Läderach

Imagine our euphoria when we discovered Läderach had landed on our shores. It wasn't the pop-up tease that they tested the market with, this was a proper, respectable sized boutique. So Läderach has been here for a good couple of years, satisfying our wanton need for creamy, luscious chocolate with a purity few other brands offer. The service behind the counter was truly exemplary in the initial years. We were blessed with a friendly manager who updated us on new arrivals and on our visits, ensured that we were taken care of, even indulging us in new tastings. Fast forward to the Läderach of today. Although the chocolates are still the epitome of theobromine delight to us, we lament the drastic fall in service standards. It falls terribly short of the brand's stature. It's a total mismatch of its luxury image or perhaps I'm mistaken, it's simply run by a company that does not understand the value of proper training of their service staff. Most of counter staff can barely afford to purchase the products they sell, and yet put on airs and adopt condescending behaviour toward the customers they serve. Misplaced ego? Immaturity? Plain ignorance of not knowing their place? I reckon it's a combination of many factors and a real pity that some customers who don't dress or look the part fall victim to service staff who assume they are 'better than' the customers they ought to be serving with humility and respect. Alas, if chocolatey pleasure is what you seek, Läderach is indeed a temple of swiss chocolate perfection but impeccable, half-way decent service is certainly not what you're gonna get from the Läderach of today.

First time trying this chocolate was in bangkok and it was one of the best chocolate i’ve ever had even their service was excellent , so when i saw one at jewel without thinking twice entered the store with my mum and my SO, when my mum asked about the price of the truffle chocolate , the guy scoffed at my mum and told her the price without looking at her , what kind of service is this? I did not even know this happened until today when my SO told me what had happened else i would have intervened immediately. If you don’t wanna deal with customers then don’t get a job that involves dealing with customers.

I was here on 7 Nov, between 5-5.30pm. Nicholas was very very helpful. All I did was to ask if there were vegan options and he gladly introduced the dark variants which were vegan friendly. Then I asked if they contain any animal based gelatine. His reply was a confident and clear , “No Mdm, our products do not contain animal based gelatine”. And this is all it took for me to choose the flavours I can eat as an individual who used to love chocolate but is lactose intolerant hence turned vegan. I didn’t have to share any more details about my dietary needs with Nicholas’ replies. What really touched me was the he put on a new pair of gloves and changed a tray to ensure he minimised cross contamination. He did so without me asking ( which I forgot as I was admiringly the array of chocolates in the showcase). When I observed he did so, I thanked him gratefully. He was shy but quickly added that it was his pleasure. As a chocolate lover but have to eat vegan options now, having found beautiful vegan options and empathy from Nicholas were beyond words to express my happiness and gratitude. Thank you so much Nicholas.

Visited the Läderach outlet at Jewel Changi Airport on 30 September and was very disappointed with the service. My husband and I entered the shop but both male staff did not greet or acknowledge us at all. We browsed the chocolate twice, clearly ready to purchase, yet no one approached us. I had to initiate the conversation by saying "Hello, I would like to..." before one of them finally stepped forward. I've visited other Läderach outlets in Changi a few times before and never faced such an experience, so this was very disappointing. For a premium chocolate brand, I expected warmer and more attentive service. As someone working in the F&B industry, I know how frontline staff can greatly affect a customer's mood and buying decision. In the end, we decided not to continue purchasing more here and went to The Cocoa Trees instead, where the service was much better. After a while, when we re-arranged the chocolate, we noticed that I had ordered two pieces of orange almond dark chocolate, but they were packed together as one, and the measurement of the size was also incorrect. I hope the management will look into this, as such service does not reflect well on the Läderach brand.

An easy 5 stars for me in terms of the taste of the chocolate! The chocolate is hands down the best I have ever eaten amongst all the countries I have travelled. I also like that we get to try the chocolate first in order to pick our favourite flavour. My favourite is almond milk. Dubai chocolate is quite so so to me. The other flavours are amazing as well so it boils down to individual preference. I do agree with other reviews that service can certainly be better given that it is located in Jewel and guests are paying an exorbitant price for these chocolates. I believe that the Läderach brand is supposed to be an epitome of luxury, not merely passable service. What’s more, it is located in the airport where tourists come to visit. With that said, I have not received outright rude service; just deadbeat unsincere staff during the few times I have visited the store. End of day, the chocolate really is amaaaaaazing so I will still recommend to others.