal fabrics and patterns, so even the boxes reflect the region around Châteaurenard.
The shop is located in the center of Châteaurenard and is easy to reach on foot from the main streets. Seasonal collections, especially around Easter, tend to sell out quickly, so visiting early in the day during those periods is a good idea.
Frédéric Hawecker travels abroad for ideas and after a trip to Australia created chocolates shaped like kangaroos and koalas. He also works with Criollo cacao, a rare variety with light-colored seeds and a gentler, less bitter flavor than most other beans.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
